RSPCA probes conditions on South Australian pig farm after shocking images emerge

News.com.au

7 days ago

WARNING: Distressing content
Shocking footage depicting the alleged internal workings of an Australian pig farm has surfaced on the internet after activists claimed to have discovered a shed full of dead, dying and severely wounded pigs.
Taken by activists affiliated with Farm Transparency Project (FTP) in June, the collection of hundreds of photos and a handful of videos show hundreds of pigs packed into large, warehouse-sized sheds.
The FTP alleges these photos and videos were all taken at Andgar Piggery near Dublin, South Australia.
Some pigs are recorded struggling to wade through thick, brown muck, which activists allege others had drowned in, as dozens of rats scale the walls and wires that crisscross the walkways between the pens.
One animal appears on camera with a gaping, necrotic wound in its body, about 10cm wide and partially filled with what appears to be mud and straw.
Massive weeping sores are seen on several animals, and starving creatures are recorded cannibalising their deceased littermates.
Some images, which cannot be shown in this article, show dozens of rotting pig corpses piled up on top of one another.
FTP project director Chris Delforce said he became involved after getting tipped off by a member of the public who had already attempted to notify the RSPCA.
'We sent some people that we work with in South Australia to go check it out, and we were very concerned with what they captured,' Mr Delforce said.
'A few of us from Melbourne went down and checked it out ourselves just to verify it (and) make sure we comprehensively captured what was going on there … then reported that as soon as we could to the RSPCA and the state government.'
The South Australian RPSCA confirmed it had begun an investigation into the property, and the company is not accused of any wrongdoing.
'A report has been received in relation to concerns regarding the welfare of animals at a property north of Adelaide,' a spokeswoman said.
'As our inspectorate are currently investigating the complaint and being an active investigation, we cannot provide any further information at this time.'
South Australian Deputy Premier Susan Close said 'no one can stand cruelty' in animal industries.
Speaking to 7News, she said it was 'wonderful that the RSPCA is investigating'.
'If cruelty is found, I hope the full force of the law comes down,' she said.
An Andgar Piggery spokesperson blamed the conditions on a lack of workers but also conceded he had not seen any of the photos or watched any of the videos taken by activists inside the farm.
'We went from four workers to one because one bloke got injured and he's been off for the last three or four months. There we are, with one bloke running the whole farm. We've been advertising, looking for workers … We've got a business to run. We pay taxes,' he said.
'Of course the piggery's never been like that. For all the years we've run pigs, they've never been like that, it's just all of a sudden you've got no workers. Normally, it runs like a clock, it's bloody beautiful.'
According to ABN Lookup, the Andgar Piggery owners also own another operation near Mannum, east of Adelaide.
An FTP protest is scheduled for Saturday, and a corresponding Facebook event page has been interacted with by hundreds of respondents.