In an effort to promote awareness about Vietnam’s involvement in animal cruelty, not long ago PETA unveiled a visual investigative report detailing local crocodile farms’ inhumane treatment.
According to VnExpress, during March and April of last year, activists from the organization probed two crocodile farms in southern Vietnam. These facilities are reportedly part of a global supply chain that makes high-end clothing items from real crocodile skin.
The reality they uncovered is the stuff of nightmares: one farm crams piles of crocodiles into a concrete pit, while at the other approximately 5,000 of the animals have to live in spaces smaller than their body length for 15 months before being skinned alive.
The accompanying video in the report shows the poor creatures receiving electric shocks before being slaughtered. Workers are depicted making a cut at the neck of the reptiles and then nimbly removing the skin while some are still alive. The process usually takes 15 to 20 minutes.
A PETA reptile expert shared in the report that judging by the nature of the incision, the creatures are likely to be in extreme pain because most don’t die instantly from the cut.
“Many of the millions of the crocodiles killed each year for their skin may experience a prolonged painful death,” PETA shared. “Exotic skins are a product of extreme suffering.”
It is estimated that Vietnam ships some 30,000 sets of crocodile skin annually, taking part in a painful supply chain that claims millions of these reptiles a year.
Have a closer look at Vietnam’s cruel killing practices here in PETA’s investigative piece (warning: graphic images and video):
Video via YouTube user PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals).
[Photo via VnExpress]
