Karnataka - Mysore   

57 heads of cattle seized on way to Kerala

Mysore: Fifty-seven heads of cattle, packed in two trucks that were being illegally transported for slaughterhouses in Kerala, were seized by the Chamarajanagar Rural Police on Thursday.

They were brought to the Pinjrapole animal shelter in the city and doctors are treating the rescued animals, some of which were in miserable condition.

The police said they stopped the vehicles near Punajanur. Five persons have been taken into custody.

Illegal transport of cattle for slaughterhouses in Kerala is common in Mysore-Chamarajanagar-Kerala borders, which has caused concern among activists who fear that the local cattle population is declining at an alarming rate.

Though there are no accurate figures, it is estimated by activists that the Karnataka’s cattle population could decline to a point of no return if there was no check on their illegal transportation. While it is reckoned that demand for beef in Kerala was high, most of the meat is meant for exports to international market. Karnataka is reckoned to be a major source to cater to this market in view of their easy and cheap availability.

While the transportation of cattle is one issue, the Animal Rights groups have also brought to the fore the cruel mechanisms involved during their transportation as was evident in Thursday’s seizure. Though the Karnataka Prevention of Cow Slaughter and Cattle Preservation Act mandates that the animals transported to slaughterhouses should be certified by a veterinary doctor, it is not followed. The last trip of the animals is miserable because they are not given fodder and water, and about 25 to 30 of them are squeezed in a truck though no more than 8 to 10 of them can be accommodated at a time. Most animals do not survive the ordeal of their last trip to the slaughterhouses because of suffocation and shock.

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