Why You Should Avoid Camel Rides in Morocco

A PETA Asia investigation into the Moroccan tourism industry reveals that camels used to give rides are viciously beaten, tied up with no protection from the elements, and are slaughtered when they are no longer “profitable”. While a camel ride costs between 80 and 100 dirhams for tourists, PETA Asia’s investigation exposes how the camels pay the ultimate price.

Where Are There Camel Rides in Morocco?

Ill-informed tourists may ride camels—also marketed as treks, safaris, or tours—in major cities like Marrakech, villages such as Merzouga, or remote desert camps in the Sahara. While a camel ride in Morocco can last anywhere between 15 minutes and several hours, ride operators force camels to haul vacationers in the sweltering heat all day, according to PETA Asia.

PETA Asia’s investigator also documented how camels suffer in between rides—operators tie them up on ropes only a few feet long and leave them exposed to extreme heat and sandstorms without any protection.

Is It Painful for Camels When You Ride Them?

Camel rides can be painful for camels who are exploited all day in the scorching sun. Worse, they’re also beaten. PETA Asia’s video shows one operator repeatedly beating a tied-up camel with a long stick as the animal struggled to avoid the blows. Some operators muzzle the animals to keep their mouths shut so they can’t defend themselves.

Camels suffer in the Moroccan tourism industry for around five years, until they are killed or sold for meat, as one ride operator told investigators.

A Global Pattern of Cruelty: How You Can Help Camels Abused for Tourism

Previous PETA entity investigations into camel- and horse-riding operations in Egypt found similar abuse: Animals were beaten bloody, forced to carry people in blistering heat without shade or water, and dumped like garbage or sent to slaughter when they were too old, sick, or injured to be profitable. Airbnb, Klook, Marriott, and many other companies stopped selling animal rides at the pyramids of Giza after hearing from PETA.

Bottom Line: Camel Rides in Morocco Are Never Okay

It’s never okay to ride a camel in Morocco, Egypt, or anywhere else. Camels are intelligent, social beings with their own needs, wants, and interests. When free to roam in nature, they live in herds and talk to each other with sounds and body movements. As a sign of friendship, camels will sometimes blow on each other’s faces. But in the tourist industry, these animals endure lifetimes of misery and suffering.