A dog that followed a group of hikers up a volcano in Mexico and stayed there for almost a month has been rescued.
Puebla man Hilario "Layo" Aguilar led a group of mountain climbers up the side of the volcano, Pico de Orizaba, located in Veracruz, to rescue the mixed-breed dog, named Canelo, Milenio reported.
The dog's location on the inactive volcano, the highest peak in Mexico and the third highest in North America, was revealed to the public when a photo of him went viral on social media.
Aguilar, who worked with members of the High Mountain School to save the dog, posted his account of the events leading up to the dog's recovery from Pico de Orizaba to Facebook on Monday.
He wrote that in images shared on social media the dog appeared malnourished, but that people had not helped it simply because of how difficult and dangerous the descent down the side of the volcano can be.
"In the photos that were uploaded, he appeared malnourished, with a lesion on a little leg and very red eyes due to the solar radiation due to the height," Aguilar wrote.
"After five thousand meters, the ultraviolet rays and the reflections of the sun in the snow could have left him blind."
Aguilar added that when the group found the dog they gave him food and water, with Canelo finishing off almost an entire thermos.
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To get Canelo down the side of the volcano, Aguilar and the rest of the mountaineers placed the dog in a backpack with his head protruding from its opening.
The arrangement, which may have been comical in less dangerous circumstances, was also uploaded to Facebook by Aguilar.
Milenio reported that Canelo had likely found his way up the mountainside while following another group of climbers offering him food.
During his month on the mountain, Canelo experienced freezing temperatures and snow. The lack of food meant that the dog's ribs were visible under his fur, and his paw was injured as photos of the animal had indicated.
Following the rescue, Canelo was delivered to Fátima del Ángel Palacios, a fellow mountaineer, and an animal lover, who is one of the people who helped arrange and organize the rescue.
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According to Milenio, she will take care of the animal until he is healthy enough to be given up for adoption.
This will include him reaching his ideal weight and his eyes recovering from the blinding light reflected by the snow at the top of the mountain.
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