16 Donkeys Rescued and Over 100 Kilos of Donkey Meat Seized by Bapatla Police in Early Morning Raid With PETA India and Local Groups

Following a complaint from PETA India, the Bapatla police, in a joint operation with PETA India and local groups from Andhra Pradesh, conducted a raid in Bapatla district, seizing over 100 kilograms of donkey meat and 16 live donkeys who were slated to be slaughtered. Gopal Surabathula of Animal Rescue Organisation, Tejovanth Anupoju of Help for Animals Society, and Vijay Kishore Palika of East Godavari SPCA were part of the raids. All persons involved in the illegal trade and slaughter have been arrested. It is worth noting that just last month, in a similar operation, the Bapatla police, with PETA India and local groups’ support, seized over 400 kilograms of donkey meat, registered three first information reports (FIR), and arrested 11 people in Chirala in connection with the illegal donkey meat trade.

An illegal donkey killing establishment at Karlapalem Road, near the Hero showroom, in the jurisdiction of Bapatla town police station was raided. The raiding team found two freshly slaughtered donkeys with their throats slit, bodies cut open, and their heads still attached. The carcasses were seized by the police. An FIR has been registered by Bapatla town police station under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860; The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960; and the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The rescued donkeys were subject to a veterinary examination that revealed that eight of them had deep injuries or multiple abrasion wounds on different parts of their bodies. They have been moved to safety ahead of permanent rehabilitation.

In the state, butchers sell donkey meat by peddling unscientific myths about its supposed benefits, but killing donkeys and eating donkey meat violates a number of laws. Donkey slaughter violates Section 429 of the IPC, 1860, and is punishable with a jail term of up to five years, a fine, or both. Killing donkeys is also an offence under Section 11(1)(a) and (l) of the PCA Act, 1960. Consumption of donkey meat is illegal under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and slaughtering animals in public places is banned under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Slaughter House) Rules, 2001.

In a seven-year period, India’s donkey population has declined by 61%.