603638 Disclosed is an animal stunning apparatus and a method of stunning an animal. The animal stunning apparatus allows a reversible process, so slaughtered animals will be eaten by different ethnicities. The apparatus induces substantially immediate unconsciousness and insensibility. The apparatus comprises a stunning station (10)； an applicator (60)； a microwave generator (75) and a switching means (78). The live animal to be processed is brought to the stunning station (10) and is arranged in a confined position. The applicator (60) is located so it can contact an application point on a frontal portion of the live animal's brain. The applicator (60) has a coupling conformation to couple microwave radiation to the head and to the frontal portion of the brain when the animal is in the confined position. The microwave generator (75) generates and radiates microwave energy of suitable power level and frequency. A waveguide (76) is coupled to the generator (75) to receive and direct the microwave radiation to the applicator (60) located at an operative end (77) of the waveguide (76) to heat the frontal portion of the brain of the animal beneath the application point. The switching means (78) is operable to discontinue the application of the microwave radiation effecting heating of the frontal portion of the brain after a period of time. After the period of time, unconsciousness and insensibility is induced.
