Nearly 400 animals rescued by HSI/India and PFA from the Gadhimai sacrifice find forever homes at Vantara wildlife center

JAMNAGAR: Nearly 400 buffaloes and goats rescued by animal charities Humane Society International/India and People for Animals from the mass animal sacrifice at Gadhimai in Nepal, have found forever homes at Vantara, a wildlife and rehabilitation centre in Jamnagar. The 347 goats and 74 buffaloes were among more than 750 animals rescued by HSI/India and PFA, alongside the Sashastra Seema Bal, at the Indo-Nepal border check post just days before the Gadhimai animal sacrifice on Dec. 8 and 9. The groups also rescued hundreds of birds; 328 rescued pigeons were released back into the wild, and two chickens were adopted locally. 

A team of ten veterinarians and para-veterinarians from Vantara reached Bihar on Dec. 8 and carefully examined the animals before they began their journey from the sanctuary. At Vantara, the animals will receive further veterinary care, including necessary medical treatment to help them recover from the hardships they have endured. 

Gauri Maulekhi, trustee at PFA, said: “This is a new chapter of hope for the animals. We are filled with joy knowing they have been saved from the horrors of the Gadhimai sacrifice and will now live and flourish in a safe, loving environment. We extend our heartfelt thank you to Vantara for their generosity in offering a forever home to these goats and buffaloes. Their successful relocation will ensure the best possible long-term care and well-being for these animals”

Alokparna Sengupta, managing director, HSI/India, said: “This is the best possible outcome for these animals who we were able to rescue from the Gadhimai sacrifice. There could be no better places than Vantara to provide safe haven for animals who have been abused and who would have met a horrific end. This collective effort marks a major victory in the fight against animal sacrifice and other forms of animal cruelty and sends a powerful message about the importance of protecting and respecting animals worldwide.”

The Gadhimai festival, the world’s largest ritual animal slaughter, has long been a tragic event for hundreds of thousands of animals including buffaloes, pigs, mice, pigeons and goats. HSI/India and PFA deployed teams to the Indo-Nepal border checkpoints over a week prior to the sacrifice, to assist border police in intercepting and confiscating animals illegally transported for slaughter. Their combined efforts saved the lives of more than 750 animals—74 buffaloes, 347 goats, 328 pigeons and two chickens. Despite these efforts, estimates based on buffalo entry receipts and eyewitness accounts suggest that between 250,000 – 500,000 animals were slaughtered over the course of two days.  

Facts:

• The Gadhimai festival involves a month-long celebration or “mela,” culminating in the ritual slaughter of hundreds of thousands of animals.  
• Water buffalo, goats, chickens, pigs, ducks and rats are decapitated with blunt metal swords in an alcohol-fueled killing frenzy. 
• The majority of these animals are illegally transported from India into Nepal owing to porous borders. 
• This rule is being openly flouted as the majority of animals are transported illegally across the border without an export license. 
• Mass sacrifice events pose serious public health risks, exacerbated by the unsanitary conditions at the festival site. With no toilets for millions of pilgrims, the air is filled with the stench of feces, blood and death.
• The origins of Gadhimai date back around 265 years, when the founder of the Gadhimai Temple, Bhagwan Chowdhary, had a dream that the goddess Gadhimai wanted blood in return for freeing him from prison, protecting him from evil and promising prosperity and power. The goddess asked for a human sacrifice, but Chowdhary offered an animal instead and this has been repeated every five years since.