Donkey slaughter on rise in Andhra Pradesh, finds PETA

Illegal slaughter of donkeys and the sale of their meat has become quite prevalent in state as butchers are slitting donkeys throats on roadsides, under flyovers and behind makeshift stalls. Merchants are selling the prohibited donkey meat in full public view.

These are some of the findings of a recent undercover investigation conducted by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)- India inAndhra Pradesh. The team recently visited Ongole, Tadepalli, Vijayawada, Chirala, andBapatlaand documented the killings and the sale of this equine meat.

The PETA Indias investigation also found that adults are forcing children into helping with illegal slaughter, exposing them to blood and desensitising them to violence. The stray dogs consume the leftover donkey meat, skins, and offal dumped in the open. The transportation of donkeys happens late at night in order to evade the Police and to reach the slaughter sites early in the morning.
In India, killing

and eating donkeys whose Population has declined by about 61% in a seven-year period violates a number of laws. Donkey slaughter violates Section 429 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, and is punishable with a jail term of up to five years, a fine, or both.