Killing of animals

In Assam and West Bengal states of India and Nepal some Hindu temples sacrifice goats and chickens.

[5] Many Indo-European religious branches show evidence for horse sacrifice, and comparative mythology suggests that they derive from a Proto-Indo-European (PIE) ritual.

[7] Other Muslims not on the Hajj to Mecca also participate in this sacrifice wherever they are, on the 10th day of the 12th lunar month in the Islamic calendar.

[7][10] The animal sacrifice, states Philip Stewart, is not required by the Quran, but is based on interpretations of other Islamic texts.

In Indonesia alone, for example, some 800,000 animals were sacrificed in 2014 by its Muslims on the festival, but the number can be a bit lower or higher depending on the economic conditions.

[14][15] Millions of animal are brought into the Middle East from north Africa and parts of Asia and slaughter every year on Eid al-Adha.

Halāl (Arabic: حلال ḥalāl, 'permissible'), also spelled "hallal" or "halaal", is any object or an action which is permissible to use or engage in, according to Islamic law.

The process involves severing the trachea, esophagus, carotid arteries, jugular veins and vagus nerve swiftly with a special knife which is extremely sharp.

This is done with the intention of causing a rapid drop in blood pressure in the brain and loss of consciousness, to reduce the pain felt by the animal and exsanguinate it at the same time.

[22][23] Tza'ar ba'alei chayim (literally means: "the suffering of living creatures"[24]) is the Jewish principle which bans inflicting unnecessary pain on animals.

This concept is not clearly enunciated in the written Torah, but was accepted by the Talmud (Bava Metzia 32b) as being a Biblical mandate.

In 2014 nearly 25 million animals were killed in the United States for laboratory testing, with most being "designer" mice.

[33] Many plant based items if eaten in sufficient quantities can cause seizures, spasms, tremors, gastroenteritis, cardiovascular collapse, coma, and then death.

[35][36] In North America, animals such as bear, wolf, caribou, moose, elk, boar, sheep and bison are hunted.

The term is historically associated with the hunting of Africa's "big five" game (lion, African elephant, Cape buffalo, leopard and rhinoceros), and with tigers and rhinoceroses on the Indian subcontinent.

In Africa, lion, Cape buffalo, elephant, giraffe and other large game animals are hunted.

However, as of November 2014[update] it is estimated that 34 percent of U.S. states have passed laws allowing the gleaning of roadkill.

[38] When Cecil the lion was killed in Africa in summer 2015 by Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer it caused a worldwide commotion.

It claims to have 3 million members and supporters, which would make it the largest animal rights group in the world.