The last stop during our camel week is in Morocco, at the camel market in Guelmim. Every week camels are sold for slaughter. We are here for the first time to document the conditions for the camels on the ground.
The actual market day is always on Saturday, when cattle, sheep, goats, poultry and rabbits are also sold. But the camels are kept here all week, in a walled section of the market. They can be bought at any time, even during the week. The camels have plenty of space but no shade. Water is freely available, but unfortunately the quality of the water is not good. They are fed by their keepers in the morning and evening. On the three days we were there, we counted around 80 camels each time, mainly young camels and she-camels. Although they have different owners, the animals live together in a large herd, including the male camels. What surprised us was that the animals were not hobbled! There are no shackles on the camels' legs, allowing them to walk and move normally, even during the hustle and bustle of the Saturday market. We've never seen this at a camel market before. Especially where there is a lack of infrastructure and suitable accommodation for the camels, their legs are often hobbled or even tied to prevent them from running away. Fortunately, this is not the case here at the market in Morocco.
However, the picture quickly changes when it comes to handling the animals, especially when they are being loaded: as is so often the case, the treatment is brutal. The camels are dragged by their tails, thrown violently to the ground, their legs tied together and dragged onto the backs of pick-up trucks with no ramp. The camels protest loudly against this painful procedure. But to no avail. As the camels are loaded, we watch as Rayan, Tamil and Nizar are dragged onto a pick-up truck that is far too small. The roof of the vehicle is too low for the large animals with their long necks. Nizar, Tamil and Rayan are tied up, squeezed in and transported without any headroom - according to the driver, to a wedding 500 km away in the north, in Safí. They have nothing to celebrate. They are being slaughtered to end up on the plates of the wedding guests.
We are disillusioned, exhausted and saddened by all the injustice and animal suffering we encounter once again during our Camel Week. But we will not give up and we will continue to speak up for the camels - to the authorities, to those responsible and to the public. It is time for animal welfare to play a role for camels, the so-called 'farm animals of the future'. Let's use the International Year of the Camel together to raise awareness and improve the welfare of these animals.
