Auckland's Cornwall Park is facing criticism for a plan to export live cattle overseas.
- Video by Simon Rogers
You can't miss them when you visit the suburban Auckland park, docile Swiss-breed Simmental cattle chewing and chilling in lush paddocks.
Some of the herd are set for the seven seas - they'll be exported, live, to Mongolia after being selected to help establish a breeding programme for farmers there.
Cornwall Park says it is proud to announce the cows' shift to Mongolia, but backlash has been swift.
It says it's not the first time its cows have been on the move.
On social media, some have said the park management "should be ashamed", while others are calling the news "extremely disappointing". Many say they "don't agree with live exports".
Animal rights organisation SAFE is now involved.
"There's already a lot of outrage about live export and issues concerned with the journey that those animals are having to undertake as well as the lack of transparency around what happens to those animals when they arrive at their destination countries," SAFE chief executive Debra Ashton says.
SAFE points out the government has been reviewing the live export trade since June 2019.
Ashton says the Cornwall Park cattle face a long, rough journey in cramped, disgusting conditions before arriving at a country with high elevations and cold, dry conditions - a far cry from their current home.
"They do need to consider the welfare of their animals when they get to Mongolia and I would ask them, what do they actualy know about the welfare conditions when they get there."
Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor has expressed his preference for a conditional ban on cattle exports, and has warned the industry the government is close to making a decision on it.
In October last year, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern admitted to having "significant concerns" about live exports.
Checkpoint has seen correspondence between Cornwall Park and a member of the public confirming it has occasionally exported cows overseas in the past.
It says the animals receive veterinary care while onboard livestock vessels.
All this is news to Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Ward councillor Josephine Bartley who says Cornwall Park's involvement in live exports is a real concern.
"My reaction is one of horror actually, I didn't realise we were still doing this, doing live exporting of animals considering the effect it has on them and what they go through.
"I'll be writing to their trust board for more information and asking them if they can just reconsider."
Checkpoint has made numerous attempts to get more information from Cornwall Park, but no one would front for an interview on camera or over the phone.
In a statement, Park Director Michael Ayrton said the farm's team members had worked hard over many years to breed top-quality Simmental cows.
"We have been told that this Mongolian breeding programme will help farmers in remote villages become more self-sufficient and improve the villagers' standard of living significantly."
Ayrton says Cornwall Park's farmers put a high priority on the welfare of the animals in their care.
Cornwall Park's board and management recognised that some people objected to the idea of farming animals for food and respected the sincerity of those views, he says.
The Ministry for Primary Industries announced it was beefing up the rules governing the export of live animals by ship in October, after the Gulf Livestock 1 capsized in the East China Sea in September with nearly 6000 cattle and 43 crew, including two New Zealanders, on board.
