The owners of the shipment attempted to enter the country at night through Ras Al Khaimah, but were prevented by the quarantine and customs authorities, WAM, the UAE's official news agency, reported.
The quarantine authorities were acting on information provided by veterinary quarantine officers in Kuwait, who also refused to unload the shipment for fear of contaminating local livestock. The UAE Ministry of Environment and Water immediately issued orders to push the shipment out of regional waters.
All Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries were also informed about the shipment, WAM said. The Gulf Cooperation Council include: Bahrain, Kuwait, Quatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Sultan Abdullah Alwan, Executive Director for the Agricultural and Animal Affairs at the ministry, said the quarantine authorities received information from liaison vet quarantine officer in Kuwait that the vet authorities in Kuwait have refused to unload a shipment of live animals apparently with symptoms of epidemic diseases.
"All the UAE borders were notified not to allow the entry of shipment into the country to safeguard health of the livestock in the country," he said.