Try to imagine two dead bodies, two beheaded human bodies, with the skin removed. It would indeed be enough to hurt the sensibility of many and to urge people to speak against this barbarous act. Now, imagine two cows instead of these two human corpses. Is the impact still the same? That is what Dyano Berthelot had to face when he arrived at his farm in Grand Gaube on June 5th. Two of his cows had been brutally slaughtered, with morbid remains left behind.
Despite the laws amended by the Government concerning the protection of animals, the Mauritian population remains in equanimity in front of such cases. The country still uses ruthless and ineffective methods of dealing with the various extreme cases involving animals.
Instead of denouncing such acts, violence against animals is being filmed and given a stamp of approval. This is the case of videos filming animal production plants in the brightest spotlight. It is a universal truth that food production is paramount, that it has greatly contributed to the economy of the country and that with its help, Mauritius has attained reasonable progress in various domains. However, when it comes to a qualitative measure of such a pertinent issue that is animal welfare, the history is a less glorifying one. Animal welfare seems to be the matter some government bodies, like MSAW or other NGOs with limited means and knowledgeable persons or professionals, take into consideration. And what is done is even worse – these animals are supposed to be taken care of, but we all have an idea of their fate when they are not getting adopted.
Modernity and society have led to the fact that money triumphs and morals hibernate. Big food companies try to brainwash the public, using persuasive advertisement, so that they are convinced of their good conscience. For instance, some videos were recently released, where poultry seems so professional and ethical. It is to be noted that there is a notable lack of evidence behind the slaughter of chicken. Also, the cruel fate of roosters is such that they will not be introduced to the market because compared to hens, they will not be able to lay eggs. Moreover, the animals are bred in confined places, which allow restricted movement, causing them to hurt each other easily. Many breeders trim the beaks of the chicken for safety measures. Just imagine a human with his lips removed. Terrifying, right? In addition to all the suffering they go through, they are also injected with huge amounts of hormones for faster growth, which causes imbalance in their metabolism.
Mark Twain, the famous writer once quoted an islander saying, ‘’Mauritius was made first and then heaven; and that heaven was copied after Mauritius.’’ Indeed, Mauritius is often referred to as Paradise Island. Is that what “ paradise” means?