Animal rights group Bite Back claims responsibility of vandalism on the course at KLM Open
The culprits of the vandalism carried out on the Hilversumsche Golf Club in Netherlands at the start of the KLM Open have apparently revealed themselves via an email claiming to have damaged the greens of the course in protest to KLM’s controversial transportation
of animals to various cosmetics manufacturing companies around the world.
A website called Bite Back emailed ProGolfTalk which said, “In the night of 7 on 8 of September, we went out to the golf club which is hosting the prestigious KLM Open golf tournament. As soon as we arrived we started digging up the putts. After totally
destroying four greens and removing the putts we thought it was a good first lesson for KLM.”
The message further said, “KLM, if you think you can get away with flying thousands and thousands of animals to laboratories worldwide you thought wrong.”
The course staff discovered the concerted attempt to damage the greens where big chunks of putting surfaces were pulled out leaving patches on the greens and play was delayed for 45 minutes while the ground staff worked relentlessly to repair the greens.
The first round was again delayed due to torrential rain that followed and play was suspended due to course flooding. Players later, battered the extremely wet conditions to continue with their rounds.
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, which is the official sponsor of the event, has been engaged in its program called ‘Live Animals’ which has been generating huge financial gains for the company. Although the airline also runs a ‘Dry Cargo’ segment like the rest
of its competitors, but animal transportation has pulled in bigger monetary benefits for the airline.
The animals which are either caught in the wild or are transported from domesticated farms are used for their fat and other mineral substances, which thereby are used in the manufacturing of various cosmetics and soaps.
The airline, as well as several cosmetics manufacturing companies have been a constant target of criticism for this unethical and immoral practice and are termed as against various animal protection laws which have been enacted by the Dutch government.
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