42 pigs rescued in daring night chase

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-01-12/goa/36296108_1_pigs-animal-rescue-squad-transport

MAPUSA: About 42 pigs being illegally transported to Goa from Belgaum in a pickup were rescued near Mapusa by two animal welfare activists in a daring mission at 1.30am on Thursday.

Having received a tip-off, John Fernandes and Mahadev Mestri of the Animal Rescue Squad set off on a motorbike for the 'Goa-Mumbai' NH 17, looking for a Karnataka-registered vehicle.

Near Hotel Green Park they saw the pickup heading towards Panaji and heard the grunting of pigs. Following the vehicle, they got it to stop by stopping their own motorbike right in front of it.

"We asked the driver for the permit to transport the pigs. He didn't have one and instead offered us a bribe," claimed Fernandes.

The duo called the police who arrested the driver and the two helpers-all Karnataka natives-and rescued the pigs. Sources said the pigs were headed to a slaughterhouse in Saligao.

Describing the "horrid" conditions under which the pigs were being transported, Fernandes said, "The pickup was divided into two sections and the upper section alone had 25 pigs. The condition was unhygienic and so crammed that one pig had died during the journey."

He stressed that the law does not permit the carrying of so many pigs in such constrained conditions.

Police sources corroborated this, saying the transportation was in violation of provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, the Transport of Animals Rules, 1978, and the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

"The law requires that those transporting pigs should have a licence to do so. It is also illegal to transport pigs in a vehicle that has not been properly constructed to carry them," an animal activist later explained.

The arrested trio are under police custody.

Drive to catch stray animals ineffective

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/varanasi/Drive-to-catch-stray-animals-ineffective/articleshow/9782248.cms
 
VARANASI: The Varanasi Nagar Nigam usually launches drives to catch the stray animals, especially pigs, ahead of Eid every year. This year again, the VNN officials have claimed that such a drive has been launched. However, the Varanasi Nagar Nigam is surprisingly clueless about the population of stray pigs as well as number of their owners living in the city areas.

According to city health officer of VNN, S K Singh, the drive to catch the stray pigs has been launched mainly in the areas near mosques and prayer assemblies. However, when questioned, he had no idea about how many animals have been caught so far. The ignorance is worrying as the VNN is supposed to maintain a record of pigs and their owners. The exercise ensures that none of the owners were leaving their animals on roads during the festivities.

Further, Singh admitted, there was not any fixed place to keep the stray pigs after catching them on the roads. ''Whenever pigs are caught and nobody turns up to claim them, the animals are released in villages or jungles on the city outskirts. On the other hand, if the owner turns up to make a claim, the pigs are returned to them, after providing guidelines for future and on paying a fine of Rs 500 per animal,'' said S K Singh.

Moreover, despite claims of a drive, a number of stray animals can be seen on the roads in localities like Nirala Nagar and Madhopur (situated just behind the VNN office). Besides, stray animals can be seen in Beniya Park, Pandeypur and Ravindrapuri area, lying in mud and rain water. The VNN has reportedly employed only one catcher for the drive. This indicates an apathy to health concerns of the citizens.

My take

The article highlights only one aspect of the menace created by pig owners. These pigs are owned by particular local communities. They are left to fend for themselves from the garbage. There are many cruel practices followed by these pig owners. One of which is, the young male pig’s testicles are chopped without giving them anesthesia or medical care. Most of the times sharp edge of broken glass is used for this procedure. The pig squeals in pain but there is no remorse on the owner’s face. In fact they seem to get pleasure out of this torture. It has been observed that the young boys from the community are given this job. One can imagine the adverse effect this practice has on the mind of these young boys too. This nuisance is created by pig owners but the innocent pigs are always at the receiving end.