Buddhists in Hot Water for Animal Ritual

Officials in two states are investigating a Buddhist group that ritually released live eels, frogs and turtles into a river in a Paterson, N.J., park.

Members of a New York Amitabha Buddhist sect bought the animals in New York City’s Chinatown in order to set them free, sect member Ann Chin told the Paterson Herald News.

Members of the sect are strict vegetarians who believe in the sanctity of all life.

Chin said the group chose the Passaic River in West Side Park to release the animals Sunday because it gave the creatures the chance to live out their lives and fulfill their karma.

New Jersey environmental officials said they were trying to track down the group, which did not have a permit to release the animals. Stocking a waterway illegally with fish or other species is punishable by a $1,000 fine.

The Passaic River, which has been cleaned up in recent years, is host to up to 27 native fish species, the Passaic River Coalition said.