Beaten and Broken
Handlers repeatedly hit the weary animals with anything at hand – including hard plastic pipes, ropes, chains, and whips – to keep them moving.
Even when they’re too exhausted to go on, they are viciously beaten. When one donkey balked at carrying more tourists after having just finished a tour, he was kicked in the stomach by his handler so hard that even a bystander recoiled, and although he attempted to escape the attack, he was tethered and unable to run away.
Hot and Thirsty
Despite working all day long in the desert heat, the animals are deprived of water until the end of the day when they return to the stables – where the only source of water in the Petra Archaeological Park is located.
Between rides, they’re kept tied up, with no shade or relief from the heat. Some are tied so tightly that they can’t even lie down but instead have to wait for the next paying customer standing up.
Wounded and Bleeding
Many of the animals had wounds caused by the chains and ropes tied tightly around them. A PETA Asia eyewitness saw camels forced to work even though they had fly-infested, open wounds caused by their bridles. Donkeys were seen with chains around their necks stained with blood from their injuries.
