Donkeys are getting crippled because tourists are "too fat" In Santorini - Sensationalist Headlines

https://www.unilad.co.uk/animals/donkeys-crippled-because-tourists-are-too-fat-in-santorini/amp/ Donkeys on the Greek island of Santorini are being badly injured by being forced to carry overweight tourists, according to animal charities. Locals have even had to start breeding their donkeys with stronger mules so it’s easier for them to carry the heavier holidaymakers. In the busy holiday season, between May and October, up to five cruise ships a day can bring 1,200 tourists to the picturesque island. Known for its hills and steep paths, donkeys have become a feature of Santorini by helping transport people to areas vehicles can’t reach. However, with obesity on the rise, animal rights activists are claiming the animals are being forced to carry heavier loads than ever, on top of already working seven days a week without shelter, rest or water. This leaves them with spinal injuries and wounds from ill-fitting saddles. The animal charities have also said that locals have had to cross-breed their donkeys with mules, which are bigger and stronger, in order for them to be able to carry heavier loads. A spokesperson for the Help the Santorini Donkeys charity said: It’s recommended that animals should carry no more than 20 per cent of their own body weight. The obese and overweight tourists, combined with the lack of shade and water as well as the sheer heat and 568 cobbled steps, is what is causing such a problem. There should be a weight restriction. With donkeys it is should be no more than eight stone, but how would that be imposed and who would be there to make sure that happened? Now they’re having to resort to using cross-bred mules, because the donkeys just aren’t strong enough. Despite an international code of practice for working equines being signed by officials on the island, alongside the UK donkey sanctuary, many owners do not follow the guidelines as they are rarely enforced. Christina Kaloudi, 42, set up the Santorini Animal Welfare Association after she moved to Santorini 10 years ago. She said in the last 10 years, she has seen the number of overweight tourists arriving from places like America, Russia and the UK has trebled, as the Daily Mail reports. Christina said: The holiday season on islands is now a lot longer than it used to be, meaning that the donkeys are pretty much in work the whole year round. If they are not transporting tourists up the steps they are moving building materials or transporting heavy bags of rubbish. There are some good owners out there that follow the code but generally donkeys are worked into the ground and then disposed of when their working lives are over. They are made to work in terrible conditions without adequate water, shelter or rest and then I find them tied outside my shelter, barely alive. Christina added: Donkeys are very resilient animals and will keep going for as long as they can, so when they come to me in this state, I have the utmost respect for them. We don’t want to stop the locals making a living or using donkeys on the steps but to look after them in a fair and humane way.

Jesus Christ they need to put a weight limit on those donkeys. That’s just cruel. Look at his poor back.

This is another one of these stories I'd expect to read as an Onion headline.

They need to put a weight limit on us American tbqh fam

How the hell do you get as far as the lady in that picture and not feel the need to do something about it? I just sorta' started to feel unhealthy and bad from not getting enough exercise over this past summer, I can't imagine how it feels to actually be that heavily overweight, it must be awful...

ban fat people from entertaining activities

The recommended 8 stone is quite low, even for someone of a healthy weight. Maybe the donkey rides should be a child only thing, it would be easier than having to weigh everyone and would stop overweight people complaining about being fat-shamed.

weak breeds cant handle the powerful physique of britains finest

To be honest they could probably use the exercise. It's appalling that these animals are being subjected to carrying the burden of a fully grown, potentially overweight human adult especially in the current temperatures.

maybe it's just me, but i personally prefer not to be carried up hundreds of steps like some weird faux-monarch. i'd rather walk like a human being like everyone else and get to see the view like I earned it.

It's no different than people avoiding stairs to get one floor up because there happens to be an escalator or elevator. People like us who wouldn't really mind it are somehow in the minority despite the fact it takes basically no effort either way.

Obviously overweight people shouldn't be carried by donkeys but I think all this is entirely to do with the owners not giving a fuck and neglecting them in the first place For example the fact they allow it and don't turn them down in the first place and the fact that it looks like in that image the injury there has been there for a while untreated at all and left to get worse by neglect.

Right? I was thinking the donkey-handlers can hardly "deny" the people to join the ride, because they'd feel all discriminated that they can't go and slimmer people are allowed. (I mean they could say no but who wants a lawsuits) What I DON'T get, is how can anyone, who probably has a hard time supporting their OWN weight, think it's appropriate to mount a donkey half their size, and think it'll be fine. Like is it ignorance? Do they not realize the weight they are putting on the donkey is way too much? Or is it that they just not care about the animal? Like it's a tool, not a living, breathing thing? I seriously don't get it.

Maybe if they don't want to be shamed for being unhealthy and unable to take basic care of their personal health, they should take basic care of themselves?

List of Bad People: 1. Hitler 2. Stalin 3. Kim Jong Un 4. ISIS 5. Santorini tourists

Yeah, that's like 50kg, very few adults could ride a donkey in santorini. Which is a sentence I'd never thought I'd write.

My aunt is that way. She's morbidly obese, in her 60s and never wants to change. Trust me, I've tried. She's a lost cause, so it's basically just a timer for how long it takes until it starts to affect her super bad. She can't even bend over and grab stuff any more. I've even seen her fall over in my backyard and rolling around because she's can't get up. Shit's sad, dude.

You're not obligated to ride the donkeys up, its an experience. I have walked down and up the stairs in question (pretty sure, given the size of the island) and if i felt comfortable riding a donkey I would have just for fun. The donkeys aren't a necessity, they're an attraction. Granted I haven't been the equivalent of 8 stone in a long time, so given that I would hope they wouldn't let me on.

It's always funny when people try to pretend they're doing a good thing by insulting people. If you want to bully people to inflate your ego don't pretend you're doing anything else. Your solution is incredibly shallow and almost entirely targets a completely different aspect of health anyways. It's a very well-justified number, they should probably just cling to it if they adopt it. They probably won't tho, given the role of donkeys in tourism here. TBH, the article kind of suggests what their answer will be, which is breeding mules. That gets the recommended weight up to 75-90 KG depending on the mule.

I've been to santorini and I kind of hated the donkey rides We rode the cable car up and walked down. The way up/down was full of shit and smelled really bad. And from this article, it sounds like the donkeys aren't being treated very well either.

the devil is in the details, and as you can see the recommended weight limit for a donkey is about 120lbs, which means by those standards only children should be riding them. I'll grant however, that obese tourists probably put more than strain than is tolerable on a donkey's back, but the overarching message of the story and the one that is deserving of a more serious headline is the animal abuse that is going on there with no regulation in sight.

This is terrible

Just seeing that picture fills me with hate. Fuck you fat fucks. No living creature should ever have to endure the burden of carrying that much lard.