Somewhere in Bangalore....

In yet another incident of cruelty against animals, over 30 calves suffocated to death while being transported to a slaughterhouse on Saturday. About 100 calves crammed into a vehicle were being taken in the wee hours of Saturday when the police seized the vehicle. The calves’ nose and mouth were tied to prevent them from making a noise.Patrolling inspector B Raju spotted the vehicle at 3 am. He found that 95 calves were dumped one over the other with mouths and legs tied. “I tried calling associations in Rajankunte and Devanahalli but no one was ready to take so many animals. They said they did not have space. I realized that the animals were in a bad shape. Finally, I dropped them at the Akhila Karnataka Prani Daya Sangha in Koramangala,’’ he said. Four persons were arrested under Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act.According to Dr Vedi, who volunteers at the sangha, the animals died due to respiratory problems and transportation stress. They were dehydrated and had high fever when they were brought. The other animals were given necessary treatment but around 15 calves are in a serious condition. All the animals were newborn males. Since most were separated from mothers before they could start feeding on milk, they are extremely weak and can develop immunity-related problems.“Not more than six animals can be transported in one van, according to the Transportation of Animals Rules, 1978. In Karnataka, violations are rampant. In fact, there is a route via Gundulpet to Bandipur to Sultan Bathery in Kerala. It’s very difficult to spot the animals being transported,’’ says Jay Simha, campaign manager, PETA. Jay, who has done undercover investigation on transportation of animals, adds that most of these calves end up being slaughtered for leather. India is the seventh largest exporter of leather. According to sangha volunteers, BBMP officers are not ready to take the bodies before Sunday morning.