JEDDAH, 6 October 2007 — A number of lucky camels and cows have received a free lunch ticket into the world of show business giving winning performances in front of butcher shops in the city in a marketing scheme by butchers to boost revenue.
Although it’s temporary (this life of stardom does not last long) it does keep the lucky four-legged moneymakers away from the butcher’s blade, for a while anyway. The profession doesn’t require much skill; all they need to do is to stand in front of the shop all day posing as live bait.
“They do this to deceive unsuspecting shoppers in believing that they are purchasing a fresh kill by displaying a live one,” said Abu Ibrahim, owner of several meat shops in the Makkah region.
He added that what people don’t realize is that the livestock displayed in front of the shop is for show not for kill. One needs to be extra careful in general when buying meat, warned Abu Ibrahim.
Butchers pay from SR20 to SR30 a day to hire the creatures. This animal leasing business booms during the holidays when people tend to consume large quantities of meat. The fresh meat is not always as fresh as the live animals imply; shops often purchase boxed frozen imported meat rather than buy livestock that has been slaughtered locally and recently. In a twist of irony, fresh meat is actually cheaper.
A sheep can be had for SR350 to SR550 while the same amount of imported, already packaged sheep meat can cost twice the amount.
