Horrifying video shows camel being beaten by its cruel owner in Morocco - as rights group warns tourists of dark underbelly of animal rides

Daily Mail​

6 days ago

Tourists are being urged to avoid camel rides on holiday this summer after an investigation into Morocco's tourism industry uncovered harrowing animal abuse.
Footage captured by PETA Asia earlier this year showed a bound animal being beaten with a stick in the desert as it struggles to avoid the blows.
In the rights group's first investigation of its kind in Morocco, PETA reported that camels used for rides were being thrashed, tied up and finally killed when unable to shoulder the load.
One ride operator told investigators that the animals, with a natural lifespan of 40 years, can only be 'used' for around five years, after which they are killed or sold for meat.
'Camels exploited in Morocco's tourism industry are beaten mercilessly, tied up without shelter, and forced to give rides until their bodies break down,' explained PETA Vice President for Europe Mimi Bekhechi.
'PETA urges holidaymakers to help these gentle animals by never paying for camel rides in Morocco or anywhere else.'
Camel treks have become popular with foreign visitors to North Africa in recent years - a lifeline for locals looking to benefit from a growing tourism industry.
But camel owners admitted that once an animal become sick or unable to support tourists, they are often sold to markets or directly to butchers.
In distressing video shared with MailOnline, animals are seen left in the desert, tethered without protection from the elements.
'In Morocco, camels were tied outside by short ropes in all weather conditions, denied the opportunity to roam freely, and then, as the video shows, when camel owners thought no one was looking, they were beaten brutally,' explained PETA Asia's investigator.
'This is the same person who's going to sell you a ticket while saying how much they love their camel.
'I implore tourists to help end this abuse by never riding animals and demanding an end to animal rides in Morocco, Egypt, and anywhere else they are offered.'
The camel, an intelligent and gregarious being, was used for centuries to ferry people across the desert, capable of marching long distances with little water.
But increasing tourism to the region has created a bustling industry for locals offering rides, with few legal protections for the animals.
Last year, Morocco alone welcomed 17.4 million foreign visitors - up 35 per cent from pre-pandemic highs in 2019.
As such, reports reflect how animals are being overworked to the point of exhaustion and death.
Responsible Travel, an 'activist travel company' campaigning for 'authentic travel experiences that cause the least damage to people and places', warns that many countries offering these tours lack animal welfare laws or enforcement.
'Camel rides for tourists are common in many Middle Eastern countries, and some animals are overworked as their owners look to earn as much income as they can,' they acknowledge.
They cited a particularly disturbing example of abuse in Saudi Arabia in 2021, in which camels were disqualified from a 'camel beauty pageant' because they had received cosmetic enhancements, including Botox.
Last year, PETA Asia revealed how Egypt's tourism industry also hinges on abusive practices against animals.
An investigation shared with MailOnline uncovered camels and horses worked to death, broken by long hours in scorching heat to accommodate tourists.
With the number of tourists visiting the Pyramids of Giza set to double by 2030, rights groups are calling for tourists to avoid exploitative traps that come at the expense of many lives.
Airbnb and others agreed to stop promoting or selling animal rides at the pyramids of Giza after hearing from PETA and its international entities.
Jason Baker, PETA Senior Vice President, told MailOnline at the time: 'No decent person would dream of climbing onto a horse or camel if they knew that behind every ride is a disturbingly cruel industry that physically abuses these sensitive animals up until the moment their exhausted bodies give out.'
When animals collapse, he said, they are 'whipped mercilessly to force them to get up and pull carriages or carry tourists'.
'Most suffer from wounds, mange, and painful scarring and receive no treatment, then when they're no longer considered useful, they're dumped like rubbish or dragged to a slaughterhouse, where their throats are slit while they're fully conscious.'