The Mayor of Yaiza, Óscar Noda, has spoken to Lancelot regarding the recent camel abuse controversy after a video surfaced of a young camel buckling under the weight of two workers last week.
Last week a video surfaced online showing two camel handlers sitting in the saddles either side of a young camels back. The camel was unable to stand with the weight of the two men, however, they urged the mother to move forward to pull the young camel to its feet. The video showed the young camel grunting as its legs buckled under the weight of the two men.
The video was recorded by a Spanish tourist who later published the video to Instagram. The video quickly gained traction online and found its way onto Facebook, TikTok and later the Spanish press.
Shortly after, Yaiza Ayuntamiento announced that they will take action, and started a process to establish the correct penalty. Meanwhile, the camel handler involved in the video has apologised publicly saying, “things got out of hand. The damage is done, but I want to recognise my mistake.”
NODA SPEAKS ON CONTROVERSY
The Mayor of Yaiza recently spoke to Lancelot regarding the incident.
In the interview, Noda defended the camel sector making it clear that what happened is a “one-time event” and is far from the way that the camels are usually treated.
“It is clear that we will take measures for what happened, but to go as far as to suggest that the activity [camel ride tours] should be eliminated… there are families that live from it, more than 40”, Noda continued.
“It is an activity that has been passed down for generations, is it regulated, and we will continue to regulate and improve the service so that is it done in the best conditions.”
Speaking about the possible punishments, Noda stated “we have already identified the company that is now being review, especially in relation to treatment of animals, and appropriate measures will be taken… We want to have a meeting with everyone involved in the sector to ensure that this does not happen again.”
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