In an incident described by the National Council of the SPCA (NSPCA) as cowardly, horrendous and viciously cruel, an estimated 38 000 day-old chicks died when the transporter they were on was targeted by protesters in the Lichtenburg area. The incident took place in the North West province on Friday, April 21.
The NSPCA’s Farm Animal Protection Unit was alerted to the transporter being set alight by members of the public in the area, who were protesting against poor service delivery.
A task team was immediately despatched to the area but the NSPCA personnel were recalled after the Operational Director of Opti Chicks informed the Farm Animal Protection Unit that there were no surviving chicks and the crowd had dispersed. According to a statement issued by Opti Chicks, “During a riot of a service delivery protest in Lichtenburg, our Opti Chicks truck got caught up in the riot and was burnt down with live chicks inside. Some of the chicks were thrown out of the truck and they then used the truck to drive over the chicks,” said the operations manager of Opti Chicks.
In condemning this action, the NSPCA emphasised that the suffering endured by these birds can hardly be imagined. “It would have been agonising and prolonged. It was also totally unnecessary.
There is no footage of the actions which impacts on the possibility of pursuing a case of animal cruelty. No perpetrators can be identified,” the operation manager of Opti Chicks added.
Anyone with information relating to this incident is invited to come forward, with the assurance that under no circumstances will any details be revealed regarding the identities of informants. The NSPCA’s Farm Animal Protection Unit can be reached on 011 907 3590 during working hours or via farm@nspca.co.za.
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