R.I.P hard working bullock carts

Gentle working beasts going quietly into the sunset -- day in, day out and now forever in Mumbai.

Led by Mumbai and Maharashtra, India takes another step towards modernization with a state-wide ban on bullock carts.

PETA India welcomes the act that will erase a visual motif long associated with India in the same year as Mumbai's iconic black and yellow taxis are finally being phased out.

"We recently attended the meeting called by the state ministry of food and civil supplies at Mantralaya where it was decided to phase out the use of bullocks for transporting oil and kerosene,'' Dr Manilal Valliyate, director of veterinary affairs of PETA India, told the Times of India.

PETA also pointed out that the notification was first issued in 2006 but not enforced. This time they appear confident that the state government is going to issue a complete ban on bullock carts carrying heavy loads in Mumbai.

Says the PETA India website, "Working bullocks are often seen trudging along in the heat, straining under a heavy yoke to pull an overloaded, poorly balanced cart. These gentle animals often suffer from dehydration, untreated sores, muscle strain, depression and even beatings because of ignorance and carelessness on the part of their owners. Many cart owners overload carts to the point at which the animals collapse under the weight."

It is illegal to force animals to pull carts during the hours of 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. If you see someone violating this law, PETA says you are well within your rights to report it to the authorities.