An investigation by PETA has revealed the horrifying conditions camels are forced to comply with as a result of popular tourist activities.
Camel rides are a popular activity in many tourist destinations, with people often not considering the horrors the animals face behind the scenes.
But now an investigation into the camels’ treatment has revealed they are regularly beaten with sticks, forced to walk in the blistering heat with no food, and are hit in the testicles as punishment.
In Egypt, British holidaymakers are able to ride on camels for as little as £7, travelling past the Great Pyramid of Giza and other popular sites while relaxing on a camel’s back.
As they pose happily for selfies with the animals, they are unaware of the alleged cruel treatments the camels face less than an hour’s drive away from the tourist attractions.
An investigation by PETA has found hundreds of the camels are being sold off every day at a massive market in Birgash, with shocking footage shared with The Sun showing the cruel treatments the animals are forced to endure on a daily basis.
The animal rights organisation recorded one injured camel standing in the blistering heat with blood streaming out of its nose, while another camel desperately tried to flee as it was hit repeatedly with sticks.
Other camels were reportedly hit in the testicles and left ‘foaming at the mouth’.
Since releasing the horrifying footage, PETA have claimed many of the camels giving rides to holidaymakers at the Great Pyramid and Saqqara come from ‘cruel’ markets.
An investigation by PETA Asia found that some of these animals are left ‘screaming’ in pain before they are sold off to give ‘endless rides in the heat’.
And when the camels are deemed to be no longer useful, some of them are allegedly sent back to the markets to be slaughtered for meat.
PETA is now calling for camel rides – and all working animals at Egyptian tourist sites – to be banned, and is urging tourists not to ride the animals.
Elisa Allen, PETA Director, told The Sun she wants the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism to replace all ‘abused animals’ with modern vehicles.
She said:
It’s disgraceful that exhausted, emaciated animals in Egypt are beaten and whipped into giving endless rides in the heat, even as their legs buckle and they collapse.
Hopefully the tourist industry will listen to PETA’s calls to protect the animals and camel rides will become a thing of the past.
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A Broadcast Journalism Masters graduate who went on to achieve an NCTJ level 3 Diploma in Journalism, Lucy has done stints at ITV, BBC Inside Out and Key 103. While working as a journalist for UNILAD, Lucy has reported on breaking news stories while also writing features about mental health, cervical screening awareness, and Little Mix (who she is unapologetically obsessed with).