The making of Silk
Used for sarees, scarves, ties, garments, accessories, embroidery threads, carpets, and painting material. The pupae of the silk moth weave their cocoons of a fiber so strong, fine, and lustrous that it leads to their death. Fifteen silk moth pupae in their cocoons are steamed, boiled, or baked alive to obtain just one gram of woven

 silk. Besides the pupae, countless (female) moths are crushed to death to analyse their eggs and ensure that they are disease-free, so that they in turn will provide only the best of yarn.

Alternatives are rayon or viscose (a plant product), and nylon and polyester (petroleum products). Detailed information on silk is available on request.

The source of our leather
Used in garments, footwear, handbags, wallets, purses, belts, watch- and other straps, accessories, linings, trimmings, briefcases and suitcases, book covers and office material, furniture covers and upholstery and cricket and footballs...

Leather is not a by-product of the slaughter house. The skin is always specifically paid for when the animal is bought by the butcher. So-called ahimsak leather in India could originate from animals put to sleep in vivisection laboratories and dog pounds, or calves abandoned or done to death by dairies. 

For many years now, synthetically made material such as Rexene which resembles leather, is available and widely used. With time the quality of these materials has improved a lot and is many times better than genuine leather. Alternatively, products made from canvas can also be used.

Rabbit fur
Used for coats, caps, garments, accessories, trimmings, linings, handbags, showpieces, toys, rabbit fur in India is now obtained from farms (mostly situated in the  state of Himachal Pradesh) where they are specially bred for the purpose. Bred, raised, and butchered mercilessly, not even this

Pig-bristle paint brushes
Used in manufacturing hair, cosmetic, shaving, shoe polish, clothes, carpet, artist's and wall-painting brushes and tooth brushes. Brushes used by painters are made from hog bristles: domestic pigs 

are chased, brutally caught, and as they squeal in pain and terror, forcibly held underfoot while their hair is yanked out. Killed wild boar and mongoose, both protected wildlife are other sources of animal bristles. In certain countries, sable are especially bred on so-called farms, to be killed and their hair is converted into artist's and cosmetic brushes.

An alternative to bristles of animal origin are bristles from nylon and other synthetic fibers, which are increasingly and readily available. Apart from being cruelty-free, they are of better  quality and last much longer.

Musk Perfume
The shy timid Musk deer, a worldwide symbol of peace and gentleness is currently being mercilessly hunted to extinction for its musk. The reason is profit and the target is human vanity. However, not satisfied with pushing the musk deer to extinction by mass slaughter, captive breeding programs have

now  been set up to produce the highly priced musk. This in effect means mass torture for the highly strung deer; the substitution of one evil for another.

The Himalayan Musk deer is a small primitive cervid. It lives at cool altitudes between 2,200–4,300 meters above sea level, on the slopes of scrub forest in the mountain states of central and SE Asia. It is especially sensitive to its environment and to human presence. A unique animal, with similarities to both deer and antelope, it is highly regarded for the distinct odour of musk the male secret during rutting season. Fetching anywhere from 3–5 times its weight in gold musk is highly priced commodity. It is for this reason the deer has been mercilessly hunted, hounded, shot and killed, regardless of age and sex, to near extinction.

Concern for the extinction of the Musk deer led to the establishment of sanctuaries and captive breeding programs, like those at Kufri in Himachal Pradesh. The extraction of musk from the male deer on these farms has shown where the true loyalties of the Indian Government lie—not in preserving a species on the verge of extinction, but in blatant profiteering at whatever the cost.

CCRAS (Central Council for Research in Ayurveda and Siddha) described the details of one method of extracting musk from the male deer. The night before the operation the deer is deprived of food and only given water. The next day it is drugged, before exploring the genital organs to find the 'musk pod'. When located a sterile canula is pushed into the area. The hardened musk granules stick to the canula and then is removed. When allowed to recover the animal was noted to be in an 'abnormal state' of confusion and excitement. This is an understatement for an animal that has been drugged and raped! 

Another method used is to 'milk' the deer of its musk while it is still in the liquid form. To do this the deer is physically held down. Terrified and panic stricken it fights to free itself while  its genital are explored and pulpated, exposing the milk white liquid musk. This very delicate and sensitive area is then subjected to the painful and indecent scraping of a knife.

 

Now, the Times of India (1987) quotes: "A team success collected musk without trauma". The mutilation and degradation of this timid, sensitive animal is a major trauma, occurring from one rutting season to the next. It should not be praised, but stopped. There are over 80 different

alternatives to musk on the market plant and other non-animal sources. With these alternatives available, the guilt for the slaughter and rape of the musk deer lies, not only with those who commit the crime, but with those who continue to buy the product.

The main markets are the perfume industry of France and the male aphrodisiac industry of Japan, with products spread throughout the world. That musk from the deer should be used in aphrodisiac is totally unnecessary and founded on false beliefs which are out of balance with nature. Each animal in nature produces its own individual smell distinct to its own species, which with certain species is quiet strong. Does the man using such a product really believe a smell designed specifically to attract a female musk deer will attract a woman? Indeed, a very 'naive' attitude.

Musk is also used for its medicinal properties in certain branches of medicine, when there are many more effective alternatives available. It is far preferable to use a product which has not involved cruelty to animals.

The idea then of these captive breeding farms seems not to be concern for the Musk deer, but concern for maintaining profit at whatever the cost. Real concern should be shown by an enforced ban on the commercial exploitation of musk and the use of over 80 different plant and non-animal alternatives instead.

Dr. Donald Barnes, a research psychologist, left his position at the school of Aerospace Medicine, Brooks Air Force Base, Texas, USA, in January 1980. After performing experiments on rhesus monkeys for 15 years, Dr. Barnes decided that he could no longer tolerate the senseless cruelty of 

the experiments and the waste of monkey life. The experiments conducted at the school of Aerospace medicine involved exposure of monkeys to nuclear radiations, burning their eyes, and in conjunction with the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, studying the effects of chemical-biological warfare agents such as nerve gases.

The training of Elephants for Circuses
In 1987, the Apollo circus announced in Bombay that their 21 years old cow-elephant Rekha had given birth to a calf. What was distressing was that the Manager,Shri Mohan sahani stated that the circus will begin to train the newest member of their elephant 

family in two or three months" and that "Rekha would also be back in her role of the star cricketeer of the circus in two weeks" Circuses have claimed that they are helping conservations, yet not a single circus has been known to release their captive bred animals into the wild. Under Indian laws, Circuses cannot purchase or exchange animals from abroad or from Indian Zoos any more

At Rayman circus in 1998 an elephant was broken in with heavy pipes tied down to its front legs with stout ropes. From behind the trainer and his assistant podded in with metal spiked bars so that it would lift its front legs and learn to walk on its hind legs. The elephant was finally pushed forward to do it. The trainer said such an act would normally take three to four months to put together.

Shri K. Sahadevan, one of the co-owners of the Gemini circus has stated that in order to train circus elephants an "Ankush" or hooked goads is necessary. The usual place for inflicting pain is behind the knees and under the tail. Without this hook, the trainer cannot control the elephant. It would throw him and run away is the explanation given by Shri Sahadevan. 

Ms.Maria Hennessey of SOCELEX has witnessed elephants in India been trained for circus performances. The rear legs are whipped until they bleed to make an elephant to do a head-stand or more correctly a nose stand. This seemingly easy tricks, Ms.Hennessey pointed out throws all the weight (nearly tones) on the heart. They are also made to dance, salute, and play cricket. And one circus boasts of a full-fledged elephant orchestra. Another has an elephant riding a big iron tricycle. It is excruciating even for an elephant to sit on a wooden block.

In March 1990, there was a complaint from the people of Dhrubdanga, District Burdwan (West Bengal) that they could no longer bear the continuous cries for mercy from an elephant been cruelly trained by Gemini circus. The authorities had claimed the animal in front of the ring and it had not been moved from this spot for days on end. As a punishment all four feet are chained and this may have been the case. Elephants which are not chained for long hours would in the opinion of a circus owner become neurotic tear the tent apart and eat the bits. Speaks volumes if correctly interpreted between the lines.

The caging of Birds
The live bird business, much like the rest of the animal business, is not an organized trade. It is dependent on a long-chain of individual trappers who are largely very poor. Most trappers in India are professionals belonging to certain castes of tribes whose techniques have been passed down for generations.

 
For trapping, a substance called Bird Lime is commonly used. It is a substance made from a combination of sap from the peepal tree and slaked lime. It is applied to the inside of two slender wings bound as a fork to a series of extension poles. The trapper, with dexterity, reaches the bird without disturbing it. He touches it in the right spot so that it gets stuck to the pole. This is a method used to trap small insectivorous species like the Barbet and Flycatcher.

The other trap, also made from lime sticks, is a dome like contraption. A string from the top of the dome suspends a small insect. Birds, which look for prey on the ground, are caught by this method. The other method is to hang lime sticks from tree and a decoy bird is made to whistle to attract the desired bird.

Clap net, also widely used, is a method by which a jute net is pegged to the ground from two edges while the other two are held up by thin bamboo sticks manipulated by a long string.

Removing fledglings from their nest catches some birds. The Alexandrine parakeet and the Hill Mynah are two species, which are obtained in this way. Trappers have become so adept that they feed the chicks kept in lined baskets in the same manner as the mother-bird. For instance, the trapper taps the edge of the basket which sounds like the arrival of the mother-bird to the sightless chicks. They immediately open their beaks and the trapper drops tiny insects into them. As they develop sight and cannot be easily fooled the Garo tribesmen restore to a unique method. They remove the chicks from the nest at a very early stage. The trapper holds the insects in the mouth and the bird snatches it with its beak, again very much the same manner as it would from its mother.

Slip-noose and mist-nets is another method, by far the most hazardous to the bird. The mist-net catches all birds, which might be flying into it. Struggling in the net, most birds suffer serious injury. There are a large number of other traditional traps as well. One ingenious method is a series of slip-noose, which are attached to a cow’s back, and the workable string is tied to the cow’s tail. The noose opens and closes with the swishing of the cow’s tail. By the end of the day, the trapper finds at least two birds caught in the slip-noose. Here too there is a danger of the bird’s leg getting damaged.

In India, birds are trapped primarily in the northern states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh – mainly around the Gangetic plain and the foothills of the Himalayas. Others are found in the south in Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Maharastra and Deccan Plateau. Assam and the higher reaches in the North-East are rich in bird species.

The Mumbai market is supplied by Ranchi whereas the Patna and Hajipur stock supplies Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. The main bird markets are Nakhas in Lucknow, Hati Bagan and Hoga market in Kolkatta, while Meerut supplies The Delhi bird trade.

The major share of this trade consists of parakeets caught from the wild, in direct violation of the Wildlife Act.

The delicacy called Frog's Legs
The export of frog legs from India was started in the early sixties and it was evident and this would be harmful to agriculture. Working under a grant from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, this has been

well established and the following is largely an abstract from a detailed report on the project published in the journal of the Bombay Natural History Society (vol 82(2) pp. 347-375). It is noticed that the large Bull frogs (Rana tigrina) actually breed only at the break of the monsoon, which may be any time between 15th May and 25th June.

The commercial collecting of frogs in the Konkan ends is about November, in Gujarat, Bengal and Andhra Pradesh, collecting continues even later, for the locals dig them out of theiraestivating holes where many are said to be often found together. Collecting in Tamil Nadu and Kerala continues after the monsoon because of wet conditions created by the northeast monsoon and the heavier rainfall.

The live frog is purchased at price between Rs. 2/- and Rs. 4.50 per kg. As only one-third is covered as finally processed legs, the base cost of the legs is Rs. 6/- to Rs. 13.50 per Kg. While (1976-79) F.O.B. prices were around Rs. 25/- per Kg. (up to 40/- in 1985). This leaves the difference as the exporter's profit, less the actual cost of processing and shipping.
All frogs of the genus Rana have now been brought on the list of animals protected under the wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 and the packers have to obtain licenses and collect and process the legs according to certain terms and conditions. This year (1985-86) the export quota of 4000 tons has been reduced to 2500. Frog legs after skinning, cleaning, trimming and processing amount to about 1/3rd of the weight of the live frog.
90% of the frogs' food in the Konkan has been ascertained to consist of crabs, insect and insect larvae. The frog therefore takes the role of controller of whatever food item that shows an increase in numbers.
The total quantity exported in 1981 was 4368 tons, which is equivalent to 13104 tons of live frogs. The food obtained in the stomachs of the several thousand examined was as high as 30% of the total weight of the frog but taking a very moderate estimate of 10%, their removal results in the survival or non destruction of 1310 tons of frog food every day, which during 4 months 10 days (June to September) adds up to 156000 tons of frog food i.e. 140,000 tons (approx. 90%) of crop pests not eaten. For every additional year that the animal would have lived, each figure will have to be increased i.e. doubled for two years, tripled for three years, et. Seq., until the total frog population has reached the original level, which was presumably ecological stable. The minimum figure in the second year would be 200,000 tons of crop pests.

One can say without hesitation that the removal of large numbers of frogs from their environment upsets the existing balance of nature, and in cultivated areas the process is highly detrimental to crops.
The value of imported pesticides used in India every year was said to be rupees 200 crores (some years ago) and it is anybody's guess as to how much of this is needed to kill the pests which have escaped the frogs.
4368 tons of frog leg exports were valued in (1981) at Rs. 12 crores and we find that for every 38 paisas earned in foreign exchange, we have, allowing a 2 year life span for each frog prevented the destruction of 1 Kg. of agricultural pests. What is the cost to be incurred for their destruction?
The frog is not ordinarily eaten in India and its removal does not lessen any food normally available to the villager. A circular was sent to 1650 police patils in Thana and Kolaba (now Raigadh) and a very emphatic opinion was expressed by the villagers to the effect that the removal of the frog is harmful to agriculture. This is unprejudiced and must command respect.
Collecting the frogs does provide labour for some kathoris, and other tribals, but this activity coincides with that of rice planting and harvesting and much of this work is done at night involving trespass and damage to standing crops. The real profits are made by the middleman i.e. the processors and the exporters.

An inordinate amount of cruelty is attached to this business. The frog is caught alive and several hundred are dumped into a gunny bag, which is banged on the ground to permit the contents to settle and then sewn up.
Many such bags are then piles into trucks and driven hundreds of miles to the cutting centers, reaching them several days after capture. We have been informed of consignments in which 90% of the frogs were found dead upon arrival.

At the cutting centers, they are extracted hind legs, placed under a chopper, and cut into two parts, the front and rear halves both being left to die separately - the front half of the frog resting on its bleeding belly, propped up by its fore feet and staring helplessly at the world around it, is a ghastly sight. Prior to this cutting, the animal is momentarily dipped into a solution of salt and chlorine, which is said to be anesthetic. This is not so, for the solution is only used as a ward against Salmonella and other infections and does not lessen the pain in any manner.

On October 10, 1985 the Government declared that Export Licenses for frozen frog legs will now be issued only to those who kill the amphibians by the painless electrical stunning method developed by scientists of the college of Fisheries, Mangalore. This does not very much lessen the cruelty & other harm done by the business. However the fact that the annual quota has been reduced from 4000 tonnes to 2500 tonnes is in my opinion an appreciable reduction & considering the publicity which the whole matter is receiving in different ways today, I have every hope that the business will be stopped in a few years.

Poultry
With the possible exception of fish, the hen is the animal that suffers the most for the sake of our food in sheer number of lives taken. If in addition to these numbers, one considers the quality of these lives - lives banished to a lifetime of imprisonment and immobility for laying eggs - then their suffering might exceed that of fish.