Appeal after 38 000 chicks torched in protest

THE NSPCA has appealed for information that could lead to the arrest of people behind the torching of a vehicle transporting about 38 000 day-old chicks that were killed during the incident in the Lichtenburg area in North West.

The organisation has described the attack as cowardly, horrendous and vicious. It claims the vehicle was torched after about 300 furious residents went on a rampage, burning three trucks and pelting at least eight other vehicles with stones during a service delivery protest on Friday.

In a statement, the NSPCA said its Farm Animal Protection Unit was alerted to the transporter being set alight by members of the public in the area.

“A task team was immediately despatched to the area but the NSPCA personnel were recalled after the operational director of Opti Chicks informed our Farm Animal Protection Unit that there were no surviving chicks and the crowd had dispersed,” said the animal welfare organisation

There was no footage of the actions which affected the possibility of pursuing a case of animal cruelty and no suspected can be positively identified.

In the NSPCA statement, Opti Chicks said: “During a riot of a service delivery protest in Lichtenburg, our Opti Chicks truck got caught up in the riot and was burnt down with live chicks inside.

“Some of the chicks were thrown out of the truck and they then used the truck to drive over the chicks.”

Seven more people were arrested for public violence in Blydeville near Lichtenburg, North West police said yesterday. Fourteen others were arrested on Friday after three trucks were torched and eight vehicles were pelted with stones.

They have been remanded and are expected to appear in the Lichtenburg Magistrate’s Court soon.

A police Nyala was torched on Monday afternoon when the police responded to the protest.

Anyone with information concerning the incident is requested to call the NSPCA’s Farm Animal Protection Unit at 011 907 3590 during working hours or to email spca.co.za