South Africa’s travel agency stops selling animal rides at the Giza Pyramids

After seeing PETA Asia’s recent undercover investigation showing dying camels, beaten horses, and underfed animals, South Africa headquartered Timbuktu Travel quickly stopped offering activities involving camels and horses forced to carry visitors at the Giza Pyramids in Egypt from its itineraries and is removing such promotions from its website. In thanks, PETA Asia is sending the company – which was named 2024’s World’s Best Tour Operator by Travel + Leisure magazine – delicious vegan chocolates.

PETA Asia’s latest investigation into the historic site documented that handlers violently beat exhausted horses and camels who are used to haul tourists in the blistering heat and without shade. Injured and malnourished horses were seen eating from garbage dumps, and the bodies of dead horses were found discarded every day at trash sites outside the Giza Pyramids. Camels considered too old, sick, or injured to be useful were often hauled to a slaughterhouse, where their throats were slit while they were still conscious. One camel on video can be seen continuing to kick for agonising minutes after her throat was cut.

“PETA Asia thanks the growing list of companies that recognise that travellers are appalled by the violence inflicted on camels and horses at the pyramids of Giza,” says PETA Asia Senior Vice President Jason Baker. “We applaud Timbuktu Travel for shunning these shameful rides and urge Egyptian authorities to find a moral compass and ban the blight of animal abuse at the pyramids.”

Horses are herd animals who mourn each other’s deaths and can feel stressed if forced to live alone, while camels are known to greet one another by blowing air on each other’s faces. Timbuktu Travel joins more than 50 businesses that won’t promote or sell animal rides at the pyramids, including Airbnb, Abercrombie & Kent Travel Group, British Airways Holidays, easyJet holidays, Exodus Adventure Travels, Klook, Marriott, and TCS World Travel.