A ship carrying around 14,000 sheep and 2,000 cattle is marooned off the coast of Australia in sweltering heat after it was forced to abandon a trip through the Red Sea, causing an outcry from people concerned about the animal’s welfare, Reuters reports.

The vessel left Australia on Jan 5 for Israel, where it was to unload, but diverted from its course in mid-January due to the threat of attack by Yemen’s Houthi fighters before being ordered home by the Australian government.

The animals are now in limbo and could be discharged in Australia, where biosecurity rules would require them to quarantine, or sent back to sea for a month-long journey to Israel around Africa, avoiding the Red Sea, industry officials and the government said.