This week, Taranaki locals stumbled across a pit full of dead dairy calves, dumped on public land nearby a waterway. Graphic images of the scene were shared with SAFE.

SAFE CEO Debra Ashton says the horrific images are the reality of the dairy industry.

"Dairy cows have to be impregnated to produce milk, which means as many as 2 million calves are born and killed on New Zealand farms every year."

It’s an uncomfortable truth that the dairy industry is struggling to address says Ashton.

"This is a brazen disregard for animals, and it raises many questions. How long have dairy calves been dumped by this waterway? Would we accept this kind of behaviour from other industries?"

The industry has attributed the problem to the decline in demand for leather products and falling leather prices. They’re suggesting calf corpses could go uncollected on farms across the country.

SAFE is New Zealand’s leading animal rights organisation.

We're creating a future that ensures the rights of animals are respected. Our core work empowers society to make kinder choices for ourselves, animals and our planet.

- Photos from the scene in Taranaki, where calf corpses were dumped. [WARNING DISTURBING CONTENT].

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