UAE launches investigation after 150 cats found left for dead in desert

Emirati authorities have announced that they had opened an "investigation into the incident of abandoned cats" in the Abu Dhabi desert.

Some 150 cats have been found left for dead in the Abu Dhabi desert.

Animal rights activists said dozens of the cats had died, while some were rescued alive.

The UAE authorities did not specify when these cats were left or how many of them were involved.

The authorities said that all "administrative and legal measures" would be used against the perpetrators of this "inhumane" act.

PETA called on the UAE to act in the face of this "act of cruelty".

"PETA Asia is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever dumped these cats in the desert to die horribly of thirst, starvation, and from the unrelenting heat," Jason Baker, the group's senior vice president, told reporters.

Photos and videos showing cats buried in sand or barely able to stand have been shared on social media.

Agencies