A review is being conducted into an incident where 51 cattle were shot dead in a field in County Tyrone last month. The cull, carried out by the Department of Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs' (Daera) Humane Slaughter Team near Fivemiletown, has drawn criticism for its public nature.
Sinn Féin councillor Eugene McConnell described the scene as a "wild west scene" and "extremely upsetting" to those who witnessed it. He stated that while there may have been justifiable reasons for the animals to be culled, the manner in which it was conducted was "disturbing" and questioned if the cull needed to take place in such an open way.
Daera confirmed the operation was executed under a court order following a previous animal welfare conviction of the cattle owner. A department spokesperson explained that the court had directed the defendant be deprived of ownership of all farmed animals and ordered their destruction.
During the operation, members of the public became aware of the activity, leading to an increased presence of local traffic on adjoining roads and onlookers gathering to observe. The department noted that disruptions by a small number of individuals caused the operation to take significantly longer than anticipated. Gunshots could be heard from miles away, according to McConnell, who added that he had "never seen anything like it" and that it "felt very inhumane."