Target: Fatim-Zahra Ammor, Minister of Tourism, Handicrafts and Social and Solidarity Economy, Kingdom of Morocco
Goal: End tourist camel rides and treks, enforce strict welfare inspections, permanently rehome camels formerly used for rides, and impose lifetime bans and heavy fines on operators who reportedly beat, starve, or sell exhausted animals for slaughter.
Tourists flocking to deserts and historic sites reportedly encounter camels with rope scars, protruding bones, and fear-filled eyes. Investigators recently released footage that apparently shows a handler striking a bound camel with a stick while the animal struggles against short tethers in open desert heat. Handlers reputedly explained that camels, who can live four decades, remain “usable” only five years before being killed or sold for meat.
Additional accounts describe camels tethered without shade or water between rides, forced to haul multiple riders, then beaten when fatigue sets in. Once their bodies break down, these gentle animals are allegedly marched to markets or directly to butchers. Such treatment appears to violate basic principles of compassion and tourism ethics, yet ride stalls continue to operate around major attractions.
Morocco’s tourism boom is real, but cruelty can never be an acceptable cost. Ending camel rides would remove the profit motive behind overwork and brutal culling. Sign below to demand strong regulations, unannounced welfare audits, and heavy penalties for abuse to ensure current camels are retired to sanctuaries instead of slaughterhouses. Visitors who cherish cultural experiences can still enjoy desert landscapes—without an animal’s suffering beneath them.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Minister Ammor,
Recent undercover reports apparently reveal camels beaten, tethered without water, and ultimately sold for meat after short, exhausting lives in Morocco’s tourist-ride trade. One handler purportedly admitted that camels who might live forty years are “used” for about five years before being killed. Footage allegedly shows a bound camel repeatedly struck with a stick while left exposed to scorching sun.
We, the undersigned, respectfully urge your ministry to prohibit tourist camel rides nationwide. This measure would end the economic incentive to overwork and dispose of these sensitive animals. Please pair a ban with mandatory relocation of former ride camels to reputable sanctuaries, routine welfare inspections of any remaining camel operations, and steep fines and lifetime animal-handling bans for violators.
Morocco’s global appeal need not be tarnished by images of cruelty. By eliminating camel rides and enforcing strong protections, your ministry can showcase leadership in humane tourism while safeguarding the country’s reputation for hospitality and cultural richness.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: Anderson sady
