Put yourself in their clogs, in those of the poor donkeys forced to climb 520 steep steps carrying an enormous weight, that of tourists who do not want to walk the path that, on the Greek island of Santorini, goes from the port to the town of Fira.
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him
Put yourselves in their hooves, in those of the poor donkeys forced to climb 520 steep steps carrying an enormous burden, that of tourists who do not want to walk the path that, on the Greek island of Santorini, goes from the port to the town of Fira.
A practice that has existed for many years also in other cities, but which puts donkeys to the test. So now the mayor has launched a campaign to encourage tourists to walk or take the cable car.
For some time, animal rights activists have been rebelling and apparently the protests against the use of these beautiful donkeys and mules transformed into four-legged taxis are finally bearing fruit. The administration has already banned overweight tourists from climbing on it, establishing that the donkey cannot carry more than one quintal of weight.
So if on the side, of the so-called tourists in the flesh, there are provisions, on that of the prohibition in general no: there is, in fact, no official ban, but only an awareness campaign, which leaves the choice to the tourist whether or not to get on donkeys and mules.
The campaign is called ‘Our In Their Hooves‘ and was first launched by The Donkey Sanctuary.
“We suggest tourists consider whether donkeys are treated humanely, have enough shade and water, and are fit to carry that load. If not, other options, such as walking or taking a cable car, could be a more responsible mode of transportation, ”says Catherine Rice, the shrine's public relations officer.
What will happen in Santorini, therefore, is still to be discovered.
Four-legged taxi? No thank you
But if, you are planning a holiday in Santorini and you are unsure whether or not to get on a donkey, here is everything you need to know.
Every day, a donkey is forced to climb 520 steps up to four, five times, at 30 degrees and without shade. The path is very steep and as a result the animals suffer from fatigue, saddle sores and spinal problems.
There are heartbreaking videos circulating online in which donkeys are whipped because they don't want to walk.
Watch the video:
Video on Instagram shows a conductor slapping on the wood #donkey in #Santorini. More here: https://t.co/LcA7OUSXSy @hellenicpolice #santorini #donkeytrain #donkeyabuse #savedonkey via @ElenisZoo pic.twitter.com/2unc17EeYZ
- zoosos.gr (@zoosos) July 17, 2018
Last summer, a petition signed by over 100 people was launched to ask not to use donkeys as taxis anymore, especially because if you really don't want to walk (which would not hurt your health), there is a convenient five-cabin cable car which allows you to enjoy your holiday and not be complicit in the mistreatment of animals.
We therefore join this awareness campaign hoping that common sense will prevail and that we rely on more responsible tourism.
Read also:
- The boom in dog taxis: 'pack dogs' forced to tow tourists to China
