Animal rights activists demand release of injured turkeys from farm
Approximately 9 million turkeys are killed annually in the country out of approximately 630 million killed globally.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFbird flu turkeys 298.88(photo credit: AP)
Animal rights activists gathered on Friday morning outside of a turkey farm in Kibbutz Hatzor Ashdod and demanded that injured animals which were harmed due to the conditions of the coop be released to rescue farms.The animals rights organization stated that industrialized farms are a breeding ground for the development and spread of viruses and bacteria which are resistant to antibiotics.Pandemics such as coronavirus are "an expected result of how people raise food, trade and consume animals, and change their environments," according to a recent report by the United Nations.The activists, keeping social distancing regulations during their protest, intended to expose the abuse of turkeys in the turkey industry, in particular in Israel, which holds the world record for turkey consumption per capita (6.5 kilograms of turkey per person on average).The event is part of the international series called Meat the Victims, which occurs every few months in a different country and involves activists entering locations in which animals are taken advantage of.The activists call for "non-violence, call for compassion for the weak, and use respectful language to communicate with the local workers," according to a press release.Approximately 9 million turkeys are killed annually in the country out of approximately 630 million killed globally.Turkeys grown to be eaten are genetically enhanced so that they are incapable of reproducing naturally, flying or escaping. Female turkeys are injected in order to reproduce, while the turkeys have the ends of their beaks cut off so that they cannot attack one another within the tightly-knit coop.The activists praised the nature of the wild turkeys, which they state are curious birds who raise their young for five months.
