Not-for-profit organisation Stop Live Exports has condemned the loading of scores of cattle onto a ship off Perth's coast during a scorching hot summer day.
On Monday, cattle were witnessed being loaded onto the Gudali Express at Fremantle Port where temperatures nearby soared into the high 30s to low 40s.
The Gudali Express is a live export vessel that has the capacity to transport thousands of cattle.
Stop Live Exports spokesperson Ruth Gourley said: "It's absolutely outrageous and intolerable that cattle are being loaded onto a ship at Fremantle Port on such an unbearably hot day.
"Moving cattle onto a ship in extreme, dangerous temperatures shows a complete disregard for animal welfare. Cattle are not only forced to endure waiting around in the scorching heat, but when they get on board, they are often confined to poorly ventilated, hot spaces made worse on extremely hot days.
"Heat stress is a major health and welfare concern on live export ships. Cattle, like many animals, are highly susceptible to heat stress, especially when exposed to extreme temperatures. Heat stress can lead to dehydration, exhaustion, and in severe cases, death. Animals have been cooked from the inside out, suffering as their organs shut down.
"Transporting cattle onto a ship during a dangerously hot December day is the tragic reality of the live export trade, and one of an ever-growing list of cases of animal suffering. If there was any doubt about the cruelty that the live export trade is capable of, today's events at Fremantle Port should put those doubts to rest."
Vision can be accessed here.
Stop Live Exports is a Western Australian based, community-led, non-profit organisation that advocates for the end of live animal exports from Australia. The organisation is run by a voluntary committee comprised of individuals who are based across Australia.
