How to Ethically Go Camel Riding in Morocco
A common thread among many people is a love and admiration for animals, but what should we as people consider while coming across them in our travels? There are many outlets online for animal videos, like YouTube or extremely specific subreddits such as r/babyelephantgifs, but none of those online experiences put the control of ethics into your hands. It can be tough to come to a solid conclusion when questioning whether or not an animal-based activity is ethically and morally proper. In some cases, animals who are in some form of captivity are taken care of with close attention and are given a better chance to live than they would’ve been otherwise in the wild, but there are obviously cases of mistreatment too. The keyword to figuring out the best course of action is: Research.
Riding a camel through the dunes of Morocco is something I’ve always hoped to do, and it was something I came quite close to doing while living in Europe (though I never made the plane ride to Morocco unfortunately). My assumption was that camels would be like horses in terms of how they’re handled, there’d be some with loving owners and others without that necessity. To better learn about their treatment, and what is done to ensure it is done with tenderness, I did some research on the subject.
Firstly, I discovered that there are organizations who make genuine efforts to improve the welfare of working animals in the world’s poorest communities. SPANA is one of those organizations who is at the forefront of their game, helping teach people how to correctly treat their animals so they can support the struggling communities in the most mutually beneficial way possible. SPANA tags and other indicators can be seen on animals who have been helped, trained, and routinely inspected by the organization. So when looking to set out across the dunes it could be beneficial to seek out those indicators as a go ahead on a desert adventure.
In addition to this, there are also places such as Ali & Sara’s Desert Palace that are known for their reputation for handling their animals well and knowledge of the area. It can be helpful to find people who are native and who’ve lived the life you are looking to learn and take part in. Something like riding a camel is a delicate cultural experience, it is right to treat the animal with respect and want to partake in what could be a close and meaningful bond with a beautiful animal.
The issue of camel riding is debated between organizations like PETA and Born Free, and there are alternate options like taking a Jeep across the dunes. With the right precautions and mindfulness, there are ways to have the experience and do it right. Animals and humans have a close bond, and a camel that is being taken care of in the correct way can be rightly ridden through the desert. If you are someone who cares about animals and wants to ride atop a camel, take the right steps to ensure the animal’s health before moving forward with the idea. Use resources like SPANA and find locals who knows what they’re doing before having an adventure for the books.