PETA stresses Need for ban on forcing horses, mules, donkeys, and camels to carry tourists throughout historic city.
PETRA, JORDAN – Despite the Jordan Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities' pledge to put an end to the cruelty to donkeys, camels, mules, and horses exposed in a recent PETA Asia investigation into Petra's tourism industry, new eyewitness video footage reveals that the animals are still being beaten, jabbed, and whipped in order to keep them moving.
In response, PETA Asia is releasing a report and new video footage that show once again the need for a ban on forcing animals to haul tourists around the historic city. The video footage and report will be shared with UNESCO and government officials.
"Jordan's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities pledged to end the abuse of animals in Petra, yet donkeys and horses are still being beaten and whipped into laboring for the tourism industry," says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. "PETA is calling for an end to this shameful practice, which should have been replaced with the use of modern, animal-free vehicles long ago."
PETA Asia's report reveals that mules and donkeys are forced to climb the 900 steps up to a monastery and down again with visitors on their backs, while horses are forced to pull carriages on grueling 6-mile treks through the ancient city multiple times a day. PETA Asia's expose showed men and even boys hitting exhausted animals over and over again with plastic pipes, ropes, chains, and whips to keep them moving. Bloodstained chains and ropes dug into the animals' necks, and camels suffered from open, fly-infested wounds. They were seen crying out as their mouths were forcibly bound shut by men. Between rides, the animals were tied up so tightly that they couldn't even lie down, and many seemed to suffer visibly from lameness, colic, and exhaustion.
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