Dear Editor,
The competition for space on our limited roads among men, machines and stray animals seems to be intensifying with every passing day. Cows, horses, donkeys and even pigs, are now posing an equal or even more dangerous proposition in terms of accidents than a drunken or errant driver. These animals have now become a perennial nuisance in rural, suburban and even urban Guyana despite a significant increase in pound fees. They move about with impunity and without restriction, damaging and destroying in their path, hindering the smooth flow of traffic and posing a daily danger to road users.
One cannot forget the recent cruel death of the Amerindian mother of three on the East Bank Highway near the Providence Stadium, which was reportedly caused by cows straying onto a major thoroughfare. My thoughts immediately thereafter were that the authorities would have done what was expected in a civilized society – ban strays on our roads and concomitantly increase fines and impose custodial sentences for any breaches. Sadly, I wasted my thoughts.
Many times I have had the unpleasant task of explaining to foreign visitors why strays are allowed to freely roam our streets, etc. I have also had to explain to them why, in this enlightened time when we have so many vans and light trucks around, that the horse-drawn cart is still in use. Surely, this is an activity that has been with us for some time, but which has now outlived its usefulness. The Guyana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals needs to get into top gear and lobby for the outlawing of the horse-drawn cart. This form of cruelty to the horse (and donkey) needs no place in a modern world where technology has provided adequately for transportation.
As for the stray cows, most of them are kept in backyard ‘dairies’ during the night and unleashed on communities during the day. The horses are tied to posts in the streets and in yards and you can smell the stench from afar. Pigs are mostly in makeshift sties in the night and some are allowed to roam communities in the day.
The poor sanitation in areas where these animals are kept is a perfect breeding ground for disease, and with swine flu in the air, it makes for easy picking.
In the contiguous communities of Nandy Park/Republic Park/Continental Park where I live, owners of the stray cows from the nearby community of Eccles, guide them to feeding grounds on state reserves and private lands on a daily basis. Ironically, the feeding grounds extend immediately outside the home of a senior law-maker who would have had an input into increasing the pound fees.
As a concerned resident, I have had cause to speak to the owners of these strays in our area especially when they damage my parapets and plants, but I was not surprised when more animals were added to the flock the next day, complete with a minder who was equipped with his umbrella and a lunch bag. I have held my breath on many occasions when assessing the damage to my beautiful flowering plants which I have laboriously nurtured over the months and years.
Once a resident reportedly tried to take a herd of these stray cows to the Providence Police Station pound, but the herd was taken away from him by the owner who also allegedly threatened the resident.
So, when I saw Home Affairs Minister Rohee announcing new pound fees recently, I felt a little bit reassured that this would serve as a deterrent to the nuisance of stray animals, especially in highly residential areas such as ours. But I was disappointed, as instead of an abatement there has been an increase in the number of flocks of strays. Probably, this is a direct challenge to those in authority and may be construed to mean “touch me cow and yuh gon see wha gon happen.”
Some drastic, surefire and strict measures must be immediately implemented to overcome this menace to society. We have to crack down on this problem by firstly banning the rearing of cows and other similar animals in urban and suburban areas. Leave them in the pastures in the backlands of the villages. A country such as ours with an abundance of land must not permit the rearing of animals in urban areas.
Proper pounds must be constructed to accommodate stray animals. Stray-catchers must again be part of the equation and the laws must be reviewed, revamped and amended to allow for stiffer penalties, including imprisonment for those wanting to thwart the efforts of the stray-catchers.
Once we are able to bring civility back, we will also be able to control the death, rot and stench of animals on our roads, too. We cannot want to sell our country to the global tourism industry and have animals straying, defecating, dying and rotting all over the place. Right Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG)? I would really like to meet the tourist who will tell me that he is interested in viewing strays on the roads and inhaling stench from rotting animal carcasses!
If we really love this country, we must make a start to reclaim our place in civilization. We can start by moving cows, horses and donkeys back to the pastures where they belong.
Your faithfully,
Mahadeo Panchu
