Nearly 400 live catsseveral of them stolen from their caretakers, were rescued in the Vietnamese Ho Chi Minh City during a police operation that dismantled a criminal network that marketed the meat of these animals in the country.
He Saigon Zoo has released this Wednesday photographs of cats rescued during last week’s raid, which ended with the arrest of nine people, who confessed to having captured hundreds of cats with traps in the last three years, according to a report from the Ho Chi Minh Police.
Last Thursday, security officers broke into a city parking lot, where they found 45 cages containing the 400 live catsin addition to four boxes in which there were another 80 dead felines preserved in ice.
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At least twice a week, according to the preliminary investigation, the gang sold a batch of cats that were paid at a price close to $2.80 per kilogram, after which it is presumed that the animals were transported to various parts of the country.
For its part, the Saigon Zoo is disseminating daily images of the rescued animals on Facebook, many of which are under its protection, to help them reunite with their keepers.
In this regard, the NGO Humane World for Animals He explained in a statement that 40 cats have already been claimed by their owners and about 260 remain in police custody, including several born after the rescue and some pregnant females.
Rescued cats that were going to be sold for consumption in Vietnam. Photo: EFE/ NGO Humane World for Animals Vietnam
According to the organization, several of the seized cats died in recent days, while many of them that are still alive look thin and weak.
“The sad reality of this trade is that, every month, thousands of cats are stolen, trafficked and slaughtered for their meat across the country, and the fate of most is to end up in a slaughterhouse or restaurant to be killed and consumed,” said Phuong Pham, national director of the NGO.
According to Humane World for Animals, human consumption of cat meat also continues in other Asian countries, and in China four million cats are slaughtered each year.
