Is Camel Riding Ethical?
Camels have been an important part of life in the desert for thousands of years. They were key to the survival of mankind in the desert and also played a critical role in the Middle East’s rich trading past, thanks to their durability in dry environments and their ability to carry heavy loads.
The recent influx in tourism to the Middle East has led to more and more camels being used to generate revenue. “Camel safaris” and “desert trekking with camels” are marketed all over this region of the world, enticing tourists to embark on an exciting desert expedition astride this magnificent mammal.
While using camels to aid in survival is one thing, using them for tourist entertainment is a whole other story. So, is camel riding ethical? Are they typically treated well? Let’s discuss this.
What are animal welfare organisations saying about camel riding?
Charity Born Free state that there is really no clear evidence to suggest that riding camels is harmful. They argue that riding camels is fine as long as they are properly cared for and tours are run in a responsible and ethical manner.
PETA, on the other hand, argue that camels suffer just as much as elephants and shouldn’t be ridden at all. They say that “for elephants and camels used for rides and carted from venue to venue, life bears no resemblance to a natural existence.”
What do other travellers say about camel riding?
I took to Twitter to ask my followers whether they thought camel riding was ethical and was met with a resounding no from almost everyone.
People were concerned that camels are treated poorly and exploited for tourism. Some people also pointed out that if elephant riding is known to be cruel, then why would camel riding be any different?
In recent years, tourists have become a lot more clued up on animal welfare and choose to boycott activities and organisations that exploit wildlife. Elephant riding, swimming with dolphins and petting tigers are three examples of this.
The problem is that camels are seen as more domesticated than other species of wildlife. Most of us will agree that elephants should remain wild and dolphins shouldn’t be taken from the open ocean, but camels have been a part of our lives for centuries. Are they really wild anymore? And does that make a difference to whether or not camel riding is ethical?
Does camel riding cause them health problems?
Like the majority of animals used in the tourism industry, camel riding can have a negative impact on their health and well-being. They’re unable to exhibit their natural behaviours and are often treated badly.
In regions where camel riding is prevalent, there are next to no welfare regulations in place — or at least none that are enforced. On top of this, owners often do not have the resources or expertise to provide adequate care to their camels.
Because of this, their basic needs are not met. I’ve seen camels tied up onto high poles which do not provide shelter, nor allow them to lay down and rest. Food given to camels lacks sufficient nutrients and adequate access to water is often not provided.
Camels do not reach full maturity until 6 – 8 years old, and until this point, their bone formation is not complete. Camels that have not yet reached maturity can have their growth and development seriously affected by carrying heavy tourists around.
Unfortunately, in many places, it’s not uncommon to see tourists riding camels who are too young.
Furthermore, a camel’s feet are flat and soft — highly adapted for walking on sand and soft soil. When taken into cities and towns to be ridden by tourists, camels often have to walk on hard surfaces or ground that’s littered with debris, damaging the delicate soles of their feet.
In some instances, metal straps are placed around the camel’s head to ensure he keeps his head up. Painful wounds can occur due to friction and poorly fitted straps, and more serious wounds occur when the camel can no longer keep his head up and gives in to the metal strapping.
I remember seeing a camel who clearly didn’t want to get up. He was lying on his knees and a tourist mounted him; his owner had to repeatedly hit him with a stick to make him stand. I’ve also seen camels that are controlled with hooks, pegs or ropes that are pulled directly through the tissue of their nostrils — a very painful experience, I’m sure. Jaw ropes are also used, which are pulled through the tissue of the camel’s mouth. Camels are known to have weak jawbones and this method of control can cause serious health problems with the camel’s jaw and mouth.
And, let’s not forget, no animal is born with an innate willingness to let people ride them. They must be trained, which usually involves some degree of violence.
Obviously, the issues I’ve mentioned are a result of abuse and neglect towards camels. But what about tour operators and companies who do look after their camels and care about their welfare?
After doing much research, I can find no black-and-white answer as to whether riding camels directly harms them. Those who realise that their camel is precious to their livelihood see the benefit of treating their camel with respect and care, and these individual camels may lead relatively good lives compared to most.
The counter-argument
Many sources argue that camel treks through the desert help support local communities and generate the revenue needed to provide good care to the camels.
More and more people are leaving nomadic desert life behind, meaning the camels they used to transport goods would now be redundant to them if the option to offer camel rides for profit wasn’t there.
If you do choose to ride a camel, please be careful about the operator you go with. It’s often obvious when a camel is sick, injured, unhealthy or distressed. Don’t ride animals that limp, look malnourished or have visible wounds. Check that harnesses and saddles aren’t too tight and ensure that handlers don’t yell, hit or yank at the camel’s reins.
While it may also be tempting to haggle a lower price for your camel ride, remember that the less you pay, the less revenue can go towards the care of the camel.
So, what’s my verdict?
I’ve ridden camels twice: once in India, and once in Morocco.
I researched the companies to ensure there were no negative reviews about the welfare of the camels. Both companies checked out and I did feel that, on both occasions, the handlers had genuine respect for the camels.
I’ve come to regret my decision to ride them, nonetheless.
My research ultimately seems to suggest that the tourism industry is likely harmful to the well-being of camels. While they may not endure the same horrors that elephants undergo in the name of tourism, it’s unlikely that many camels used for riding live particularly good lives.
Many camels are overworked and have limited access to water, food and shelter. Despite researching the tour operator, it can be hard to really know how well they treat their camels. And let’s not forget that the well-being of camels, and all animals for that matter, is more important than a sweet pic for your Instagram feed.
We need to think a little deeper about the welfare of any animal being used in an unnatural way — i.e. being ridden or commoditised. There is no place for animal cruelty or exploitation in the 21st century. Those of us privileged enough to travel most likely also have unlimited access to free information via the internet; it’s easy to do research and find ethical alternatives to animal-related activities.
About The Author
Lauren Pears is a freelance travel writer and blogger based in London. She writes about active adventure travel, aiming to encourage and inspire travellers to make the most of the great outdoors.
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To be honest, I think it really depends on the organisation. I’ve done camel riding once, in Morocco, and it really looked like the camels were taken care of well. None of them looked malnourished or sick, they didn’t use any sticks to get them to stand up. Most of the camels stood up themselves when the guide made a sign and the camel ride was only 1 hour during sunset, after that the camels were just chilling by themselves at the camp, not even tied up. Some camels were even playful with humans after the ride which indicates they seem to be happy generally. I hope other organisations will provide the same conditions for their animals
I had a very similar experience in Morocco. The camels ate apples from my hands, stood up and sat down on their own, and then hung out at the base of camp sleeping after our short ride into camp until the next morning. Seems like they do two rides a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. They told me that the camel I was riding was a bit rambunctious because he was less experienced than others had only recently hit his adulthood/working age of 6. I was a bit worried about doing the camel ride because it seemed it would be bad for the animals (but didn’t have a choice if I wanted to visit a desert camp), but after doing it, it didn’t feel any different than going on a horseback riding tour.
Sorry, but camels are domestic animals. Their owners care for them. Yes, they are trained and their ‘freedom’ is ‘limited’. BUT we all have our limitations, you too were ‘trained’ to say please or thank you and not to go around naked because it would be rude or gross. Nobody has absolute freedom and thank goodness, because it would be chaos. And camels are much better off when they have hay or whatever brought to them and with roof over their heads than in the desert where they have to fight for their food and lives. Sorry that the only comment you got is negative, but I thought when I saw the link that you are a reasonable person not a PETA freak who probablyou doesn’t have a cat or a dog because he thinks that it’s ‘consumerizing’ or ‘entertainment.’ If people like you triumph we all won’t have animal friends who love us despite what you think, like horses, dogs and cats, and we’ll be able to see animals only on TV if that, because snowflakes like you won’t let reasonable people to ‘disturb’ the poor dears, heck, even by making documentaries.I conclude that your Twitter audience is brainwashed by the PETA agenda like you. Fortunately I don’t think that your over sensitive kind of person will never triumph and undo all the progress made since the domestication of horse and dog. Goodbye, wasn’t good knowing you, unreasonable person
I’m sorry to see that you’re harbouring such anger. May peace be with you.
this post seem to speak for animals only which on one hand is good but on the other hand, it does not provide enough alternative to poor people who partake in such business or livelihood that depends on it.. yes, human can talk but when we choose to ban or solve some issues, we often must think of ways available to every living being..
ie economic standpoint, life, poverty, human rights, animal rights… etc.. we need a balance.
even veganism can be blindly practice. ie agricultural crops and land that leads to reduction of forest and animal habitat.. erosion and floods.. highly processed or made vegan food that green wash people.. or normal regular people /non vegan wasting food, or encourage other climate polluting activities.. come on, world is a mess.
i mean, anything can be extreme but we don’t need to always pick a side.
right?
You’ve literally brought up things that weren’t relevant to the post to try and trash veganism because you’re guilty. We’re not picking side of ‘veganism’ we’re picking the side of innocent animals being abused and the only way to do that is to be vegan. The crops you’re talking about are grown for animal feed so the problem is funding animal agriculture.