Excelsior Correspondent
SOPORE, May 30: Animal rights group Save Animals Value Environment (SAVE) Society has rescued seven camels allegedly brought to Sopore for illegal sale and slaughter.
The animals were found in Arampura area of Sopore in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
A statement issued by SAVE Society said the rescue was carried out with the help of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, District Administration, and the Animal Husbandry Department of Baramulla.
Later, the camels were safely transported to a camel sanctuary run by Dhyaan Foundation in Barodia, Jaipur, Rajasthan, it said.
Animal rights activist Devinder Kaur Madaan said the camels had likely been walked from Rajasthan and Gujarat to Jammu and Kashmir.
She explained that contracts are often given to handlers to deliver these camels to different areas, especially ahead of festivals.
Rajasthan, where camels are the State animal, prohibits their slaughter and regulates their movement under the Rajasthan Camel (Prohibition of Slaughter and Regulation of Temporary Migration or Export) Act, 2015.
Section 5 of this Act bans the export of camels from Rajasthan without official permission, especially if the animals are likely to be slaughtered.
The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, along with various food safety rules, also prohibits the slaughter of camels for meat.
Camels are not among the animals allowed to be killed under the Food Safety and Standards regulations.
Under the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, camel slaughter is also punishable under Section 325.
The seven rescued camels were sent to Jaipur in two trucks, accompanied by a special camel handler from Rajasthan to ensure their safety and comfort during the journey.
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