Home » Tragedy as Suspected Arsonists Burn 220 Animals Alive in Brits, South Africa

Tragedy as Suspected Arsonists Burn 220 Animals Alive in Brits, South Africa

Around 220 animals tragically died during a fire on Monday evening at Mulati Wilddienste Farm near Brits in North West, South Africa. Police suspect it was arson. According to WildForLife, the animals “died a painful death, trapped in burning enclosures”. The heartbroken owner of Mulati, Gustav Strydom, said in a video interview that in 20 […]

By SAPeople
13-03-19 18:06
in Eish!

Around 220 animals tragically died during a fire on Monday evening at Mulati Wilddienste Farm near Brits in North West, South Africa. Police suspect it was arson.

According to WildForLife, the animals “died a painful death, trapped in burning enclosures”.

The heartbroken owner of Mulati, Gustav Strydom, said in a video interview that in 20 years he had never seen anything as awful as this.

The animals – which included blesbuck, eland, njalas, ostriches, rooibokke and zebras – were scheduled to be auctioned for private game reserves on Saturday.

One of those that perished was a seven-year-old Eland bull that had been hand-reared on a hunting farm. Strydom said the owner had asked him to make sure the Eland went to a good home and didn’t land up being hunted. Sadly it died instead in a terrible inferno.

Strydom said the trauma of seeing the animals burnt alive is far worse than the estimated R8-million damage to the buildings. Although the fire brigade arrived on the scene there was nothing they could do, he said.

Strydom told Jacaranda FM: “We manage to only save the animals that were on the other sides of the bomas – it was only a few zebras, ostriches and five or six wildebeest but the rest of the animals weren’t so lucky.”

Some called for international reporters to cover the story. “Animal genocide is an atrocity,” said one social media user.

Journalist Mia Spies posted photos on Facebook (see below) and reported that police have confirmed the fire was started by torching.

WATCH Fire in South Africa burns over 200 animals alive

https://www.facebook.com/wildforlifeRTB/videos/584107515427837/

https://www.facebook.com/spiesmia/videos/263018037959127/

https://www.facebook.com/spiesmia/photos/a.590531997776274/1188318747997593/?type=3&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARAYJS1Ox2t7vhgIDpjFnB1R3mtG5Yx4RcLA7kIhjhw1dPXnbBKQ2bwJmnBd9DevbjoqOFYoOFTW4wlVi-iB-XfF2fAOyfKipIOir74Ci_MRg9ekr29wXDakVpKGNFZtsGXWTOxiYNaGN0d5MEKahEZml5MBzOcolTuXSDGV6V_8nGOn8M-Xrvn6XcpROzWNk6v6iupkzDLhBBW9kusIo589u5ggnOEKMDht2oDOyRE1OWt5sdykHzBmaHxCZ9Fe3h9lPYrxM-82ITDlZ-CSq9QbA68PgrfR5hkj7fI08BXOlK2Pvw&__tn__=-R

https://www.facebook.com/spiesmia/posts/1188320111330790?__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARAEeKhWEJxtLzamiIhasKuQvmK208Lshm5L87N7kvUBu1_CgQNgQCN-lJ3JiloVPRJ5lZmKjKgcLHkalYgaW_nvsqD_R3A0TqJhw8voauCXpYWkIZqKoiLaQGdkkYDR6juCd8zY7IXPr7VuwoXm5Xynx9z9U8zofgFri14FI0waMSQKj654lSMASJLXEesYyfKTKjjY8bQTvtkduuc40DEJHzqwD0prGlyWbGr_Jjg0phf5ToSuZu5jjOqCMlcLWNVC31VuWeCO6ZllnwlLOi3Gf_9aHQyUViRWyb-tsK0teSC6mNppo2EMxoaz9bM-5x3nIA&__tn__=-R