Seven camels meant for ‘sacrifice’ on Eid al-Adha rescued in Kashmir

Srinagar:  Authorities in the Baramulla district, in a collaborative effort with animal welfare organisations, have successfully rescued seven camels that were allegedly destined for “illegal sacrifice”. The intervention, announced by officials on Monday, highlighted an unusual trend of camels being imported into Kashmir for ritual slaughter, despite not being native to the region, officials said.

The rescue operation was set in motion after a video circulating on social media showed the camels reportedly being offered for sale ahead of Eid al-Adha. Devinder Kaur Madaan of the NGO ‘Save Animals Value Environment’ (SAVE) promptly alerted local authorities and ‘People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals’ (PETA) India. Their swift action led to the animals’ timely liberation from what PETA described as an illegal fate.

“After learning that seven camels were reportedly being sold for sacrifice ahead of Eid through a video that was circulating on social media, Devinder Kaur Madaan of SAVE alerted the local authorities and PETA which led to the animals’ rescue,” PETA India said in a statement here.

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Following their rescue, all seven camels have been entrusted to the Dhyan Foundation, where they will receive rehabilitation and lifelong care.

PETA India emphasised the illegality of camel slaughter in the country, citing the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011. These regulations explicitly permit the killing of only specific animals for meat, including sheep, pigs, cattle, goats, poultry, fish, and rabbits, with camels conspicuously absent from the approved list.

While camels are not indigenous to Kashmir and are not traditionally part of Eid al-Adha sacrifices in the region, officials noted a concerning trend over the past decade. It has been observed that some cattle traders have resorted to importing these desert animals specifically for the purpose of Eid sacrifice, a practice that directly violates Indian food safety and animal welfare laws, they said.