"he mentioned about having come there to catch cats."
Reports that stray cats are being kidnapped and used for meat in biryani in Chennai have come to light.
It is believed that a group of people known as Narikuravars have been taking cats off the streets and selling their meat to restaurants and roadside stalls.
In a video online, an animal lover addressed how unsafe Chennai is for stray animals.
He also said there is a prevalence of the flesh trade involving roadside cats.
The college student, named Joshua, claimed he saw people taking stray cats, placing them into sacks and selling them to non-vegetarian restaurants and biryani shops.
He explained: “At midnight I saw a man loading bag after bags into a vehicle.
“By the time I could approach him, he shifted the bags to a shady corner to hide them.
“When I confronted him, he mentioned about having come there to catch cats.”
Joshua went on to say that he was pushed away by the man before the latter fled the scene. But Joshua managed to pursue him and find out more.
The student said he was shocked to see the same man kidnapping cats in another area.
When he confronted the man, Joshua did not receive a direct reply.
It was later discovered that the man requested Rs. 100 (96p) to free each cat, claiming it was his “job”.
During the interview, Joshua admitted he could not keep calm over the issue.
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— Polimer News (@polimernews) April 30, 2024
The next day, he freed up to 15 cats he found inside a sack.
He said: “There is a huge gang involved in this.
“They either sell these cats to roadside shops and consume it themselves (as an alternative of regular meat).
“Such illegal activities are taking place at night… If this goes on, one must rethink if the city is safe.”
Joshua urged the police and animal welfare charities to look into the matter.
It is reported that the incident happened in the Kilpauk area in Elumbur, Chennai.
Joshua also suggested that if such activities against stray animals are not stopped, society might lose animals for good.
He added: “In future, children might only see cats in cartoons or at a zoo.”
Joshua also urged citizens to not hurt these animals and to raise their voices against animal cruelty.
A similar case of cats going missing occurred in the area in 2018.
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