Myths fuel illegal slaughter and sale of donkey meat in Andhra towns, finds PETA probe

The slaughter of donkeys was in violation of sections 3 and 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act,1960, and sections 428 and 429 of the Indian Penal Code, PETA said.

Additionally, anyone consuming donkey meat violated the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) norms. The authority has not listed the meat in its ‘appropriate meat’ category.

Slaughtering donkeys also violated the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Slaughter House) Rules, 2001, since no abattoir in India has been authorised to kill them.

Painful death

PETA’s investigation also revealed that smugglers transported donkeys late in the night, and delivered to illegal butchers early in the morning to avoid being caught.

Donkeys, the probe found, were smuggled into Andhra Pradesh from Telangana, Maharashtra, Gujarat and other states.

Additionally, the animals were not stunned. The donkeys were conscious and had a painful death. Stunning is the process of making the animal immobile or unconscious before slaughtering it.

Once slaughtered, the illegal traders sold the meat by the road. Stray dogs feasted on the leftover meat, hide and offal that were dumped in open spaces.

A person tying a donkey before slaughter it in one of the towns in Andhra (PETA)

“Donkeys are smart, sensitive animals who do not want to die, yet they are being hacked apart on roadsides, sometimes even by children, to meet the demand created by myths,” PETA India Manager of Vegan Projects Dr Kiran Ahuja said while releasing the report on Tuesday, 18 October.

Not an aphrodisiac

PETA attributed the demand for donkey meat in Andhra Pradesh to the misbelief that its meat or blood could cure diseases and increase virility. The high demand has affected the donkey population in the country.

According to the 19th Livestock Census, 2012, India had 3.2 lakh donkeys. The 20th Livestock Census, 2019, showed a dip in population to 1.2 lakh.

Illegal, but who cares?

In Chirala, six stalls at a busy junction were seen selling donkey meat in broad daylight. In Tadepalle town near Vijayawada, a shop near the local police station was selling donkey meat, the report noted. PETA’s investigators found children in Ongole assisting butchers to kill and skin the animals.

At a donkey meat stall in Bapatla, the PETA noticed two donkey heads on display. A young boy was seen skinning a donkey, while two others were chopping and selling the meat for ₹600 a kilogram.

Body parts of the slaughtered animals were hung from hooks to attract customers. Among the customers was a policeman. He was filmed buying the illegal meat.