Together with a team of journalists, Animals‘ Angels again inspects sucking-calf transports going from Lithuania to Spain via Poland, Germany and France.
For more than 10 years, Animals’ Angels has been documenting systematic law violations in long distance transport of unweaned calves. Now, the EU and some of its member states finally take the initiative to put an end to these agonizing hunger-transports.
The youngest calves on board of the truck that we follow this weekend are 17 days old. Their stomachs are not yet developed to take in solid foods. Their digestive system is dependent on warm milk or milk replacers which is technically impossible to provide in contemporary vehicles. Thus, the animals are not fed for more than 19 hours, although the EU regulation on animal welfare during transport stipulates them to be fed every nine hours.
We call the German police – but the outcome of the inspections is alarming: While the calves are standing on board of the truck screaming in hunger, the police do not assess any infringements of animal welfare legislation. Among other things it is explained to us that metal pig bite nipples would be sufficient for calves and that they were able to reach them well. Besides, the driver were giving them water and electrolytes – and that even though it is EU-wide known that flexible suction devices are needed in order to feed calves properly, that the liquid intake needs to be monitored for each individual animal, and that giving them cold water on board of a vehicle can be fatal.
It became clear to us that there is still much educational work to be done. We are going to address the veterinary services in Germany to point out the existing problems as well as the initiative taken by the pioneering countries Slovenia and Netherlands. Furthermore, we want to attempt further police trainings in Germany.
