Tourists are being urged to avoid camel rides on holiday this summer after an investigation into Morocco's tourism industry uncovered harrowing animal abuse.
Footage captured by PETA Asia earlier this year showed a bound animal being beaten with a stick in the desert as it struggles to avoid the blows.
In the rights group's first investigation of its kind in Morocco, PETA reported that camels used for rides were being thrashed, tied up and finally killed when unable to shoulder the load.
One ride operator told investigators that the animals, with a natural lifespan of 40 years, can only be 'used' for around five years, after which they are killed or sold for meat.
'Camels exploited in Morocco's tourism industry are beaten mercilessly, tied up without shelter, and forced to give rides until their bodies break down,' explained PETA Vice President for Europe Mimi Bekhechi.
