Today, the Eyes on Animals and Animal Welfare Foundation team arrived back in Kapikule to continue inspecting EU livestock trucks heading across the border into Turkey.
The Bulgarian sheep we checked on, being transported by 4 different Bulgarian and Hungarian transport companies, had acceptable loading densities. The sheep were able to lie down and move about inside the truck. Being loaded on 3 levels, most also had enough headspace to ensure some ventilation above their heads. It was a hot and sunny day, 34 degrees. During our checks, the drivers turned on the water system to show us that they worked and had filled up their water tanks. The sheep immediately took to the water. We did not observe any injured sheep; the trucks were well designed.
After waiting most of the day inside the border, they finally arrived at the new small stable on the Turkish side where they were unloaded and left to rest for several hours. The animals were reloaded in the night and transported further to their final destinations, most being sadly a slaughterhouse…
