Spain’s Agriculture Ministry has ordered more than 850 cows that spent over a month on a ship in the Mediterranean Sea are no longer fit for transport and should be culled.
The cows aboard the ship Karim Allah were docked in Cartagena’s Spanish port after struggling to find a buyer for the cattle during the past two months. Several countries rejected the animals over fears they had bovine bluetongue virus. The insect-borne virus causes lameness and hemorrhaging among cattle.
A veterinarians’ report seen by Reuters concluded that the animals had suffered from the long journey and euthanasia would be the best solution for their health and welfare.
