I think everyone should see where their meet comes from. Of course in the U.S. this most likely means visiting a factory of sorts, which is something I hope to someday do. In the meantime I watched a cow and goat slaughter while in Ruhanga. I found this experience somewhat trying and in many ways disturbing. If you have an uneasy stomach or do not wish to look at death, gore, and blood please don’t look at this post. Many of the images and details of the process are enough to make anyone sick.
The day started out innocent enough. We took the cows out to pasture in the early morning fog.
One cow was left behind. When it came time for the slaughter it had a good sense of what was coming. Hence the running away.
The men eventually tied both hind legs and led the cow to their impromptu abattoir behind the school.
The cow was laid down and his legs were tied together.
WARNING! These photos are very graphic, so please do not look further if you don’t want to see the slaughter.
The neck was twisted so that the throat faced upwards. The sharpened machete wielder approaches.
The throat is slit. They bring the goat forward and repeat the process.
Watching these animals die was a distressing experience. If there is anything close to a humane death for animals, you would think it would be found in these types of slaughters. The cows are free range, live in large pens, and are not forced to feed on their own kind as they often have been in the U.S. Yet there was no doubt in my mind that the cow suffered in death. It took over five minutes after the throat was slit for the cow to stop flopping helplessly about. I heard its flesh squelching as it’s opened neck arched and rocked, trying to catch another breath of air.
Have you seen Kill Bill? Some scenes show blood shooting from sliced necks and stabbed chests in a fanciful, anime fashion. I never imagined that effect could be real. When the goat’s neck was cut its blood shot straight out. I won’t post that photo.
This type of death is a part of everyday life for the men of Ruhanga. They treat it casually and often with amusement.
The animals are skinned.
They didn’t know it at the time, but the goat had been pregnant. Her unborn were discarded in the grass to be dealt with later.
Ugandans don’t waste. They use or eat every part of a killed animal.
While I was certainly upset by watching this process, I can’t say what my exact response is. It was the type of experience that merits a genuine and well thought out decision. At issue now is whether to eat meat and if so, what kind do I eat? Do I only eat what I can see killed? Do I become vegetarian? Do I buy only free range when back in the U.S.?
The nature of the deaths, the fact that it is a slaughter and nothing less, makes me inclined to refuse meat all together. However, eating meat is natural. And isn’t death as natural as life? I’m not a huge meat eater as it is, so what rules should I live by?
I still haven’t found the answers to these questions, but I’m working on it.
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