85 sheep without ear tags were euthanized in the land of the Yambol village of Kabile, BNT reported. The area falls within the 10-kilometer zone around the village of Zhelyo Voyvoda, where an outbreak of small ruminant pox was registered about ten days ago.
The owner of the slaughtered sheep stated that the animals were clinically healthy and there were no signs of illness.
The Regional Directorate for Food Safety in Yambol claims that the euthanasia was carried out because the animals originated from the outbreak in the village of Zhelyo Voyvoda.
According to the owner of the herd, Yordan Kolev, the sheep were moved from there a month ago and the decision is illegal, as there are no clinical examinations proving the disease.
"There are no samples. There were no ear tags, there was no object, and they decided to slaughter them quietly, so that no one would hear or see them. When I moved them, there was no pandemic or anything. I haven't taken them out for a month before that, and the sheep haven't been out for two months," said Yordan Kolev, a livestock breeder.
„These animals are unidentified in an unregistered facility and originate from the outbreak in the village of Zhelyo Voyvoda and pose a high episodic risk. Samples cannot be taken from unidentified animals, according to Article 139 - it is prohibited to keep unidentified animals, as well as their movement and animals on which state preventive measures have not been carried out," explained Dr. Stoyan Kolev from the ODSF-Yambol.