People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India has released its latest findings regarding dogs used for meat and wildlife meat markets in northeast India.
The video documentation reveals filthy conditions risking disease transmission and rampant violations of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972; The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960; and the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
“Filthy, illegal meat markets torture animals and act as petri dishes,” says PETA India Advocacy Associate Pradeep Ranjan Doley Barman. “PETA India is calling on officials to do a sweep and shut them down, for everyone’s sake.”
At Nute Bazaar in Manipur, the flesh of barking deer, wild boars, and frogs was illegally sold and buyers and sellers touched the charred animal parts with their bare hands. At Senapati Bazaar, an illegally hunted deer’s severed head was passed around.
At markets in Nagaland, live eels, mice, frogs, and birds were openly sold and workers handled dead animals without wearing gloves. Live dogs were also illegally sold for their meat – puppies were caged, and older dogs’ mouths were tied shut as they were offered for purchase and slaughter.
At Itanagar Market in Arunachal Pradesh, meat of mithun – the state animal – was openly sold. At every market, blood, sinew, and innards were everywhere.
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PETA India has sent letters to the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change regarding these markets, urging them to take action against them.
COVID-19 is largely believed by experts to have stemmed or spread from a live-animal meat market, and SARS, swine flu, and bird flu have also been linked to the practice of confining and killing animals for food.
Last year, PETA India also released video footage of captured dogs killed and sold for meat in Nagaland, sellers in Manipur handling the charred remains of wild animals – including monkeys, wild boars, porcupines, and deer – and other incidents at other animal markets in the country.
A team from Assam University recently found that numerous primate species are being killed in northeast India over medicinal property myths.
