Authorities have launched an investigation after a strange odor spread to the South African city of Cape Town.
Authorities inspected the sewage plant for leaks and an environmental health team was activated before the source of the odor was discovered. The ship was in port, carrying 19,000 live cattle from Brazil to Iraq.
Zahid Badruddeen, an official in charge of water and sanitation in the mayor’s office, wrote on social media that investigators had confirmed that the cattle boat was the source of “the smell of sewage covering parts of the city.” Ta.
Animal rights groups criticized the practice of exporting the animals alive, saying the “unimaginable” stench was indicative of the conditions the animals faced on board.
The National Council for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) strongly opposes the export of live animals by sea and announced that it had sent a veterinary consultant on board the ship to assess the welfare of the animals.
“The smell indicates that the animals have already spent two and a half weeks on board, accumulating feces and ammonia and enduring dire conditions,” the SPCA said in a statement. “The stench inside the ship is unimaginable, but the animals face it every day.”
The 190-meter (623-foot) Al Kuwait is a Kuwaiti-flagged livestock vessel, according to the Marine Traffic website. The SPCA said she entered Cape Town to load cattle feed.
South Africa’s Democratic Alliance party, which governs Cape Town, also condemned the transport of live cattle.
“This situation shows that live export exposes animals to dangerous levels of ammonia, rough seas, extreme heat stress, injuries, dirty conditions, exhaustion and even death,” the party said in a statement. “We’re exposing ourselves to the situation,” he said.
Earlier this month, a ship carrying more than 16,000 cattle and sheep, also bound for the Middle East, returned to Australia after being stranded for nearly a month due to Houthi rebel attacks in the Red Sea. The Australian government rejected an application to re-export the animals via the long-distance route through South Africa, saying it was “unsure that the arrangements for transporting the animals to their final overseas destination are adequate”. ensure their health and well-being;
Badrudeen wrote that the ship was scheduled to depart soon.
