1 Aug 2016
Glen Cousquer describes how a locally produced humane tether and changes to working practices, are making progress to end the suffering of Moroccan donkeys and mules.
Glen Cousquer
Job Title
This mule has been tethered using a narrow piece of string. This cuts easily into the skin and underlying tissues, and causes great distress. This is not obvious to those who do not know what to expect, what to look for and what is acceptable. Unfortunately, most local people do not see these as abuses and nothing has, therefore, been done to address these unacceptable practices.
Tethering injuries are common across Morocco. In the souks (markets), mules and donkeys can expect to be tightly lashed to a rope using the thinnest of strings. This causes injury and untold suffering and, as a mutilation, is illegal.
The law, however, does not clearly specify tethering in this way is illegal and the authorities do nothing to address these inhumane practices.
This is not just a problem in the souks, where mules and donkeys are presented for sale – owners, too, carry on abusing their mules and donkeys, and are often seen securing their animals in the most inappropriate ways without any thought or care as to the consequences.
In a previous report (Cousquer and Alyakine, 2012), work undertaken to address these issues in the trekking industry and develop atraumatic, humane, locally produced alternatives was described. This article provides an update on the exciting progress made to tackle and address this issue.
Between 2013 and 2014, a humane tether was perfected based on the leather-sheathed double loop of climbing rope model described previously (Cousquer and Alyakine, 2012; Cousquer, 2014).
This was brought into production locally with the help of a women’s association. The design of the leather sheath was further improved by inverting the sleeve after it had been stitched, so the stitching was on the inside of the sleeve, thus protected from wear and tear. The women were shown how to produce tallow from boiled perirenal sheep fat and this was used to wax the leather and render it supple and water-resistant.
The women involved in this project produced a video of the production process, which was subsequently released on the Kasbah Mule Facebook page. Two orders of 300 tethers each were placed with the women’s association – the first by the village association, Association des Bassins d’Imlil, and the second by UK charity Pukka Projects, which has played a significant role in championing mule welfare in the trekking and expeditions industry.
Donations of used climbing rope have come in from across the UK and Europe as organisations and individuals have sought to help. These have included gifts from national training centres, mountain rescue teams and others. The volume of donations has meant plenty of rope has been available for other parallel projects, including the production of locally made head collars. This last initiative is a vital part of the fight to eliminate the use of the traditional bit and ensure pack mules are worked in head collars whenever they are loaded.
Extensive field testing of the humane tether has allowed local muleteers to develop a number of ways of securing and working with the tether. One of the head muleteers produced a video of the recommended tethering method. This involves placing the stopper knot of the tether through the loop.
The muleteers are satisfied the new system is secure and have developed a simple slip knot, which means the tether does not need to be knotted. This is actually faster than the previous system. From the mule’s point of view, any pull felt through the broad-padded tether, even if weighted, is very comfortable and does not cause any trauma.
The work undertaken with partners across the trekking and expeditions industry – to alert them to the animal welfare abuses that were widely perpetrated without anyone taking a stand against them – has yielded some remarkable results.
In 2014, the Expedition Providers Association developed a charter of care for working mules, which, among other things, stipulates mules should only be tethered using humane tethers. This year, this requirement has been written into contracts the association’s members have signed with their local ground handlers. This is, therefore, now a condition of work and employment and is actively policed by the guides and trekkers working for these companies.
With the support of The Donkey Sanctuary UK, these companies’ muleteering teams have benefited from ongoing training support to help them develop their knowledge and practical know-how in mule care and good muleteering practice.
Gradually, through initiatives such as this, local practices are being transformed from abusive ones to caring, respectful ones. This represents a significant achievement – one already transforming the lives and well-being of the mules working in this important sector of tourism.
The tourism industry is of great importance to the Moroccan economy and exposes local people to a wide range of cultures and ideas. It has the potential to kick-start a revolution in animal care, providing the local authorities sit up and recognise they need to do their bit to ban inhumane tethering and other cruel, medieval practices. In doing so, they will be bringing their country up to date with international standards in animal welfare.
Let’s hope those who have dragged their heels over such initiatives, and have failed to support and encourage these very positive developments, realise the achievements reported here.
Progress is being made and those who have championed these solutions are to be thanked. They have demonstrated, by working together, significant improvements in animal welfare can be achieved in a very short space of time.
