Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai   

Cattle packed in 2 mini-lorries rescued

By P. Oppili

CHENNAI MARCH 27. Volunteers of the People for Animals (PfA) have rescued in all 38 head of cattle with four calves, packed in two mini-lorries, at Red Hills and Vyasarpadi, on Thursday evening. One of the calves was found inside a truck.

Fearing arrest, the cleaners and the truck driver fled from the place. The rescued cattle have been housed at the PfA shelter at Red Hills.

One of the PfA volunteers, Shiranee, said that around 3-30 p.m. she saw the head of a buffalo hanging out of the truck at Red Hills. When she stopped the truck, the two cleaners inside the vehicle jumped out and escaped. An inspection of the vehicle revealed that four calves, along with 16 animals, were packed into the small truck, one on top of another. Blood was seen oozing from the neck of the buffalo, which was visible from the outside, she said.

Four animals in the truck were in a very bad condition. Immediately the truck was brought to the PfA shelter and the local police were informed. A Sub-Inspector, along with a few constables, visited the spot and conducted an inquiry, said the volunteers.

The activists ordered the driver to drive the vehicle to the shelter. Interrogation revealed that the vehicle was coming from Gudur in Andhra Pradesh and the cattle were loaded into the vehicle at around 10 a.m. The mini-lorry was heading to the cattle shandy in Pollachi from where they were destined for slaughterhouses in Kerala, charged the activists.

The two cleaners were habitual offenders, who on seeing the activists, ran away, abandoning the vehicle. As the driver was new to this trade, he brought the vehicle to the shelter and after sometime, he also managed to give the police the slip, said Dr. Shiranee. Care was being provided to all the weak animals.

The activists said the illegal cattle traders were keeping a low profile till recently. Once again, they are becoming active.

The police seized the second mini-lorry this evening at Vyasarpadi about four hours after the seizure of the first vehicle at Red Hills. According to Dr. Shiranee, four of the 18 animals, which were packed into the lorry, were seriously injured. She said that a case has been filed against the owner of the lorries, who is a repeated offender.

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