2024 Gadhimai Festival: Animal Equality exposes the world’s largest animal sacrifice
Animal Equality has released footage from the world’s largest animal sacrifice—the 2024 Gadhimai Festival in Nepal.
Investigators captured around 1,500 buffaloes killed inside the temple grounds. Outside, thousands of goats were slaughtered in open fields, while pigeons were thrown onto rooftops to be killed later. Children participated in the violence—hacking and skinning animal carcasses.
For over a decade, Animal Equality has worked to end this cruel tradition—reducing the number of animals sacrificed by 70%. However, the tradition persists every five years, showing the need for public awareness and action.
➡ Discover the full investigation: https://animalequality.org/news/2024-gadhimai-festival/.
You have the power to stop this cycle of suffering. Choose compassion. Choose plant-based.
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Transcript (English — en-US)
The largest ritual killing
in the world, the Gadhimai festival
that is held
every five years in Nepal,
took place in December 2024.
Animal Equality has campaigned
tirelessly to put a stop
to the animal sacrifice
at the Gadhimai festival
since 2014.
It's only thanks to the help
of our activists,
volunteers, and supporters
in India and worldwide
that we can work to end
this brutal massacre forever.
Most of the animals
sacrificed at the Gadhimai festival
are forced to walk for hours;
sometimes days,
others are transported in cramped,
suffocating conditions in trucks.
They suffer this long
journey starved of food and water.
Pigeons are packed into bamboo
baskets, cages,
and plastic or net bags,
with no breathing space.
Devotees gather before the festival
to watch the Panchbali,
the killing of the first
five animals.
This marks
the beginning of the sacrifice.
Selected
devotees were given a license
by the temple committee
to carry out the sacrifice.
None of these
executioners had any experience
in slaughtering animals,
and many of them
were intoxicated.
We don’t desire cutting animals
but what can we do, Gadhimai asks for it
and we have to sacrifice animals.
We have no desire.
From Animal Equality’s exclusive footage
of the buffalo enclosure,
approximately 1500
buffaloes were killed this year.
One by one, each of these buffaloes
were hacked to death.
The slaughter of goats,
by thousands of devotees,
took place
in the surrounding fields
outside the temple.
Animal Equality witnessed pigeons
being thrown on the rooftop
of the temple to be slaughtered
later for their meat.
Many devotees were seen setting up
their cooking pots in the fields.
The flesh of the wasted
animals is salvaged and cooked.
Children were made to witness
and some were even made
to participate in hacking
the carcasses and deskinning.
All these cruelties violate
the order of the Supreme Court
of Nepal,
which states that cruel, brutal,
and unkind treatment towards
animals should not be allowed.
Animal Equality has investigated
the sacrifice
despite several difficulties,
obtaining exclusive footage,
so the world can see
the barbaric cruelty inflicted
on animals
at the Gadhimai festival.
Watching this cruel footage,
it is easy to get discouraged,
but there is reason for hope.
While the temple was expecting
to slaughter more buffaloes;
1500 buffaloes were killed.
Though we mourn the tragic
number of lives still lost,
we are heartened to know
our efforts have been working.
This staggering reduction
is due to global outrage.
We must continue
putting pressure to end
this sacrifice forever.
Animal Equality has worked
tirelessly on this campaign.
We strongly believe that we are
at the beginning
of the end of the Gadhimai
animal sacrifice.
But we need your help to end this
animal massacre for good.