Uruguayan dairy cattle missing

Chris McCullough For Agri-View
Dec 17, 2025
Dec 17, 2025

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The cattle on the livestock-ship Spiridon II are said to be in-calf Holstein heifers for the dairy industry.

Chris McCullough/For Agri-View

Almost 3,000 cattle are onboard the Spiridon II livestock carrier when it's stranded near Turkey.

Animal Welfare Foundation

The current location of the Spiridon II, and its destination, are currently unknown.

Animal Welfare Foundation

No one seems to know what is happening with the cattle that are onboard the Spiridon II. The ship was refused permission to unload by Turkish authorities.

Animal Welfare Foundation

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Chris McCullough For Agri-View

A huge mystery surrounds the next destination for livestock-ship Spiridon II after it was seen docked in Benghazi city in Libya, where it may have unloaded cattle. The ship hit global headlines recently after Turkish authorities denied access to unload its cargo of 2,901 dairy animals, en route from Uruguay. More than 58 cattle had died during the journey.

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Chris McCullough mug as of July 2025 — Chris McCullough

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With 20 years experience behind him, award-winning agricultural journalist Chris McCullough is always on the hunt for his next story. He grew up on the family dairy farm in the heart of Northern Ireland and is based on the country’s east coast. He travels around the world to bring readers international news.