Jamnagar (Gujarat)36 minutes ago
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Vantara, the animal care center founded by Anant Ambani, is now preparing to provide permanent shelter to 400 animals. These include 74 buffaloes and 326 goats. These animals were being transported illegally for the cruel animal sacrifice associated with the Gadhimai festival. The rescue operation was led by India’s premier intelligence agency Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) in collaboration with the Government of Bihar.
These animals were being illegally transported from the northern states of India to Nepal for slaughter, but SSB personnel with the help of leading animal welfare organizations like People for Animals (PFA) and Human Society International (HSI) intercepted them. .
Can also be sent to Uttarakhand Home Sanctuary Veterinarians from Vantara examined these rescued animals. Doctors said that these animals had to endure torturous transportation without food and water for several days. Now they will be taken care of in the sanctuary of Vantara. Of these, 21 baby goats, who need special care, will be sent to Happy Home Sanctuary, Dehradun, run by PFA, Uttarakhand.
Anant Ambani helped in an extraordinary case – Gauri Maulekhi
Gauri Maulekhi, founder of People for Animals Public Policy Foundation, told about this rescue campaign. He said that Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and Bihar Government played an important role in stopping illegal animal transportation in extremely difficult circumstances. In this challenging situation, our teams along with SSB made a successful attempt to rescue these animals, which shows their unwavering commitment towards law enforcement and protecting the lives of animals. We express our deep gratitude to Anant Ambani ji and Vantara, who provided the necessary rehabilitation support in this extraordinary case. This case required extraordinary intervention.
10 years ago, 5 lakh animals were sacrificed in the Gadhimai festival.
Gadhimai Festival is held near the India-Nepal border. It is considered to be the world’s largest ritual animal sacrifice festival. In 2014 alone, more than 5 lakh animals were sacrificed. Most of these animals were transported illegally from India, mainly from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Uttarakhand. In this the animals had to face extreme cruelty.
Despite several directions by the Supreme Court to stop cross-border cattle smuggling, including prohibition of transportation without export license and strict enforcement by border forces such as Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), illegal smuggling still continues. This rescue operation highlights the animal welfare challenges associated with sacrificial rituals and the collective efforts required to enforce laws against these practices.