Horror as abused, famished donkeys turn cannibals
Baboki Kayawe | Tuesday July 25, 2017 16:17
Police in the area have charged a Chinese national in connection with the abuse though there are still more investigations on the incident. Thus far, the man is reportedly facing a single charge of cruelty to animals, which under the law carries a fine of P50, or up to six months in jail.
The developments come after government suspended the issuance of export licences for donkey meat and hides, while also suspending abattoir licences, in the wake of reports of animal abuse. The Francistown situation was uncovered by an anonymous tip to the BSPCA, which sent a team that “found the scene on the ground to be far worse than initially described”.
“The donkeys appeared to be suffering the very worst kind of savagery and absolute neglect that Botswana has ever witnessed,” the BSPCA said in a social media statement. “These animals having been procured from all over Botswana, were dying in droves, unable to withstand the horrific conditions that they were being placed in.”
Yesterday, BSPCA veterinarian Dr Nayantara Ghotge, described the donkey abuse to Mmegi, saying the asses were in a dire state of neglect. “They were not fed or given water and hence they resorted to eating each other,” an aghast Dr Ghotge noted. “Their skins were really bad as a result. If you look at the business plan, would there be value from such animals?” Dr Ghotge said the issue brought to light the state of animal welfare legislation in Botswana, and the shortcomings of the existing Act.
Botswana’s Cruelty to Animals Act was established in 1936 and has only been reviewed once, in 1966. “Compared to its neighbours in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, Botswana’s Animal Cruelty Act is vague and the least specific. The current Act lags behind the neighbouring countries when it comes to roles and responsibilities.
For instance, if someone is employed in Gaborone and they are neglecting their animals at the cattle post and there is a caretaker as well in the cattle post, the law doesn’t specify who should be held responsible for the act of neglect,” she said. Adding that the law holds both of them responsible, which is very broad and undefined.
Moreover, Dr Ghotge said the police are tasked as the law enforcers yet they are not adequately resourced for such and the scope of their mandate is huge already. The BSPCA is proposing a review of the legislature, and that under the new dispensation, animal welfare officers be employed by the Ministry of Agriculture in order to curb incidents such as the Francistown one.
Consequently, BSPCA has initiated an online petition to call for review of the existing law. By yesterday, the petition had gathered 2,754 signatures out of the targetted 5,000. When complete, the petition will be delivered to Parliament, Department of Veterinary Services and the Ministry of Agriculture.
Amongst others, the petition proposes Botswana’s increased ability to enforce animal cruelty laws by permitting animal inspectors under the BSPCA, in addition to police, to investigate, remove or seize animals, and have perpetrators arrested.
“This will increase enforcement capacity and ensure that experts trained to identify Animal Cruelty are enforcing the law,” she added. The petition also proposes the expansion of the definition of cruelty “from one of malicious intent to also include negligence”.
Relative to cattle and other livestock, Dr Ghotge admits that donkeys are lowly valued but says their rights ought to be respected if the hides and gelatin industry is to operate in a viable manner.
“There should be slaughter houses where these animals are given humane deaths. There also ought to be an export limit looking at the utility of donkeys in rural areas because if not the animals will become extinct.”