New video footage has revealed the conditions on board the livestock ship Spiridon II, where hundreds of cows died during a long sea journey from Uruguay to Turkey.
The footage was released on Tuesday by the German animal welfare organisation Animal Welfare Foundation (AWF). The videos show cows and calves standing in deep manure, as well as weak and dead animals lying on the floor. Some animals appear unable to stand, while others show signs of illness.
“The footage reveals systemic and serious animal welfare issues, including poor hygiene and a lack of veterinary care. The conditions observed are likely to have caused significant suffering, illness, and deaths and are unacceptable for the transport of live animals,” veterinarian Maria Boada-Saña said.
In the footage, animals are seen in very poor condition. AWF said the animals continued travelling for another three weeks after the footage was recorded, before they were finally unloaded in Libya.
Spiridon II
Around 2,900 cows, about half of them pregnant, were loaded onto the ship in September 2025. The journey was expected to take about one month, but the ship was delayed and later blocked from unloading in Turkey.
According to Turkish authorities,
The footage was taken when the ship arrived at the port of Bandırma in Turkey. Documents show that about 140 calves were born during the journey. When the ship arrived, around 90 calves were missing.
The ship remained near the Turkish coast for weeks after officials found that some animals on board were not approved for import. Even though the conditions on the ship were horrible, the animals had to remain at sea.
On November 21, after over two months at sea, the surviving animals were unloaded in the port of Benghazi in Libya. Hundreds of animals died during the voyage. The ship later left for Lebanon.
The case drew international attention, with European citizens calling on authorities to intervene and help the animals.
Austrian company under investigation
According to reports by Austrian news channel ORF, the transport was organised by the Austrian company Agro Breeding GmbH. The companyarranged the deal with Turkish importers.
Turkish importers have now taken legal action against the company. They say the company and its director, Christian Klinger, are responsible for what happened. They claim the trip was delayed and that cows were loaded at a late stage of pregnancy.
The company denies wrongdoing and says the delays were outside its control.
Spiridon II active again
The Spiridon II stayed in Lebanon for months after the journey. Veterinarian Lynn Simpson, who has worked on dozens of live animal export voyages, previously told The Animal Reader that the ship might remain there while its owner decides on the next step.
The vessel sails under the flag of Togo and is managed by a Honduras-based company. It is now reportedly on its way to Spain.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: theanimalreader.com
