If you have friends or acquaintances who’ve already been to Morocco, they’ve surely told you about the working animals you see in the streets. In Marrakech, as well as in other towns and villages, horses and donkeys are still used today to pull carts loaded with all kinds of goods, food and building materials.
In Europe this is a much rarer sight these days, something you might only see in small mountain villages or in the countryside, while in big cities it’s far more common to see animals used as tourist attractions, and the same happens in Morocco.
The use of animals for tourist entertainment is a very thorny issue for animal lovers. All too often, behind an imposing, beautiful camel or horse lie stories of animal exploitation and abuse.
And that’s also what happens with Barbary macaques, the monkeys that live in Morocco and are used in Marrakech’s main squares as bait for tourists, a cute way to draw them in and get them to take a photo with the animals in exchange for money.
Now, I don’t want to make you sad with stories of these episodes. What I want to share with my readers, who came here to learn about Morocco and its must-see places, are the ways to discourage the exploitation of local wildlife for tourism. It’s always worth pointing out, though, that this doesn’t happen in every setting where animals are used, nor with every Moroccan worker.
I like to think that, besides information on how to pack for Morocco, which traditional dishes to try (even if you’re vegetarian), how to take out travel insurance and which experiences to enjoy if you’re traveling with kids, my job as a tour operator who knows this destination well is also to help you become sensitive, mindful travelers.
Those who travel because they love immersing themselves in cultures different from their own know that being truly respectful tourists means showing proper consideration not only to the people of those countries, but also to their animals, their landmarks and their landscapes.
With that said, here are some tips on how to behave and enjoy your travels with respect for Morocco’s animals.
A photo on a camel? No, thanks
In many scientific journals I’ve read that every year millions of tourists pay for attractions involving animals. That’s how elephants, monkeys, dolphins, flamingos, parrots, snakes, jaguars, camels and many other animals end up being used to lure tourists into taking a photo with them, riding them or petting them. In return, they ask for a few coins (often even tens of euros), and this fuels the use of animals in tourism.
When animals are tied to financial gain, which happens because tourists are willing to pay for a “simple” photo with local animals, all too often there’s a lot of mistreatment behind a tourist attraction.
Fortunately, in all the years I’ve spent getting to know Moroccan culture and its people, I’ve never come across or witnessed abuse or exploitation. My local partners have never given me reason to doubt the respect and care with which they treat their animals. And the travelers I’ve accompanied on my tours have also noticed (and shown in turn) the deep respect with which camels are treated in Morocco, animals that are highly respected in the culture and well integrated into daily life.
While it’s true that dromedaries and camels can carry 450 kilos (about 990 pounds) and walk for 24 hours straight, covering 50 km (about 31 miles) a day, and can tolerate temperature swings from -20°C to over 50°C (-4°F to over 122°F), as well as go without food and water for dozens of days, it’s also true that we shouldn’t take advantage of these traits just to have a pleasant experience with these animals.
The camel ride to the camp where travelers stay, which is also included in my tours, has passengers ride one at a time, without their luggage (which is carried by the support vehicles). The dromedaries work with tourists for one hour at sunset and one in the morning, while during the day, especially in the hottest hours, they’re unsaddled and left free. The camel is known as “the ship of the desert”, which is why most visitors to Morocco love this experience. That said, many people prefer not to ride a camel and reach the camp by car instead, so that option is available too.
To be sensitive and respectful travelers, you don’t need to avoid every kind of experience with animals; you just need to follow a few mindful precautions so you don’t feed the cycle of mistreatment linked to animal tourism, which ends up in exploitation.
Animals in Morocco: meet them in nature parks
To admire the beauty of Morocco’s wild animals, you can enjoy an authentic experience that respects their space by visiting one of the country’s national parks, such as Ifrane National Park, Talassemtane National Park or the Ouzoud Falls, to name a few.
There, animals live free in their natural habitat: they aren’t subjected to training methods that ignore their welfare, nor scolded to teach them to behave in front of tourists. That’s why I recommend not missing the chance to encounter animals in these settings, which is also the best way to respect them and their nature.
Becoming a mindful, respectful traveler is the only way to get to know the real Morocco and leave prejudices behind (yes, Morocco is a safe country, despite what misinformation would have you believe). And you don’t need a photo on a camel, with a monkey or with a snake around your shoulders to truly get to know Morocco.
Lisa
