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Auckland's Cornwall Park cows to be live exported to Mongolia, causing outrage www.stuff.co.nz
Some of the cows from Auckland's Cornwall Park are to be exported to Mongolia to participate in a breeding programme.
The announcement has outraged animal welfare organisations and members of the public, who say live export is “inhumane”.
In a text message to a member of the public, the Cornwall Park Trust confirmed it does “occasionally export cows”.
“Cornwall park is proud that our cows have been selected to help establish a breeding programme for Mongolian farmers,” the message read.
“This programme will help these remote villagers become more self-sufficient and improve the villagers' standard of living.”
The cattle are very valuable and are treated as such, the message read.
“This includes full veterinary care throughout the voyage for a small amount that make the journey.”
SAFE chief executive Debra Ashton said Aucklanders would be shocked to learn their beloved park was being used to raise animals for the controversial live export trade.
The park was gifted to the city in 1901 by Sir John Logan Campbell.
Cornwall Park has been farming Simmental cattle for more than 20 years.
Ashton said the cows will face a “long, rough journey in cramped, disgusting conditions” before arriving in a country with high elevations and cold, dry conditions.
“Those gentle cows that Aucklanders will be familiar with, will eventually be slaughtered in their destination country, potentially by means too cruel to be legal in Aotearoa,” she said.
“Cows are at risk at sea, and they’re at risk in their destination country. The animal welfare laws and regulations we have in New Zealand don’t exist in the countries we export animals to.”
Ashton called on the trust to reconsider its decision and stop any future plans to sell more animals to live exporters.
The Japanese Coast Guard has called off its full-time search for Gulf Livestock 1, the live export ship that went missing in a typhoon in the East China Sea.
Following the trust’s Facebook announcement about the export, many members of the public have expressed sadness, with one saying the cows are on a “one-way trip to hell”.
The cows will suffer a “rough, disgusting, perhaps deadly journey”, and an extreme climate in Mongolia, another said.
The Ministry for Primary Industries has been reviewing the controversial live export trade for the past two years.
During that time, the live export ship Gulf Livestock 1 capsized and sank off the coast of China.
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The incident saw 5867 New Zealand cows drown and 41 crew members, including two New Zealanders, lost at sea.
Ministry figures show 109,921 cattle were live exported to China in 2020, with 128 mortalities.
According to the Simmental Cattle Breeders Society, Cornwall Park has been breeding and keeping Simmental cattle for more than 20 years.
They have a quiet temperament and adapt well to the hustle and bustle of city life, a post on the society’s website said.
A Simmental bull and steers are pictured on a foggy morning at Cornwall Park.
NICOLE LAWTON/STUFF
A Simmental bull and steers are pictured on a foggy morning at Cornwall Park.
According to the Cornwall Park website, there are about 60 cows at the park, but the numbers at least double during calving season from July to September.
The Simmental cattle are known for their “sturdy nature, excellent beef and ability to cope with changes in climate”, the website said.
“Our cattle are either sold to be breeders or for meat, while some stay with us to replace our mother cows – we pick the cream of the crop ... and year-on-year they help us to improve our herd.”
More than four million visitors are estimated to come to Cornwall Park every year.
Published Date:2021-03-31
