Thousands of day-old chicks burnt alive in protest
The NSPCA said an estimated 38 000 day old chicks died when the transporter they were on was targeted by protesters in the Lichtenburg area on Friday.
The NSPCA's Grace de Lange said the association's Farm Animal Protection Unit was alerted after the transporter was set alight by community members who were protesting against poor service delivery.
"A task team was immediately despatched to the area, but the NSPCA personnel were recalled after the Operational Director of Opti Chicks informed our Farm Animal Protection Unit that there were no surviving chicks and the crowd had dispersed," said De Lange.
Opti Chicks said in a statement: "During a riot of a service delivery protest in Lichtenburg, our Opti Chicks ruck got caught up in the riot and was burnt down with live chicks inside. Some of the chicks were thrown out of the truck and they then used the truck to drive over the chicks."
De Lange said the NSPCA condemns this action.
"The suffering endured by these birds can hardly be imagined. It would have been agonising and prolonged. It was also totally unnecessary," said De Lange.