PETA Video Shows Dogs Tied In Sacks And Charred Monkey Hands At Indian Wet Market

WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS DISTRESSING IMAGES AND FOOTAGE

Footage has emerged of charred monkey hands and porcupine meat being sold at wet markets in India, as well as images of dogs tied in sacks waiting to be slaughtered.

In the interest of transparency - we've had to edit down the video, because some of it was simply too grim to watch. It contained images of dogs being thrown down flights of stairs, clubbed to death and charred with blowtorches. The dogs can be seen tied up in sacks with only their heads poking out.

The video, which was shared by animal rights campaign group PETA, also shows monkey parts - including charred hands - being sold at the bazaar in Dimapur, in the Nagaland state. PETA has described the footage as showing the 'rampant violations' of wildlife protection legislation and animal rights.

They also claim the so called 'wet markets', at which live animals are bought and sold, are 'breeding grounds' for deadly diseases and viruses.

The video shows several markets from across India, and describes the animals that can be bought at each of them.

It states: "At Nute Bazaar in Manipur, meat from monkeys, porcupines, barking deer, wild boars and migratory birds was illegally sold.

"At Churachandpur Market in Manipur, meat from monkeys, wild boars and deer were illegally sold as well.

"At Keera Bazaar in Dimapur, Nagaland, captured dogs were killed and sold for meat.

"The Nagaland government recently decided to ban the sale of dog meat, but the cruel trade continues in several other Indian states."

PETA argues that the wet markets, as well as being cruel and inhumane, are also a place where unsanitary practises and unusual meats can cause outbreaks of zoonotic diseases - diseases which are transmittable from vertebrate animals to humans.

PETA director Elisa Allen told Mirror Online: "Places such as these, crammed full of sick and stressed animals, are breeding grounds for deadly diseases.

"As long as live-animal markets are allowed to operate, humans will continue to be at risk and countless animals will needlessly endure miserable lives and a violent, painful death."

They are encouraging people to join the campaign to pressurise governments into ending the practise.

Comedian Ricky Gervais, who is also a well known animal rights campaigner, has also recently called for an end to the wet markets.

In April, he told The Mirror: "For the sake of people and animals, wildlife trade and consumption has to end, now.

"We can't carry on exploiting animals, eating wildlife and trashing the planet. The wildlife trade and markets have to close, otherwise it will be a case of when, and not if, we have another global pandemic.

"How bad does this have to get before you close down Indonesia's extreme animal markets that pose the exact same risk as the wildlife wet markets in Wuhan, China?"