(Cape Town) But what is this unbearable smell?
Authorities in Cape Town opened an investigation on Monday after a foul odor invaded the South African city.
City officials inspected sewage facilities for leaks and an environmental health team was activated before the source of the odor was discovered: a ship docked in the port carrying 19,000 live cattle from Brazil to Iraq.
Zahid Badroodien, the head of the mayor’s office for water and sanitation, wrote on livestock transport ship.
He added that the ship was expected to depart soon, much to the relief of residents who had a rather unpleasant start to the work week.
The ship has also become the target of strong criticism from animal welfare groups.
PHOTO ESA ALEXANDER, REUTERS
Animal rights activists demonstrate in Cape Town.
The National Council of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals sent a veterinary consultant aboard the ship to assess the welfare of the animals. The SPCA council has stated its strong opposition to the export of live animals by sea.
This smell is indicative of the terrible conditions in which the animals live, who have already spent two and a half weeks on board, with an accumulation of excrement and ammonia. The stench on board is unimaginable, but the animals deal with it every day.
Extract from a press release from the SPCA
The 190-meter-long Al Kuwait is a Kuwaiti-flagged livestock transport vessel, according to the maritime traffic website. It docked in Cape Town to load livestock feed, the SPCA said.
The South African Democratic Alliance political party, which governs Cape Town, also condemned the transport of live cattle.
“The export of live livestock, as this situation shows, exposes animals to perilous conditions such as dangerous levels of ammonia, rough seas, extreme heat stress, injuries, dirty environments, exhaustion and even death,” denounced the party in a press release.
Earlier this month, a ship carrying more than 16,000 cattle and sheep bound for the Middle East returned to Australia after being stuck at sea for almost a month due to attacks by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea. That vessel also came under scrutiny for cruelty, but veterinarians found no health or welfare issues among the livestock.