India blocks transport of animals headed for sacrifice to Nepal

India’s Government Issues New Directive to Save Animals from Ritual Slaughter

Thanks to Last Chance for Animals and Animal Equality, the Indian government has issued a new directive to stop transport of animals across the Nepalese border during the Gadhimai festival, where the largest animal sacrifice in the world occurs every five years. This is a major win, because 70 percent of sacrifice participants come from Indian states, often bringing animals with them for slaughter at the Gadhimai temple in Nepal.

Animal rights advocates met with officials from India’s Ministry of Home Affairs, and requested that they bar movement of live animals across the Indo-Nepal border for the duration of the month-long festival. In response, the ministry ordered that all border posts be placed on high alert, and that troops sharpen the lookout for anyone attempting to take animals to the sacrifice site. This directive could save hundreds of thousands of animals from slow, painful death.

At the Gadhimai festival, Hindu worshippers, hack, slice and club animals to death to appease the goddess Gadhimai. They believe that killing these animals brings them luck, but in reality it only brings terror and pain to the lives of these innocent creatures. An estimated 500,000 animals are killed at the festival, including buffalo, lambs, goats and birds. Even rats are not safe during the event.

LCA and Animal Equality are proud of this victory, but our work is not yet done. We’re still urging the Nepalese government to outlaw the sacrifice at Gadhimai and ban all forms of animal sacrifice. You can help us save the lives of countless animals by signing our petition, which will go straight to the government of Nepal.

~ Animal Equality