Difficult day for NSPCA as thousands of chickens are killed an antelopes are euthanised

01 Feb 2016 | Admin Author

The NSPCA says more than 3000 chickens which were severly injured when a truck overturned were killed on Tuesday to end their suffering.

The birds were part of a consignment of more than 13 000 chickens which were being transported on the R-52 between Koster and Rustenburg on Monday when their truck overturned.

NSPCA North West spokesperson, Andries Venter, says thousands of chickens were killed in the initial crash.

He says the chickens were being transported by logistics company Unitrans which is contracted by Rainbow Chicken to transport the birds to a Rainbow abattoir in Rustenburg.

The cause of the accident is being investigated.

Meanwhile the NSPCA says an illegal shipment of eight Sitatunga antelope which arrived in South Africa by road and air from the Prague Zoo, Czech Republic,
have been humanely euthanised.

The NSPCA said that despite the restriction on the movement of any antelope species from Europe, the animals passed through three
checkpoints without the required paperwork.

The animals, which travelled via Frankfurt, Germany, arrived on the first of August and were destined for the Johannesburg Zoo and a private individual.

NSPCA Special Investigations Unit Inspector Wendy Willson said this was a tragic incident and could have been avoided had the proper protocols been followed and decisive action taken by veterinarians in South Africa.

She said the animals were also hugely stressed and it was "very disturbing" to see blood spatters in their crates.