GUNTUR: Over the last 45 days, more than 600 kg of donkey meat was seized and 78 donkeys were rescued in the erstwhile districts of Guntur and Prakasam. Though illegal, donkey slaughter has been rampant in the region for ages.
Decades ago, the practice of consuming donkey meat and blood was initiated by the thieves of Stuartpuram as they believed that doing so would help them run faster and increase their pain threshold if inflicted with punishment.
Even decades later, people have faith in such misconceptions and as a result, donkey slaughter has been prevalent in Bapatla, Guntur, and Ongole regions. On November 20, police with the help of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) conducted raids at various places in Ongole and seized over 500 kg of donkey meat.
They identified discarded body parts at various places and also rescued 36 donkeys that were ready to be transported to other places. In another instance, police arrested two persons on charges of slaughtering and selling donkey meat at Srinivasa Rao Thota in Guntur on November 6. On October 16, Bapatla police, too, seized 100 kg of donkey meat and rescued 16 animals.
“I asked a man why he was buying donkey meat. Stating that he was suffering from joint pains, he said consuming donkey meat would help cure his pain,” Tejovanth Anupoju from Help for Animals Society, who had participated in the raids, said and expressed how appalling it was that even educated city-dwellers with better medical facilities believed in such rumours.
“As the number of donkey slaughtering cases has risen, we have increased vigil with the help of police. We were even able to save some animals,” Tejovanth explained. According to a recent study, the donkey population in India has declined by 61 per cent over the last seven years, the animal rights activist said and opined that while legal action is important, educating people and increasing awareness will bring actual change.
Butchers and traders are now transporting donkeys from other States due to a drop in their population in Andhra Pradesh. Pointing out that donkey slaughter is not taken seriously, Tejovanth said their extinction rate is similar to those of other animals.
He also suggested that the police should form a state-level task force and take stringent action against illegal slaughterhouses. Intensify checkings should take place at inter-state borders to prevent the illegal transportation of donkeys.
The population of donkeys in the country has declined by 61%.
The donkey population in India has declined by 61 per cent over the last seven years, Tejovanth Anupoju from Help for Animals Society said and opined that while legal action is important, educating people and increasing awareness will bring actual change. “I asked a man why he was buying donkey meat. Stating that he was suffering from joint pains, he said consuming the meat would help cure his pain,” he said.