The heat wave and drought that Switzerland is experiencing this summer, like other European countries, is forcing the country’s army to mobilize to bring water to livestock in some alpine areas where they already have difficulties to drink, reported the Swiss Ministry of Defense in an official note.
A first water transport operation for cattle by helicopter has taken place on the slopes of the Gräfimatt mountain, in the central canton of Obwalden, to ensure the survival of the cattle, the military source said.
The water was transported from a local lake, the Sarnen, located 15 kilometers from the area where the cattle graze in these summer months, responding to a request for help from the shepherd communities in the area.
In the coming days, the army will verify the water needs of extensive ranches in other areas, the statement said.
The high temperatures are greatly harming the Swiss Alps this summer, where, for example, the classic ascent route to the famous Mount Jungfrau (4,158 meters and a World Heritage Site) has been banned due to heat-related avalanche danger. , something that had not happened in more than a century.
This Monday a temperature of zero degrees was measured at 5,184 meters in the atmosphere over Switzerland, a record level for the Central European country.