These boxes involve animals being tipped 180 degrees and having their throats cut whilst fully conscious, immobilised, suspended upside down and in a state of extreme distress. As prey animals, this position of vulnerability is extremely stressful. The position of their internal organs such as the rumen cause cattle to experience even greater distress from inversion, and they can potentially end up inhaling blood and digested food. Slaughter via throat cut without stunning is highly painful due to the sensitivity of the nerve fibres in the neck region.
We appeal to our producers, who have bred and raised cattle according to the high standards expected in Australia, to please join with us in calling on the government to ban the use of full inversion boxes in the live export trade.