In a sickening video emerging out of Kazakhstan, a group of men beat an endangered Caspian seal unconscious so that people could pose with pictures of it on the beach. The incident occurred near the village of Kuryk and has been generating widespread interest and disgust after it was posted online by Kazakh model Yevgeniya Mukasheva.
According to the Mirror, a witness to the incident stated:
"They beat the seal up until it passed out. Then they pulled it out of the water so that children could take pictures and have fun. After that, they threw the motionless body back into the sea. I don't know if it survived."
Mukasheva wrote alongside the video she posted:
"How could you throw stones at the defenseless pup and laugh? Have you lost your mind? When will we already understand that it is necessary to value and care for every creature on the planet? What more pain do we need to strike so that we understand that mercy and compassion must be in our minds?"
It is unclear whether she took the video herself or whether she was posting it from another source, but Kazakh authorities are now searching for the perpetrators who have committed this crime, which carries a sentence of up to 2 years in prison under Kazakh law.
Saken Dildakhmet, a spokesperson for Kazakhstan's Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources, expressed his anger at the incident and his desire to see justice done:
"What kind of people will they raise? How can you ridicule a helpless and trustworthy little seal? The way people acted in the video is outrageous and wild. Such an attitude can cause great damage to the fauna of the Caspian Sea and adversely affect the behaviour of these animals who may become aggressive and attack people. The seals are mostly very friendly and curious marine mammals. We should admire them."
Unfortunately, the beautiful Caspian seal is facing real dangers going forward. Since the start of the 20th century, its numbers in the wild have reduced by 90% and in 2008 the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) added the seal to their 'endangered list'. It is widely believed that economic activities in and around the Caspian Sea, such as fishing, coastal development, and widespread use of transportation vessels has help lead to the heart-breaking demise in the wild population.
We certainly hope that the authorities capture the perpetrators and that they face stiff justice. We also wish that human beings will start recognising and respecting the beauty and independence of nature and realise that it is not simply a play-thing for mankind.
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