The MV Bahijah, a ship with more than 16,000 sheep and cattle on board, has returned to Australia after almost a month at sea. The ship left Fremantle on Jan. 5 for the Middle East, but the government told it to come back two weeks later because of the security risks in the Red Sea due to the Yemen Houthi rebels attacks.
The ship arrived at Fremantle on Thursday, 25 days after it departed from the same port. It had been waiting off the coast since Monday, while animal welfare groups expressed concern for the livestock. Two veterinarians inspected the animals on Wednesday and found no major health or welfare problems or signs of exotic diseases.
However, the animals may not stay in Australia for long, as the authorities are considering an application to send them back to the Middle East. The ship would have to take a longer route around Africa to avoid the Red Sea, which would add more than a week to the journey. The MV Bahijah is registered in the Marshall Islands and belongs to Bassem Dabbah, an Israeli-based exporter, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.