Stranded Sheep Donated to Iraq For Ramadan

by Sherry Morse and Patricia Collier

The fate of the surviving animals from a shipment of more than 50,000 Australian sheep who have been stuck on a ship in the Middle East for over 50 days has finally been decided. The sheep are to be delivered to Iraq, free of charge.

Iraq intends to slaughter the animals for use in its upcoming Muslim festival of Ramadan.

The stranded sheep, originally purchased by Saudi Arabia, were refused by the Saudi government for import when they arrived in the Middle East, because six percent of the sheep - one percent more than the government allows - were reportedly suffering from scabby mouth disease.

After failing to find another buyer, the Saudi importer offered to give the sheep away to another country. In the meantime, the sheep remained trapped in their pens on board ship, in an increasingly dire state of heat, filth and dehydration, for more than 50 days.

The sheep cannot be returned to Australia because of quarantine rules, and the Australian exporters will have to cover the loss for $10 million.

The Australian Royal Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals welcomed the news of the deal with Iraq, saying more than 6,000 of the trapped sheep have already died, and more are dying daily.

The organization has been requesting for several weeks that those animals who are still alive should be euthanized, to spare them the prospect of continued suffering in high temperatures ranging from 113 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit.

Authorities did caution that perhaps the sheep might not be suitable for human consumption at the festival.

"I would suggest that they wouldn’t be all that tasty," RSPCA president Hugh Wirth said.

"They’ve been eight weeks in the boat come this Tuesday, they’ll be standing in their excreta and urine and faeces for that particular length of time," he pointed out.

Exporters of live sheep from Australia to Saudi Arabia make about $195 million a year, but the trade is often criticized for inhumane treatment of animals.

It is estimated that each year, approximately 78,000 sheep die on their way from Australia to slaughter in the Middle East.

Last year, tougher rules on shipments of livestock to Australia were imposed after 14,500 sheep died in just one month, from heat stress.

Scabby mouth disease is a viral infection common with live exports because of the close quarters on board ship. The infection is not fatal and usually heals after several weeks.

© 2003 Animal News Center, Inc.