While the animals were stuck on the ship off the coast of Australia, animal rights activists repeatedly complained about the treatment and welfare of the cattle and sheep. However, the government assured that the animals are in good condition. Last week the government rejected a request from the exporter to ship the animals to Israel via Africa. The trip would have taken five weeks and extended the time for the animals on board to more than two months.
Since Monday, February 12, all animals have been unloaded from the ship MV Bahijah and trucked from the port of Fremantle to appropriate locations in Western Australia, the Australian Department of Agriculture told Reuters. According to the news agency, unloading the animals will take several days.