In Egypt, camel riding is part of the holiday fun for many tourists. Whether it’s a ride to the Pyramids of Giza, a tour of the Birqash camel market north of Cairo or a caravan through the desert: Such a camel ride is popular, a typical tourist attraction – and also comparatively cheap. The whole thing usually only costs a good dozen euros.
So you sit down on the lying camel. A decorated, colorful blanket usually lies over the back with the humps, and a makeshift saddle with a handle provides some support. Then the animal suddenly stands up. It bleats, grunts and gurgles. On the rope of the camel driver, often driven by blows with a stick, it then walks a few steps in a rocking amble.
At the same time, the camel lifts the legs on one side, which causes the rider to sway back and forth as if in rough seas. Holidaymakers find this funny and take selfies, but most don’t worry about the scarred or fresh stick marks on the behind of many camels.
However, other tourists criticize on international rating portals such as Tripadvisor: “Injured camels who are forced to work without adequate hydration. (…) We pointed this out and the staff ignored us.” Or: “Very poor animal welfare for the camels and horses, they are walking skeletons under the covers. Don’t ride these poor animals, it’s animal cruelty.”
These sublime desert ships of the past, which traveled through the deserts by the thousands as essential caravans, have now degenerated into rocking horses in the tourist centers of Egypt. It’s about the quick profit of the traders. The well-being of the animals hardly plays a role here.
The Egyptian government has long been aware of the problem. The abuse of working animals in Egypt violates Article 45 of the country’s constitution, which states: “Ensuring Humane Treatment of Animals”.
Therefore, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism announced in October 2020 that tourist camel riding and horse-drawn carriages should be banned in the vicinity of the Pyramids of Giza and in archaeological sites. In the future, only electric cars and electric touring buses will transport tourists there.
Yvonne Würz, biologist with a doctorate and specialist consultant for the international animal protection organization PETA, says: “In discussions with the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism at the ITB in Berlin, we found out that the introduction of e-cars has been delayed due to the corona pandemic, but in about three months to start.”
PETA Asia has received new footage from Egypt showing camel abuse at the Birqash camel market. A truck is seen dragging a camel tied by its leg down the road. The footage also shows camels with bloodied faces and people repeatedly whipping and beating the animals until they roar.
When the camels are too exhausted for tourist rides, they are sold to the butcher. “Every time someone posts a photo of themselves on a camel online, there’s a violent industry behind it,” PETA President Ingrid Newkirk said.
Three people were arrested in 2019 after the first published videos by the animal welfare organization PETA of camels being beaten bloody and after the Society for the Protection of Animal Rights in Egypt filed an official complaint. They were suspected of torturing camels at the Birqash camel market.
As a result, according to the Giza governor, surveillance cameras were installed, traders were informed about the proper care of the animals and veterinarians were deployed to the market to care for sick animals.
In Arabic culture, camels are considered animals worthy of protection. In Arabic they are called Gamal or Jamal, depending on the dialect. They are also called Ata Allah, gift of God. This is the Arabic name of the Bedouins for the dromedary (camelus dromedarius) with a hump, also known as the Arabian camel. They provide milk, meat and wool, and serve as a means of payment and transportation.
They are smart and intelligent animals that can be very affectionate towards their owners. Camels have adapted perfectly to life in the desert and are true survivors: They can survive without water for up to a month, but if necessary they drink up to 120 liters in one go.
By the way, the water is not stored in the hump. In fact, it’s a fat hump to the emergency reserve. Tourists can use it to tell whether a camel is being cared for and is getting enough food: According to camel breeders, when an emaciated animal has to use its fat hump, it becomes wrinkled and sunken, hanging over to the side. By eating and resting for a few days, the hump returns to its upright position.
By the way: Anyone who climbs onto a camel as a holidaymaker bears the risk of an accident themselves. In 2014, the district court in Munich had already dismissed the claim for damages brought by a package tourist who fell from a shying camel in Egypt.
The tourist suffered broken ribs and bruised chest. After his return, he demanded compensation for pain and suffering from the organizer with whom he had booked the camel ride. But the district court in Munich ruled: A camel, like other animals, poses a risk that cannot be attributed to either the camel driver or the tour operator (reference number: 111 C 30051/14).
