Germany, truth be told, would want to quietly forget about the shocking events the transpired back this last Tuesday, i.e., March 30, 2021 in the country. Tugged in the country’s northeastern corner is Alt Tellin, perhaps not exactly the most visited or touristy place when you have the likes of the Bavarian hills and forests and other splendours in the heart of Berlin.
Yet, it’s Alt Tellin that’s in the midst of widespread news coverage albeit for a reason it would have done well to avoid. A fire in the German animal farm that spread quickly, in part through ventilation shafts went on to kill hundreds and thousands of animals. Imagine the plight and the remorseful loss that occurred in the end.
And the exact number of animal casualties thanks to the great mishap at Alt Tallin, news reports suggest, is believed to be 55,000. What can be more painful and grief-ridden, one is compelled to ask, other than news about the painful demise of several animals altogether within a small fraction of time?
But the animal farm facility, situated in the midst of Alt Tellin, saw fire quickly spread to the area where several animals had been kept, the inferno destroying the very stalls where a huge majority of animals were actually pigs and piglets.
The German animal farm, it has been confirmed, was actually a prominent pig-breeding facility.
Quoting the AFP on this news, here’s what important to note:
A spokesman for operator LFD Holding, Ralf Beke-Bramkamp, told German news agency dpa that over 55,000 animals died. Some 7,000 sows and 50,000 piglets were listed as being at the facility at the time, and only about 1,300 animals were rescued.
The Alt Tellin facility was one of the biggest of its kind in Germany.
But the damage caused to the pig-breeding infrastructure facility, in addition to the terrible loss of several animal lives, it has to be contended is no ordinary loss. After all, the pig breeding facility was, arguably speaking, among the largest animal breeding facility in all of Germany.
No sooner had news emerged about the loss of countless animal lives than protestors soon gathered around the embattled facility. There, they raised slogans and passionately wielded placards that had a clear and loud signal: “Say no to animal torture!”
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But that being said, it’s not very clear as to how the huge fire soared in intensity leading to such a colossal damage at the end of the day. Who was really responsible for it? Was it negligence on the part of the operator or just one of those unforeseen or unavoidable instances where one can do little?
Moreover, it remains to be seen as to what might be the response of noted animal welfare organisations?