By Marcus Day The flea-infested bodies of two calves at Pembroke dump became sickening symbols yesterday of man's savagery to animals.

One calf -- thought to have been smashed on the head with a mallet -- had been left to die under a pile of garbage.

It was found in its death throes by horrified truck driver Mr. Gladstone Robinson and his mates Mr. Neville Knight and Mr. Stanley Assing.

Nearby was another calf, possibly its twin. It was already dead when the three men made yesterday's grim discovery.

Police, the SPCA, and Government vet Dr. Neil Burnie were immediately alerted.

Now efforts are being made to discover those responsible for dumping the calves.

"We will see whether there are grounds for a prosecution for causing unnecessary suffering to animals,'' said Dr. Burnie.

SPCA inspector Mr. Louis Ray called for new ways of destroying unwanted animals, including livestock.

He favoured putting animals down by a vet's lethal injection.

"I don't recommend banging animals on the back of a head with a mallet,'' he said.

Mr. Robinson and his mates came across the calves at about 9.45 a.m. as they were dumping some garbage.

"We noticed a bag was moving, and saw this calf kicking. Its head kept coming up,'' Mr. Robinson told The Royal Gazette .

"Both calves had been covered up with bags of poultry.'' He added: "It was very touching to me. I have a cow which has just had a calf.

"I'm the type of guy who wouldn't hurt a lizard. These were innocent calves.'' Mr. Assing pointed out this was not first time livestock had been left unburied at the dump.

"About three months ago five dead goats were dumped here.'' When a Royal Gazette reporter and photographer went to the dump yesterday, the calves were attracting a swarm of fleas and flies and appeared to be dead.

Their heads were smeared with blood, which stained Mr. Ray's hand as he inspected the bodies.

"Most of these farmers should get vets to humanely put them to sleep,'' he said.

He added one of the calves was a bull, and the other a heifer.

"They could have been twins. I would say they were struck on the head with a mallet.

"Probably when they were born their owner had no use for them and decided to get rid of them.'' Mr. Ray, with assistant SPCA inspector Mr. Tracy Bean at his side, said people wanting to dispose of livestock should arrange to get them buried at the dump.

It was wrong to leave them unburied where they became a potential health hazard.

Said Mr. Ray: "I am going to work with Dr. Burnie to see if we can come up with more details about this, and find out who put these calves here.

"Maybe in future there should be different arrangements for getting rid of animals, such as through euthanasia.'' Dr. Burnie, who was accompanied by Government vet/officer trainee Dr. Susann Smith, said: "This is first time I've ever been called over a problem like this.'' A Police spokesman said: "We were notified, although we won't be involved in the investigation.

"It is not normal for us to get involved in such matters. The investigation will be carried out by Dr. Burnie.''