Ashkenazi pronunciation of the Hebrew term kashér (), meaning "fit" (in this context, fit for consumption). Shechita is the process of slaughtering prescribed by Jewish dietary laws. Qurban Qurbān usually denotes the sacrifice of a livestock animal during Eid al-Adha, a Muslim holiday. Shechita In Shechita the killing must be performed by a shochet (). The process involves severing the trachea, esophagus, carotid arteries, jugular veins and vagus nerve swiftly with a special knife which is extremely sharp. This is done with the intention of causing a rapid drop in blood pressure in the brain and loss of consciousness, to reduce the pain felt by the animal and exsanguinate it at the same time. Tza'ar ba'alei chayim Tza'ar ba'alei chayim (literally means: "the suffering of living creatures") is the Jewish principle which bans inflicting unnecessary pain on animals. This concept is not clearly enunciated in the written Torah, but was accepted by the Talmud (Bava Metzia 32b) as being a Biblical mandate. Laboratory testing In 2014 nearly 25million animals were killed in the United States for laboratory testing, with most being "designer" mice. Legal aspects Humane Slaughter Act The Humane Slaughter Act is a United States federal law formulated to decrease livestock suffering during slaughter. The act was approved on August 27, 1958. Animals killing each other The smallest animal that can kill a human is the Naegleria fowleri amoeba. N. fowleri does this by crawling up the target's nose and eating the targets' brain. Most attacks happen in moist areas like ponds or lakes. In the middle is the blowfish (fugu) that can kill animals with its toxic organs that contain tetrodotoxin. The largest animal killer is the blue whale, which is the largest animal on Earth. The blue whale mostly feeds on krill (euphausiacea) which is a small, abundant crustacean. Blue whales are almost entirely killed by killer whales and by humans. Chimpanzees wage war against rival groups, killing rival males and eating the baby chimps. Ants also wage warfare on other ants, even engaging in cannibalism. Killer plants Deadly if consumed Many plant based items if eaten in sufficient quantities can cause seizures, spasms, tremors, gastroenteritis, cardiovascular collapse, coma, and then death. Ornamental plants Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) Larkspur (Delphinium consolida) Lily-of-the-Valley (Convallaria majalis) Mistletoe (Phoradendron flavescens) Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia) Oleander (Nerium oleander) Poet's Narcissus (Narcissus poeticus) Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) Purple Nightshade (Atropa belladonna)