Handle With Care

A road accident that caused the death of hundreds of sheep in South Australia this morning is a reminder of the dangers of transporting animals long distances, says Handle with Care spokesperson Dr Hugh Wirth.

The accident occurred when a road-train overturned.  Most of the hundreds of sheep on board died instantly and the rest were destroyed at the scene.

“The accident that occurred in Olary, killing hundreds of sheep, is a terrible reminder of the risks inherent in transporting animals,” said Dr Wirth.

“Minimising the distance that animals need to travel on the road reduces the risks to their welfare.” 

The Olary accident follows another north of Adelaide that caused the death of thousands of chickens earlier this week, and an overturned cattle truck north of Melbourne this morning.

A number of the cattle involved in the accident this morning were put down due to injuries. Some wandered from the crash site and others remained trapped in the truck.

“All animal transport journeys must be as short as possible in terms of the time and distance travelled,” said Dr Wirth.  “Where animals need to be transported we must ensure that these journeys are kept to a minimum.”

The spate of road accidents involving animals has occurred at the very time that the international community is calling on the Rudd Government to end the live export of animals for slaughter.

Over the past few weeks animal welfare organisations in cities ranging from London to Kathmandu have been protesting Australia’s live export trade.

Letters have been pouring into Australian Embassies around the world including countries such as Kenya, Ireland, Indonesia, Mexico and the US.