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Added: Wednesday, 25 November, 2009, 17:04 GMT 17:04 UK

Of course we should all care about animal rights. We have created a living hell for them and we must rectify this situation. Animal rights mean not causing them pain or exploiting them, that's all - is that too much to ask? Those who defend cruel traditions like these romanticize the culture in question. Zulus have to adapt this ritual to contemporary values: they wouldn't be allowed to kill a human being in public if their tradition dictated that they did so, would they?

apasolini, London

Added: Wednesday, 25 November, 2009, 17:02 GMT 17:02 UK

"There was a time when we in Britain held dog fights, baited bears, and even chased foxes on horseback!"

We still do the latter, only we don't use dogs to chase the fox too.

As for the Halal/Kosher methods mentioned somewhere else, our way of slaughtering animals ain't exactly a pretty picture either. I'd say that the time of suffering for those animals is about the same, it's just that the suffering is different.

Martje Ross

Added: Wednesday, 25 November, 2009, 17:01 GMT 17:01 UK

So a crowd killing an animal with their bare hands is a test of 'courage and manliness'. Right...
Having seen the pictures last week of a carp being eaten half alive and justified on the grounds of a tradition of 'unusual cuisine' I must say that this doesn't surprise me.
Humans will always come up with an excuse to justify appalling behaviour, whether towards other humans or animals.

[fastenyourseatbelts], London

Added: Wednesday, 25 November, 2009, 16:56 GMT 16:56 UK

All animals - including humans - should be treated with dignity and enabled to live out their natural lives in peace.

This applies equally to every country - and to every animal - including animals farmed in the UK.

Stock-free agriculture for the UK will be great for farmers, and for our health, and for meeting our climate targets - as well as for hungry people around the world, and farmed animals in the UK.

treaclemine, Birmingham

Added: Wednesday, 25 November, 2009, 16:50 GMT 16:50 UK

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated”
-Mahatma Gandhi

Pedro Borja, Boston

Added: Wednesday, 25 November, 2009, 16:30 GMT 16:30 UK

Everything and everybody seems to have "rights" these days

I want a new right to be invented - the right of other civilizations to do as they please free of stupid western ideas - westerners think they have reached some utopic understanding of life and that they whole planet should adopt their rights and don't offend anyone type of culture

Peter G., Norwich

Added: Wednesday, 25 November, 2009, 16:24 GMT 16:24 UK

YOU SHOULD COME TO ACCRA AND SEE HOW ANIMALS
ARE TAKEN OVER IN ZONGO

ike, accra

Added: Wednesday, 25 November, 2009, 16:15 GMT 16:15 UK

Man behaviour is evolving, things that were accepted as being “normal” and no longer (e.g. homophobia, the slave trade, sexual and racial discrimination). Men can look for other ways to prove his “Manliness” other than brutally killing a cow. It was once cultural acceptable to “decorate” children’s faces with deep horrific scars, now it’s no longer accepted. There is a place for animal rights and we must modify our behaviour accordingly. A culture that respects animals will also respect humans.

tunde ajao, London, United Kingdom

Added: Wednesday, 25 November, 2009, 16:10 GMT 16:10 UK

Animals rights are not respected in my environment. Even mans best friend "DOG" is being killed on a hourly basicc. I sometimes get irritated by the loud cry of the dogs when ever thay are being hit either by a huge stick of by a huge rock. This is lamentable..The rights of aminals need to be respected....

Chrispin Williams, Liberia

Added: Wednesday, 25 November, 2009, 15:51 GMT 15:51 UK

I am against the act of killing animals for fun or entertainment. It’s a sad fact that animals are treated with cruelty in some parts of Africa. Stray dogs and cats are often peppered with stones, sticks, shoes etc. by children and adults for passing in front of their yards or attempting to scavenge through garbage. People should let these harmless animals live peacefully as longer as they do not pose any danger to them. harming or killing animals for no raeson is unGodly.

Sanousi Sesay, Virginia ,USA

Added: Wednesday, 25 November, 2009, 15:51 GMT 15:51 UK

The Zulu bull will be killed for a cause and the bull is aware of it. Other bulls hope they can take that bull's position. We should not allow western cultures displace our long serving cultures and tradition.

Do I like it when animals are maltreated? NO
Can the zulu kill one bull a year for traditions? Yes

kennedy, Kansas

Added: Wednesday, 25 November, 2009, 15:45 GMT 15:45 UK

All life should be respected and has its place here on Earth..I respect all life from a fly to a human it has its place here and has earned its right to exist.Most creatures feel pain, they may not know why they do,but they do and to give a creature pain or suffering when its not needed is wrong.When we contact life on another planet one day, how will we feel if that life form evolved from say a dog or a cow on their planet millions of years ago? will we then look at our animals in the same way?

Knight OfStClaire, Free in my mind, United Kingdom

Added: Wednesday, 25 November, 2009, 15:41 GMT 15:41 UK

Some of the comments above are really mind boggling. how can an animal be compared to fugi/trees etc. people like that should rather just keep their mouths shut as they clearly do not know what they are talking about. if only this world was filled with less people with that sort of mentality. an animal has the same rights as humans. why must cruelty to them be allowed. have a look at cases where animal abuse has happened and you will find that the same person is capable of child abuse.

mel, south africa, johannesburg

Added: Wednesday, 25 November, 2009, 15:39 GMT 15:39 UK

The way some kill animal is crual . In africa most of time the crual killing of animals is due by some ritual traditon and it is very terrible .We must respect animals by killing the in a very civilised ways and if we want stop such killings of animal we must get rid of those rituals and put some sanctions.
however some killings of animal have nothing in link with culture
for instance when we decice to kill a pig by stabbing it in the part of the heart until it founds death that is cynical.

Basséne Jonas, sénégal

Added: Wednesday, 25 November, 2009, 15:32 GMT 15:32 UK

sounds nutty all round to me, maybe the bull will get a few first, and then the mob will get sommore of them too, justice? almost. simples huh!

m grange, harrogate