More than 500 steep steps lead to the old town of Firá on Santorini, where donkeys are forced to carry tourists, including some obese travelers, often in scorching heat, while a cable car has operated nearby for decades. The donkeys and mules are treated as living taxis and are constantly pushed to the brink of collapse, they are forced to endure lives of pain and suffering.
REUTERS CONNECT: Three PETA Germany supporters were attacked on the Karavolades Stairway while preparing to rally against the treatment of donkeys used to carry tourists up the island’s steep steps. Men destroyed the protesters’ signs before turning violent, grabbing the young women, pushing them down the stairs, pressing them against a wall and striking one of them in the face. The animal advocates planned to demonstrate robotic leg devices known as exoskeletons as an animal-friendly alternative.
More than 500 steep steps lead to the old town of Firá, where donkeys are forced to carry tourists, including some obese travelers, often in scorching heat. A cable car has operated nearby for decades. “The donkeys and mules are treated as living taxis on Santorini and are constantly pushed to the brink of collapse, they are forced to endure lives of pain and suffering, and their handlers’ violent attack on peaceful animal advocates speaks volumes,” says biologist and PETA Germany advisor Dr. Yvonne Würz. “Modern options such as robotic exoskeletons, which PETA Germany has offered to fund, prove that no animal needs to suffer for this climb, and we’re urging officials to end this cruelty by banning all donkey and mule rides on Santorini in this, the 21st century.”
Since 2018, PETA has repeatedly exposed donkeys suffering painful abrasions and wounds from ill-fitting, worn-out saddles and makeshift girths. Handlers frequently fail to provide water, shade or shelter between rides, leaving the animals in the blazing Mediterranean sun. A pilot project in China showed that exoskeleton technology can replace animals in tourism. Travelers rented the devices to help climb Mount Tai, which has more than 7,000 steps. PETA Germany offered financial support for exoskeletons if donkey rides on Santorini are discontinued. SOURCE
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