A group of volunteers is trying to save hundreds of buffaloes, which police say have been abandoned on a farm in Brazil, where at least 500 cattle have already died of starvation, according to people involved in the effort.
Environmental police in the city of Brotas, 250 kilometers from the capital Sao Paulo, responded to complaints of malnourished and abused animals at the Sao Luiz da Agua Sumida farm last month.
Officials found 667 animals abandoned in a confined space and many trunks, according to a copy of a police report obtained by Reuters.
“I came here, it was like a war zone,” said Maurice Vidal, a veterinarian who was at the scene. “There were a lot of animals, a lot of debilitated animals,” he said, estimating that up to 500 buffaloes have since been found dead on the property.
Farm owner Luis Augusto Pineiro de Souza has not been contacted to comment.
In an interview with Globo TV, Souza denied any wrongdoing, saying there was water and food for the animals and some died of natural causes.
Videos that have seen the light of day show that some animals are too weak to stand, for which heavy machinery had to be transported in order to receive medical care. Other animals were obese, with their ribs visible.
According to the environmental police report, the authorities imposed a fine of more than 2 million reais for environmental violations.
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