Saved from slaughter, camel dies awaiting court order

One of the six camels rescued from being slaughtered on Eid al-Adha (Bakerid) died due to local weather and stress here on Tuesday, while awaiting court orders to be sent back to Rajasthan.

According to the police, one of the five camels kept at the Dhula police station died on Tuesday. The sixth camel is being looked after at the Mangaldai police station.

The animals were seized from Dhula market on August 10. The locals had claimed camels had been brought for slaughter on Eid on August 12.

"The local weather is not suited for camel. Despite my repeated requests, the camels are being kept under open sky since August 10. They are all under stress and infected by maggots on their nose, feet and body," said Sujeet Kumar Choudhary, State Animal Welfare Board of Rajasthan.

Choudhary arrived here on August 18 to take them back to Rajasthan.

"I filed a petition on August 19 seeking custody and orders to take them back to Rajasthan. The court passed an order on August 22 giving the custody, but didn't mention anything on their repatriation. I have filed a fresh petition citing the Supreme Court orders and appealed the court to allow return of camels to Rajasthan," said Choudhary.

"I don't understand why it's taking so much time. The apex court had in its orders made stated that camels couldn't be taken out of Rajasthan. The camel would not have died if I had got the order to take it back," he said.

He said though the police and the veterinarians in Assam tried but could not provide proper care as they lacked knowledge about camels.

The camel was declared state animal of Rajasthan on 2014 and the Assembly enacted the Rajasthan Camel (Prohibition of Slaughter and Regulation of Temporary Migration or Export) Bill, 2015, which not only banned slaughter but also illegal transportation of animals to other states. IANS