Animals Australia Claims Kuwaiti Livestock Market Is Notoriously Cruel

Sheep imported to Kuwait are being “tied up and shoved into car boots in 50 degree temperatures before being brutally slaughtered,” the chief investigator of Animals Australia, Lyn White, has claimed.

The animal welfare group, which has drawn high profile attention to numerous acts of violence in relation to cows and sheep exported from Australia to countries including Egypt and Indonesia, says the Kuwaiti market is “notoriously cruel”.

Australia has banned the sale of its livestock to Kuwait but Animals Australia has lodged its sixth complaint, claiming 450 sheep have “leaked” from the regulated supply chain, according to local media.

The Gulf state is hoarding large numbers of sheep in preparation for the annual Muslim Festival of Sacrifice, according to Sydney’s The Daily Telegraph.

Previously, up to 10,000 Australian animals have been allegedly sold by overseas buyers to third parties not endorsed by the country’s authorities, including Kuwait.

The issue has raised political tensions, with accusations the Australian government is turning a blind eye to treatment of its livestock by foreign nations.