63 Out of 67 Cows Die in Mass Incident
Negligent Management After Inheriting the Barn
Animal Protection Coalition Demands Severe Punishment for Farm Owner
In a cattle barn in Haenam, Jeollanam-do, where about 60 cows died en masse, the cause of the incident was revealed to be due to the negligent management of the farm owner.
On the 13th, the Haenam Police Station announced that a man in his 30s, identified as A, was booked on charges of violating the Animal Protection Act. A is accused of neglecting 63 out of 67 cows at his barn located in Songji-myeon, Haenam-gun, causing their deaths.
According to the police investigation, A was found to have been negligent in managing the farm after inheriting it from his parents. Dozens of cows that had been kept in the barn were found dead on floors filled with manure. The dead cows’ ribs and hip bones were visibly emaciated. The Animal Hygiene Testing Laboratory’s pathological examination returned negative results, indicating that the cause was not an infectious disease.
A stated that "due to a busy schedule recently, I was unable to manage the barn." The four surviving cows are currently being cared for by A’s relatives, and the dead cows are reportedly being incinerated one by one. The police plan to investigate the detailed circumstances of the incident with A.
Earlier, at around 1:30 p.m. on the 9th, a resident of Songji-myeon reported to the police that "there are dead cows in the barn." The informant said that no one had been entering or leaving the barn regularly, and they did not know who the owner was, which led them to report the matter to the police. Considering that the average market price for a 600kg cow as of this month is around 5 million won, it is estimated that A suffered property damage worth approximately 200 to 300 million won.
Meanwhile, following the revelation of these facts, the Animal Protection Coalition issued a statement demanding strict punishment for A. They emphasized, "According to Article 10 of the current Animal Protection Act (Prohibition of Animal Cruelty), ‘causing the death of an animal without justifiable reason’ is an act of animal cruelty punishable by up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won," and urged "the strict application and punishment under the Animal Protection Act for the farm owner who neglected 63 cows to starvation and death."
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