The frequency at which cases of animal cruelty comes to the fore is alarming. Few years back, there were hardly such instances but of late there's been a worrying spurt in these cases. Humans and animals share a special bond but these incidents don't suggest so given the gut-wrenching nature of the brutality. Elephants are left for the dead after being made to cater to tourists while poor stray dogs are shot with air guns because one hot-headed doctor was tired of the dog barking.
Here's the lowdown on a few incidents that showcase the brutal nature of people who have brought a huge shame to humanity for their dastardly and cowardly acts.
bccl/Picture For Representation
In an appalling incident, a female stray dog was shot with an air gun in Bengaluru by a doctor in Jayanagar area. The residents of the area woke up to a loud sound which was followed by the cries of the dog who was in pain and had three wound marks on her body. The doctor was allegedly fed up of the dog¡¯s continuous barking.
A resident called animal rescuers. The injured stray was rushed to Jeeva Pet Hospital in JP Nagar. X-ray of the dog showed three bullets from an air gun inside the body.
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In a tragic incident from Sri Lanka, an elephant died of exhaustion. The teenage elephant named, Kanakota, carried tourists in the beautiful town of Sigiriya, Sri Lanka, a place that is known for its historic monuments. According to a TOI report, the 18-year-old elephant gave three consecutive rides to tourists, after which it was exhausted; it collapsed and never woke up. It was also made to walk in a parade, a day before its death. Since the incident, animal welfare activists have been pushing authorities to bring about policy changes and take action.
Perahera festival in Sri Lanka's Kandy is celebrated with much fervour and rigour in the country. Everything appears hunky dory on the outside when we see animals all decked up with top-notch costumes. What we missed out was the fact that there was an emaciated elephant behind the designer costumes during the festival.
In August, the Save Elephant Foundation has posted photos of the tusker showing her performing at the festival with her frail body covered by a colourful costume. The pictures immediately shook the world's conscience to the core. However, the elephant couldn't survive long and died a month later.
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Dogs are supposed to be man's best friend but there are few people who think otherwise. If they don't treat them well, they have no authority to treat them badly either. In one such sickening incident, a man was seen dragging a dog on a busy road, after brutally beating it. He then flung the dog into a pond filled with sewage. The accused identified as 'Olli' Kumar is said to be a local goon and is known to torture dogs in the locality.
BCCL
Some cases leave you gasping for breath and words in equal measure for their disgusting nature. It becomes extremely difficult to put such heinous acts into words. Heartless people are brutalising the mute animals in ways that are unimaginable.
In a case of animal cruelty, three men in UP's Hathras area, kidnapped a pet dog and took turns to rape the pooch. The dog owner said the accused lured her with an egg and raped her. All three accused were said to be drunk when they raped the Pomeranian dog.
YouTube/PETA
Most of us gets fascinated when we see animals in zoos, circuses alike. What we don't realise is the fact that these animals are confined to the walls of these places depriving them of their natural habitat. A disturbing footage reveals handlers jabbing the animals with sharp metal spikes to force them into giving rides and performing tricks, leaving them with bleeding wounds. At Samutprakarn, PETA found elephants swaying back and forth, a symptom of psychological distress, because they are forcefully cut off from the rest of the herd.
The worst-part of being a journalist is you end up reporting and writing stories that shake you to the core. In one such gut-wrenching incident of animal cruelty, someone tied a stray dog to a vehicle and dragged it until it died a horrifying death in Mumbai.
According to a Mumbai Mirror report, the animal's front legs were tied with a cloth. A local journalist who spotted the dog's body believed that the animal was dragged to a distance after its limbs were tied to a vehicle.
PTI/Picture For Representation
In a heart-wrenching case of animal cruelty, as many as 50 dogs were reportedly poisoned in Telladevarapalli village in the Nalgonda district of Telangana.
The practice of culling stray dogs spreads across cities in India. The moment there's a threat of stray dog menace, killing them in one go seems to be the only thing some people resort to. According to an IANS, this incident from Telangana came to light after the village sarpanch Papa Nayak ordered the poisoning of 50 dogs.