PETA India’s three-month-long investigation into the illegal slaughter of donkeys and the sale of their flesh across Andhra Pradesh has revealed shocking findings. In a 2022 joint operation by PETA India and other local groups, Bapatla police seized more than 400 kilograms of donkey flesh, along with discarded animal heads, legs, and tails in four raids conducted across Bapatla district. A total of 78 donkeys who were slated to be slaughtered were rescued on three separate occasions with the help of local police. These donkeys are now living the life they deserve at a sanctuary where they will never again feel scared for their life. Multiple first information reports have been registered, and several suspects were arrested by police across Andhra Pradesh following complaints from PETA India and local activists.
However, the illegal slaughter continues unabated. This is why we need your help in calling on the chief minister and director general of police to end the barbaric and illegal donkey meat trade.
Smuggled and Secretly Killed
PETA India’s investigation revealed that young and adult donkeys are surreptitiously killed on roadsides, behind makeshift market stalls, and under highway flyovers. Meat sellers have admitted that the animals are smuggled into Andhra Pradesh from Maharashtra, Telangana and other states late at night and early in the morning to evade interception by police.
Donkeys are sensitive, intelligent individuals, who form deep bonds with their families and feel pain and fear. PETA India’s investigation found that these gentle animals were not stunned before being slaughtered, so they were fully conscious and able to feel pain when their throats were slit. The animals’ discarded skin and organs were found dumped in the open, where they were eaten by stray dogs.
Donkey flesh was sold in broad daylight by six stalls at a busy traffic junction in Chirala. In Tadepalle, it was sold in a shop near a police station. In Ongole, children were found helping the butchers slaughter and skin the donkeys.
It is not permitted under Indian law to kill animals anywhere other than licensed slaughterhouses, and municipal authorities are responsible for ensuring compliance.
Breaking the Law
Donkey slaughter is a violation of Section 429 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, and is punishable with a jail term of up to five years, a fine, or both. It also violates the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Slaughter House) Rules, 2001, and sections 11(1)(a) and (l) of The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.
The consumption of donkey flesh is illegal under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
India’s Donkey Population Is Rapidly Declining
The demand for donkey meat in Andhra Pradesh by those who believe in harmful medical myths has taken a horrific toll on the donkey population across India: it declined by 61% from 2012 to 2019.
Join PETA India in asking the chief minister and director general of police of Andhra Pradesh to quickly issue directions to prevent the smuggling and slaughter of donkeys, shut down the donkey meat trade, and prosecute those involved in it.
