Mangaluru, Dec 27, 2014: Buffaloes were cruelly treated in the Mulki Arasu Kambala held on Thursday, Dr Manilal Valliyate, co-opted member of the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) said here on Friday.

According to him, two-three thick ropes were inserted into the nose of many buffaloes causing them tremendous distress and pain. One buffalo even had a nose ring made of rope along with two thick ropes that were used to pull the animal. 

He said the event apparently violated several laws, including a Supreme Court ruling, the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960, the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Transport of Animals on Foot) Rules, 2001, Prevention of Cruelty to Drought and Pack Animals Rules, 1965 and the Performing Animals (Registration) Rules, 2001. 

AWBI inspectors Dr Ashish Sutar, Dr Naresh Upreti, Sunil Havaldar, and Koustabh Pal will soon file a complaint at Mulki police station, he added. 

Valliyate said the thick ropes were frequently pulled and yanked by people to drag the animals to the starting point of the race. 

"In some cases, the nose ropes were covered with a plastic tubes, which can easily get heated up during daytime causing distress to the animal,’’ he said adding that buffaloes were hit and their tails pulled. 

Observing that a few buffaloes which were exhausted and refused to stand up were forced to participate, he said many buffalos had lash marks on its hind quarters, indicating that they were beaten up before being brought to the racing point. 

Another violation observed was unequal sized buffaloes being hitched together and young animals being forced to run. 

"The measures to unload buffaloes from vehicles were insufficient, and no health or vaccination checks were conducted. Besides, no veterinary care was available, even though hundreds of buffaloes were used in the event," he said. He said each buffalo was forced to take position by groups of five to six people and the animals were pushed, beaten with hands, pulled by their nose ropes and shouted at, causing them distress and fear in them. Besides, some buffaloes were forced to participate in Kambala for a long time without break, he noted. 

In Baradibeedu Kambala, people threatened the animals with loud noise to scare them and make them run faster and many buffaloes which finished the race frothed at the mouth and displayed increased respiration rates. Similar observations were made by AWBI inspectors at Mulki Arasu Kambala too, he said. 

Earlier, the AWBI had filed 21 non-cognizable and one cognizable FIRs at Karkala rural police station last week, pointing out that cruelty to buffaloes was common during Kambala event organised at Baradi village, in Udupi district.