Unethical practices relating to cattle freedom, care and control among the market handlers in Ibadan metropolis, Nigeria

Abstract

Study on some unethical practices affecting cattle among the market handlers was carried out. The three major market centres for cattle in Ibadan city (Akinyele, Bodija and Oranyan) were purposively selected. Eighty (80) structured questionnaires were randomly administered to the respondents in order to elicit information on animal freedom, care and control. Percentage of handlers that believed cattle had no freedom of their own was 51.3. In animal care, 40.0%, 31.3%, 30.0%, 12.5%, 7.5% and 5.0% were of the opinion that cattle could be respectively tired, hungry, sick, heady, injured and being in a strange environment might be the reasons for their refusal to obey the instruction of the handlers. In controlling the cattle for a direction, 85.7%, 10.4% and 3.9% of the handlers used ‘wooden rod’ (Sanda), ‘whip’ and ‘stick’ respectively as the best technique. When an animal did not yield to an instruction to move, 84.0% and 16.0% of the handlers respectively employed dragging and beating as the final option. The study showed that majority of cattle market handlers were inhumane in the freedom, care and control of the animals and therefore, recommends that awareness should be created for a better understanding in animal freedom, care and control.

Keywords: Unethical practices, cattle freedom, care, control, market handlers, Ibadan metropolis, Nigeria