This Sunday our Moroccan Animals‘ Angels team visits Skherat animal market. When they arrive at 8:00 in the morning at the ‘parking’ lot for ‘working’ animals, there are just a few donkeys around. So the team dedicates it’s time to the sheep who are being sold at a different area of the market.
Due to the upcoming Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha there are many sheep being sold in these days. Ali, Habib and Boubaker try to get in contact with the sellers to show them more considerate and suitable ways of tethering their animals because they often put individual sheep on the ground with their legs tied together or line up several sheep tying together their necks. This method is said to simplify ‘handling’ as the animals cannot run off.
But for the animals being tethered means stress, pain and suffering as their blood circulation is blocked, their breathing impaired and their freedom to move is taken away. Unfortunately, experience has shown that it is very difficult to particularly get the sheep vendor’s attention and to achieve something for the animals, especially when there is no government support. This is why we continue to take a stand for animal welfare to finally get legislative attention in Morocco. Until then, Ali Habib und Boubaker are there with the animals at the markets.
