The NSPCA has appealed to anyone with information about an incident in which 38‚000 day-old chicks were burned to death by protesters in the Lichtenburg area in North West to come forward.
The chickens were on a transporter that was set alight on Friday by members of the local community who were protesting against poor service delivery.
The NSPCA said on Monday that there was no footage of the incident which impacted on the possibility of pursuing a case of animal cruelty as no perpetrators could be identified.
It described the incident as “cowardly‚ horrendous and viciously cruel”.
It said on being alerted about the incident‚ a task team from its Farm Animal Protection Unit had been dispatched to the area but had been recalled after the Operational Director of Opti Chicks informed it that there were no surviving chicks and that the crowd had dispersed.
Opti Chicks said in a statement: “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.”
The NSPCA said the suffering endured by these birds could hardly be imagined.
“It would have been agonising and prolonged. It was also totally unnecessary.”
The NSPCA gave the assurance that “under no circumstances” would any details regarding the identity of informants be revealed.
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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