Moment of Neti-zen: Beggars’ camel not mutilated: animal expert

Source:Global Times Published: 2014-10-20 20:38:02

This camel is believed to have had its legs deliberately severed in order to help beggars solicit more sympathy. Photo: qq.com



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Controversial photos of two beggars in Foshan, Guangdong Province kneeling next to a camel, whose lower legs were said to have been purposefully severed in order to stir sympathy from passers-by  went viral on Friday.

"The camel was on the ground with its four limbs severed at the knee," initially wrote Net user xiamenjiaoya who uploaded the photos on Friday.

Similar sightings of beggars who panhandle with ragged-looking camels were reported in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Wenzhou and Shaoxing, according to news portal guancha.cn on Sunday.

The same two beggars in Foshan previously appeared in Fuzhou, Fujian Province, said news portal people.cn on April 17.  Local police also said that the camel's four limbs were without hooves, very likely done at the hand of humans, according to the April report.

Many Net users called on authorities to protect the animal. However, some expressed doubts whether the camel was mutilated, asking "if the camel's legs were severed, how did the beggars transport it from Fuzhou to Foshan?" 

After reviewing the photos, animal experts said it appears the camels were not mutilated.

"This is a normal prone position for the camel and its legs were not severed," said Yang Ruilin, an animal breeder at the Chengdu Zoo, Sichuan Province. "However, the camel appears to be severely malnourished and taking a camel to beg is clearly wrong and a violation of animal rights," Yang added.



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