The Last 7 Hours Alive

Trying to simulate other beings is an attempt to get as close as possible to what they are actually experiencing. Teams I lead have conducted many investigations that show what animals are seeing, from their POV, but it's only for a few short moments. It is technically very hard to follow the same animal for hours, to focus on one individual story. This is why we initiated the Camera On Animal project; a camouflaged cellular one-time camera on the back the cows, sheep and pigs, enable us to view the reality from their perspective for hours, highlighting the individual story. This is one story I "lived" through, the story of Tom.

Tom was calf number 4702. On September 14th 2022, and for 7 hours, my eyes and his's eyes had very similar input. Unlike other animals, who often appear fearful with heads down, Tom is notably curious and self-assured; his head is always held high. He playfully swings his tail and brushes his back, occasionally obscuring the camera.

Tom in the truck on the way to slaughter, and in the slaughter line.

Tom arrived in Israel from Portugal a few months ago, as identified by his ear tag. In the crowded truck, feces from the upper level spilled onto him and his companions, but he had nowhere to move.

Upon being forced off the truck and into Israel’s largest slaughterhouse, he encounters a calf that has broken his horn. He touches him with his head. Through live cameras placed on animals during their last day alive, we saw many animals, cows, sheep, and pigs, putting their heads on each other, perhaps finding comfort in doing so.

In the pens before slaughter, Tom is surrounded by the constant sound of screams, yet he remains completely silent. In the slaughter line, he constantly looks back, swallowing his saliva. He startles as a worker just passes by him doing nothing.

In the slaughter line Tom is constantly swallowing his saliva. Moving forward, the calf in front of Tom panics, manages to turn around within the narrow path, and comes face to face with Tom. In a futile attempt to escape, the calf climbs on Tom, pressing Tom’s horn against his belly. Despite their struggle, escape is not possible. Both are slaughtered approximately 13 minutes later.

I saw what Tom was seeing, live, on my phone from the comfort of my living room. It always made me feel strange: being so protected, yet so close to someone who was not.