Konrad again responsible for toturous transports
It is the end of July when our teams are investigating together with our partner organisation Israel Against Live Shipments (IALS). We want to document live transports on their journey from Lithuania to Israel. On the 24th of July, we spot two transports with calves which are operated by the transport company Konrad. We inform the police and let them stop the trucks. What follows shocks police, vetenarians and us.
When the loading ramp opens up, a heap of calves appears in front of our team members. They are lying across and on top of each other, some do not even move anymore. The calves have to be freed and rescued from the heap of bodies, one after another. It takes three hours until the last calf is finally of the truck. Many animals seem to be apathic. They are weak and dehydrated, some have already died. This transport has "only" been on the road for ten hours. After the forced unloading of the calves by the police and the veterinary inspection, the calves stay in a resting stable until the next day. On the 25th of July their journey continues. At 8.30 PM they are loaded onto the trucks again. The destination of the trucks is the Slovenian port, Koper. They arrive at the port on the next morning (26 July, 8.45 AM). Immediately, the calves are stressed again by the situation. They are being loaded onto a vessel now that is called "Holstein Express".
After four more days of sea transport, the calves arrive at port Haifa in Israel on the 30th of July. The temperatures already exceed 37°C. The calves are unloaded from the vessel and distributed to smaller trucks. Their new destination is a quarantine stable. They have to survive in this poor stable without bedding for another month. We do not know exactly how many animals have survived this torturous journey. We do know, however, that the remaining calves are fattened under exhausting climatic conditions now, and that they will be slaughtered after a few months.
