Hong Kong - An animal protection group on Friday appealed to China to ban the use of oxen to pull carts to ease the strain on the country's beasts of burden during the Year of the Ox.

The director of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) wrote to the Beijing government saying the use of ox carts should be consigned to the "history books."

In his letter faxed Friday to Transport Minister Li Shenglin, Jason Baker wrote: "Oxen are still used for heavy, difficult work in all weather extremes in many parts of China.

"Carts full of passengers or commodities such as construction materials can weigh a thousand kilos or more, but oxen are forced to transport these heavy loads, placing great stress on their joints.

"To make matters worse, many of the people who use oxen are living at an economic level that does not allow them to sacrifice the income from even one day's work to give their animals time to rest and recuperate."

Baker appealed to the minister to phase out the use of oxen, arguing: "Everything done by these animals can be done better - and more humanely - by mechanical means.

"You can help reduce the suffering of the animals who continue to work by establishing laws mandating proper care and nutrition, establishing adequate working and living conditions, and ensuring that the oxen have sufficient time to rest."

Rebecca Chui, spokeswoman for the Hong Kong-based group, said: "Oxen are intelligent, sensitive animals with unique personalities but they are often treated as nothing more than machines." (dpa)