As many as 18 camels were rescued from the Karnataka-Tamilnadu border area on 1st July 2022. The camels were illegally brought for slaughtering on Eid al-Adha or Bakr Eid which is being celebrated today. The animals were rescued near Hosur of Karnataka and sent back to Rajasthan by the local animal activists.
It is notable that camel slaughtering is banned in Karnataka state. In spite of this, the illegal transportation of the desert ride continues through some animal mafia by crossing different check posts. Out of many camels brought in Karnataka for slaughtering on Bakr Eid, the animal activists saved 18 and returned them to Rajasthan after keeping them in a shelter home for a brief period of 10 days.
The Tamil Nadu government was recently ordered to make sure that cows, camels, and other animals are not transported or slaughtered in violation of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. These orders were given by Justices CJ Munishwar Nath Bhandari and M Mala of the Madras High Court.
According to a report by The New Indian Express, inputs were taken from the local animal activists, and Animal Husbandry commissioner A Gnanasekaran. Based on these inputs and the court order, the Tamilnadu government sent a letter to the Superintendent of Police Krishnagiri District saying that hundreds of camels have entered Karnataka, and over two dozen are stocked in Hosur close to Bengaluru and asked them to check.
An animal activist Sunil Dugar from Prani Daya Sangha said, “Camels are banned from slaughtering and also from transport outside of their habitats. The mafia operating in the area entered Maharashtra and then slipped into Belagavi. From there, the animals were brought to Tumakuru and reached Attibele on the outskirts of Bengaluru. It was then brought to Hosur to avoid getting caught and was supposed to be brought back to Bengaluru on Bakrid for slaughtering.”
He further said, “The officials at every check post have failed to crack down on illegal animal transport. When we informed some senior officials in Tamil Nadu, they said that these animals might have been brought for joy rides or for grazing. The animals were rescued 10 days ago and after a few days of sheltering, they were transported back to their original habitat. The police had to be informed that transportation of such animals is a crime”
Meanwhile, two accused who were operating this illegal network are absconding and a case is filed in Tamil Nadu.