| Porthole 02 Aug 18

THE donkeys on the Greek island of Santorini have some advice for the cruise industry – stop allowing obese passengers to ride on our backs!

Christina Kaloudi from the Santorini Animal Welfare Association believes in the last 10 years, the number of overweight tourists arriving via cruise ships from America, Russia and the UK has “trebled”, and that the donkeys are now overworked and can’t handle the much heavier loads.

“The holiday season on the islands is now a lot longer than it used to be, meaning that the donkeys are pretty much in work the whole year round,” Kaloudi told the media.

The animals have traditionally been used on the island to transport people over hilly areas which vehicles cannot access, however, during the peak months of May to Oct, up to five cruise ships a day dock in Santorini, bringing 1,200 tourists who ride the donkeys to Fira.

Thankfully, most owners follow the regulations and don’t allow tourists over a certain weight to take a ride.

Talk about having the weight of the world on your shoulders!