Animal welfare issues and perspectives in developing countries

S. Abdul Rahman

<sup>Retd. Dean,
Bangalore Veterinary College, and Secretary,
Commonwealth Veterinary Association #123,
7th ‘B’ Main Road, 4th Block (West),
Jayanagar,
Bangalore 560011,
India

Tel./Fax. (91 80) 26635210;

Email. shireen@blr.vsnl.net.in</sup>

• Welfare of work animals
• Welfare of production animals (milk and meat)
• Poultry farming
• Broiler chickens reared for meat
• Recommendations for preventing cruelty to animals
• Working animals
• Production animals
• Transport
• Welfare of companion animals
• Welfare of wild and captive animals including animals used in entertainment
• Animals in experimentation
• Role of veterinary profession in animal welfare
  
  
• Summary
• References
• Table 1
  
  

Developing countries of the world, especially in Asia, have high human and livestock populations mostly rural and agricultural based and limited land which leads to less pasture available for animals. Out of 100 million bullocks and buffaloes, 7 million are in urban areas. These draught animals are still the backbone of agriculture and mechanisation is insignificant.

Animals are also the main source of livelihood to more than 500 million poor people in the Indian subcontinent comprising of Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The value of these animals is worth millions of rupees in their output in the form of milk, meat, eggs, draught animal power, wool, leather and dung.

Developing countries with a rich heritage of cultural and religious traditions have not sheltered livestock from abuse. In quantitative terms, the present effort of animal welfare organisations is only a tiny fraction of what needs to be done to improve animal welfare. It is also ironic that this happens even though most of the religions in these countries deify animals.

Welfare of animals in developing countries can be classified under the following headings.

    1. Welfare of Work Animals
    2. Welfare of Production Animals (Milk and Meat)
    3. Welfare of Companion Animals
    4. Welfare of Wild and Captive Animals including animals used in entertainment.

Welfare of work animals

From the beginning of civilization Draught Animals (DAs), Bullocks, Horses, Camels, Mules, Donkeys etc., have been making a significant contribution to society. Draught Animal Power (DAP) is an excellent example of mass application of appropriate technology. It is ideal for small farmers of say less than four hectares. Tractors and Tillers become economic only when the farm size is above four hectares, though, on a hire basis, tractors and tillers can be used also for smaller farms. More than two million people in India depend on DAP for ploughing and adjunct operations. In addition, DAs haul vehicles and carry goods on their back. For a variety of reasons the developing countries of the world may have to depend on DAP for many more years to come.

DAs plough 100 million hectares of area sown (66%) and haul 25 million tones kilometres of freight in 15 million Animal Drawn Carts (ADCs) (Table I) (5).
There are over 100 million small farms in the developing countries. In a small country like Sri Lanka, it is estimated that out of nearly 1.5 million cattle population, around 1.1 million are with the small holders in rural areas and estate sector.

DAP being so important to developing countries, it is regrettable that these animals are not well cared for. Due to paucity of pasture and commercial feed, livestock are in semi-starved conditions (except high yielding milk animals and draught animals while at work). In India, due to vagaries of monsoon and availability of land for ploughing is limited to certain parts of the year only. As a result more than hundred million draught animals are idle in India for 200 days a year, during which period they are ill-fed and become weak reducing their draught capability. This leads to ill treatment to goad them for work beyond their capacity and health. While at work, they are overworked, underfed, and maltreated. Millions suffer neck injuries and are bruised due to whipping and hot iron branding. Even shoeing and castration are done in primitive ways inflicting needless suffering. The implements and carts to which they are hitched are inefficient, crude and painful. Animal Welfare Organisations undertake measures to improve the situation but needs more efforts (7, 9, 10).

In addition to bullocks, the other working animals in the developing countries are buffaloes in Sri Lanka and Donkeys in many countries of Asia. Of the more than 50 million donkey population of the world, 50% is in Asia with China having 10 million, Pakistan 3.5 million and India 2 million. The popular use of donkeys is for transport and also to a limited extent for ploughing (8).

While a pair of bullocks is able to haul a tonne in a traditional cart, donkeys and mules are able to haul half to three quarters of a tonne with ease as they are of better breeding and are fed well.

Welfare of production animals (milk and meat)

Meat animals are part of a livestock system contributing 40 million euros to the GNP of India. The market value of livestock is 80 million euros. 100 million producers of animals and birds, provide 100 million livestock, 200 million poultry every year for meat totalling five million tonnes valued at 12 million euros. In India, there are 10 million abattoirs and meat shops both legal and illegal having one million workers involved in the meat chain.

In India, cruelty to animals takes place at every stage during slaughter. Five to eight million buffalo calves are killed immediately after birth. Eighty million large animals work for 7-10 years before becoming available for slaughter. Over 120 million meat animals and 500 million poultry also undergo significant suffering from the time they are dispatched for slaughter till they die. Transport and handling methods are primitive and crude. Slaughter animals are made to walk long distances or transported in overcrowded trucks and trains. At the slaughter itself animals are handled roughly and animals awaiting their turn watch other animals being killed. Due to misinterpretation of religious injunctions and continued resistance to stunning, unnecessary suffering is inflicted (11).

There are similarities between these countries in the existing methods of transport of animals for slaughter, cruelty during transport and at slaughter and lack of implementation of existing legislations to establish proper animal welfare.

The handling, loading and transport of animals has a great effect on the welfare of animals. Thousands of animals are transported both legally and illegally throughout the length and breadth of these countries and also cross the international borders by trekking, trucks and trains in the most inhumane way.

Cattle and buffaloes which are mostly spent milch animals or old work animals are sent for slaughter and have no sentimental value either for the farmer, trader or the butcher for whom it is a trading commodity. Small ruminants and poultry which are exclusively reared for meat are also transported in the most primitive and cruel conditions without any regard to animal welfare.

Having envisaged a surge in meat consumption and also an increase in export of meat and meat products throughout the subcontinent, the production and slaughtering of animals is bound to compromise animal welfare both during transport and at slaughter.

The most reprehensible part in the production sequence is the stage at which the animals are taken to the abattoirs. At present, they are marched on foot or carried in overcrowded trucks or goods trains. The typical range for the final journey is 100 to 300 miles. The Southern State of Kerala in India has the unique distinction of attracting animals from all over South India, where about a million animals per year are walked 200 to 300 miles, in the course of which they lose weight and are incessantly beaten. These animals are generally not fed and watered enroute. Animals – young and old, big or small – are all tied in twos and fours in order to reduce the number of animal minders or personnel on the trail. This results in injury and fatigue to the animals. They are badly beaten while they are herded together and driven fast to reach markets and abattoirs on time. It is an excruciating sight to watch them falter, fall down and being whipped so that they get up. On any working day, a million work-animals may receive anywhere from 10 to 20 million beatings, assuming a five-hour working day. Similarly, needless suffering is inflicted on animals, which have to travel three or four days together in overcrowded, ill-ventilated, humid, hot trucks and wagons (6).

Once the animals reach the slaughterhouse they are further subjected to severe cruelty wherein they are killed in front of other waiting animals and use of sharp sticks into the anus or vagina to force them on to the slaughter platforms. To restrain young buffaloes the front leg is broken and swung around the neck. Pigs are slaughtered by repeated stabbing and cattle are cast by smashing the head, etc. Stunning has not been introduced and several attempts have been made to streamline and upgrade present abattoirs, however every effort has been negated due to various reasons.

It is important that prompt measures are initiated by Governments to ensure that animal welfare is not compromised in any way. This needs to be done by controlling and regulating the meat trade by way of strictly enforcing the existing rules and regulations during transport and slaughter of animals.

The text of the OIE Guidelines on Animal Welfare, specially with reference to Land Transport and Slaughter of Animals for Human Consumption which has been signed by all the countries of the subcontinent also needs to be strictly implemented by the Governments.

Poultry farming

The developing countries of Asia started following the archetypal factory farming system with either intensive deep litter or battery cages from 1965 onwards. Three quarters of the world's 4,700 million egg laying hens are confined in tiny battery cages. India is the world's fifth largest egg producer with 150 million laying hens, about 60% of which are in battery cages. These wire cages are so small that the hens cannot flap their wings; so barren they have no nest for their eggs, and so restricting that the birds' bones often become so brittle they can snap like dry twigs.

Broiler chickens reared for meat

Each year, about 40,000 million broiler chickens are reared worldwide (3). Over 650 million are slaughtered in India each year. Reared for meat, 'broilers' are usually crammed together, many thousands of birds in each barren shed. They are not caged, but kept at such high stocking densities that the birds quickly carpet the floor of the shed. Broiler chickens grow at super-fast rates, so fast that their bones, heart and lungs often cannot keep pace. Broiler chickens under 6 weeks old suffer painful crippling due to fast growth rates, whilst one in a hundred of these very young birds dies of heart failure (12).

Recommendations for preventing cruelty to animals

To address the problems of animal welfare in developing countries, it would be inappropriate to adopt international standards implemented in the developed countries. Each developing country should evolve its own standards based on their own individual priorities. In general, the following recommendations would be helpful to most of the developing countries and their implementation will be more easy and practicable.

Working animals

By improving the implements and carts, the draught required of the animals will be correspondingly reduced and their work capacity for ploughing and carting doubled. Injury will be reduced if not eliminated altogether. There will be no need for whipping and beating, since well-fed animals, attached to improved implements and carts, can haul effortlessly.

Production animals

The concept of rural abattoirs should be established.

Transport

• Marching animals for long distances on foot to abattoirs should be banned by law.
  
  
• Trucks and trains should be well designed and their capacity enlarged through the provision of two or three tiers.
  
  
• Feeding and watering arrangements should be made compulsory, and surveillance arranged to ensure compliance
  
  
• Loading, unloading and handling devices to be introduced to reduce damage and suffering.
  
  
• Specific laws to protect the welfare of broiler chickens should be introduced.
  
  
• Guidelines should be set for maximum stocking density for broiler chickens.
  
  
• Changes from battery rearing to free range system should be implemented.
  
  
• Legislation to safeguard the welfare of animals should be introduced. And old legislation amended to strengthen their enforcement
  
  

In India, the Animal Welfare Board of India under the Ministry of Environment and Forest plays a very important role in monitoring the role of NGOs involved in animal welfare and assisting them both technically and financially and functioning as a watchdog for all abuses on animals. During the last few years, it has been responsible for strictly enforcing a ban on cow slaughter, introducing alternatives to experimentation of animals, etc. Though such Central Boards are not present in most of the countries of the region the Government takes initiatives in the implementation of animal welfare issues on various fronts.

Welfare of companion animals

There has been an increase in responsible pet ownership during the last few years due to a strong economic growth in India. The number of pet dogs has increased and almost all important breeds including exotic which hitherto had not been found in India have been imported into the country. However, stray dogs continue to be a cause of concern.

Catching and killing of stray dogs has been carried out for more than 100 years where dogs were killed under most horrific conditions. The City Municipal Corporations which were responsible for this were not equipped to handle this in a scientific way. To overcome this, some of the NGOs in the developing countries such as India have started animal birth control (ABC) programmes as an alternate to killing of stray dogs. This programme has been successful in most of the countries which have adopted it (Blue Cross in India) (1). The programme combined with anti-rabies vaccination has considerably reduced the number of rabies death in countries such as India, Sri Lanka and Nepal.

Welfare of wild and captive animals including animals used in entertainment

Animal welfare and wildlife conservation are two distinct areas of animal protection. While conservation is all about population, welfare is about the individual. Therefore, the human protection of wildlife should encompass both preservation of the species and their natural habitats while also ensuring the welfare of the individual animals. There are many issues where a combination of this is needed to achieve a humane protection of animals. Examples include harvesting of wildlife (whaling and trapping of fur bearing animals), killing for entertainment (hunting of elephants, bears, deer, etc.), exploitation (circuses, zoos and bear farms) and culling (seals and kangaroos) (4).

Though some of these are issues of developed countries, the developing countries also do have a share of welfare issues regarding this. For example, marine turtles are caught in the thousands in India and transported to markets in the most inhumane conditions in which their bodies are sliced up for meat while they are alive.

Bear farming has been very common in China and Japan where bears are farmed for their bile (used in traditional medicine). For example, in Japan alone there are nine Bear Parks holding over 1,000 bears. These parks also serve as the source of entertainment to the public. In China, more than 7,000 bears are kept in small cages for over 10 years. Dancing bears are still found in India and Pakistan where the bear cubs are caught from the wild, usually killing their mothers to get the cubs. The cubs are inhumanly treated to train them to “dance” on their hind legs. The bears are forced to do what the owner wishes because of the intense pain inflicted upon the animals by the use of a chain or rope drilled through its sensitive muzzle (13, 14).

Elephants play an important role as work animals and on religious occasions. Most of the elephants are kept under semi-starved conditions, working long hours and doing heavy works such as lifting of logs, etc. Due to deforestation the natural habitat of elephants has been eroded and the wild elephants in Asia are living under starving conditions and at great peril of being hunted and killed when they encroach on farms in search of food.

The estimated elephant population in Sri Lanka is about 3000. Due to various reasons the natural habitat of the elephant is gradually decreasing in Sri Lanka and government has established an 'Elephant Orphanage' in 1975. The environment of the orphanage is very much similar to their natural habitat and animals are always keeping under strict veterinary care. It was recorded that 22 calvings have been taken place since 1975 and the total number of elephant in the orphanage increased nearly to 70 at present (2).

Animals in circuses and zoos are also kept under inhumane conditions. In India, legislation has been introduced to ban animals in circuses. However, once the animals are rescued from these organisations they do not find proper care and live in overcrowded and most unfavourable conditions as the agencies which rescue them from the circuses do not have enough resources to rehabilitate them.

Animals in experimentation

Most of the countries have introduced laws where animals used in experimentation and research have to be cared for properly and experimentation done under strict supervision to avoid unnecessary pain and suffering to these animals. Alternatives to animals such as computer models have been introduced to avoid unnecessary use of animals in experiments and research.

Role of veterinary profession in animal welfare

Though the veterinary profession is committed to promote animal welfare through the art and science of keeping animals fit through attention to good husbandry, hygiene, preventive medicine and prompt treatment of injury and disease, it lacks in its attention to the study of how the animal feels. The veterinary graduates need more education on animal welfare as defined by the physical and psychological state of the animal.
The current veterinary curricula in most of the veterinary schools in the Asia and Far East do not have an animal welfare component. To address this issue, the professional associations, universities and veterinary schools have interacted with international animal welfare organisations such as World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA). Series of seminars and workshops have been held in collaboration with these agencies. The “Concepts in Animal Welfare” which is a new resource to facilitate the teaching of animal welfare to veterinary students has been produced by WSPA in collaboration with the School of Clinical Veterinary Science at the University of Bristol in England. This resource material consists of 30 teaching modules covering a wide range of animal welfare topics. Once this is adopted into the veterinary curricula it would be a valuable source of teaching material to the veterinary students.

Summary

Livestock undergo major suffering due to malnutrition, overloading of work animals and ill-treatment of meat animals. Draught animals work beyond their capacity. More than hundred million draught animals are idle in India for 200 days a year during which period they are ill-fed. The implements and carts to which they are hitched are inefficient, crude and painful. Improving their design will avoid the cruelty.

Cruelty to animals takes place at every stage during slaughter. Five to eight million buffalo calves are killed immediately after birth. Eighty million large animals work for 7-10 years before becoming available for slaughter. Over 120 million meat animals and 500 million poultry also undergo significant suffering from the time they are dispatched for slaughter till they die. Slaughter animals are made to walk long distances or transported in overcrowded trucks and trains. At slaughter animals are handled roughly and watch other animals being killed. Stunning is not practised.

The concept of rural abattoirs should be established.

Cruelty to other animals such as elephants, horses, donkeys, bears, and circus animals has largely been prevented through the efforts of animal welfare organisations. Prevention of killing of stray dogs through inefficient methods has been prevented by the use of alternatives to euthanasia such as animal birth control programmes.

To address the problems of the animal welfare in the developing countries, it would be inappropriate to adopt international standards implemented in the developed countries. Each developing country should evolve its own standards based on their own individual priorities.

Animal Welfare Organisations will have to play a key role in the education of the stakeholders in the proper methods of animal welfare and act as pressure groups for the implementation of international standards and guidelines of animal welfare Governments have taken initiatives to establish Animal Welfare Boards and enact laws for the prevention of cruelty to animals, but their efforts are far too limited to be of any significance. Financial constraints and lack of personnel inhibit the implementation of these rules. The only work on animal welfare is by few dedicated organisations such as People for Animals (PFA), Blue Cross, Centre for Action, Research & Technology for Man, Animal and Nature (CARTMAN), Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA), InterNICHE, KARUNA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and various SPCAs in the country to name a few.

Key Words: Animal Welfare; Draught Animals; Slaughter; Companion Animals; Wild Animals

References

1. Chinny Krishna, S. (2003). Has the ABC programme been a success in India ?. Proceedings of the Second International Seminar on Animal Welfare, 14-16 February, 2003. p.13-17.

2. Dharmawardena, I.V.P. (2003). Status of Animal Welfare in Sri Lanka. Proceedings of the Second International Seminar on Animal Welfare, 14-16 February, 2003. p.18-21.

3. John Callaghan (2003), The Welfare of Farm Animals in Europe – Current Conditions & Measures. Proceedings of the Second International Seminar on Animal Welfare, 14-16 February, 2003. p.55-62.

4. John Callaghan (2003). Animals in Entertainment. Proceedings of the Second International Seminar on Animal Welfare, 14-16 February, 2003. p.45-52.

5. Ramaswamy, N.S. (1984). Indian Animal Drawn Vehicles and Interdisciplinary Survey of the State of the Art, Designs and Operations. Published by Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore for Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India. 280 pages.

6. Ramaswamy, N.S. (1987). Report of the Expert Committee on the Development of the Meat Industry (Animal Products), Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperation, New Delhi, India. 156 pages.

7. Ramaswamy, N.S. (1994). Draught Animal Power Systems. CARTMAN Special Issue June 1994, Publication of Centre of Excellence – Animals and Environment, India. p.1-68.

8. Ramaswamy, N.S. (1998). Technology and Management for Increasing Productivity and Welfare of Donkeys. CARTMAN Journal, December 1998, Publication of Centre of Excellence – Animals and Environment, India. p.5-7.

9. Ramaswamy, N.S. (2000). Draught Animal Power. CARTMAN Special Issue, Publication of Centre of Excellence – Animals and Environment, India. p.1-60.

10. Ramaswamy, N.S. (2001). Livestock and Development, CARTMAN Special Issue, Publication of Centre of Excellence – Animals and Environment, India. p.1-56.

11. Ramaswamy, N.S. (2001). Livestock and Environment for Sustainable Development. CARTMAN Booklet, Publication of Centre of Excellence – Animals and Environment, India. p.1-34.

12. Ray Butcher (2002). Stray Dog Control Programmes - An International Perspective. Proceedings of the International Seminar on Animal Welfare, 15-16 February, 2002. p.13-17.

13. Victor Watkins (2002). The Welfare of Bears. Proceedings of the International Seminar on Animal Welfare, 15-16 February, 2002. p.67-69.

14. Victor Watkins (2002). The Welfare of Wild Animals. Proceedings of the International Seminar on Animal Welfare, 15-16 February, 2002. p. 70-74.

Table 1

Freight carried is calculated on the following assumptions
Total number of bullock carts	15 million
Rural based carts	12 million
Urban based carts	3 million
Working days in rural areas	100 days
Working days in urban areas	300 days
Average load carried in rural areas	750 kgs
Average load carried in urban areas	1000 kgs
Distance covered with load in rural areas	12 kms
Distance covered with load in urban areas	15 kms
Freight carried in 12 million rural based carts	12m x 750 kgs x 100 days x 12 kms ÷ 1,000 = 10,800 m.t. kms
Freight carried in 3 million urban based carts	3m x 1000 kgs x 300 days x 15 kms ÷ 1,000 = 13,500 m.t. kms
TOTAL	24,3000 million tonnes kms say 25,000 million tonne kms