In Santorini, the news spread like a glowing lava flow. With the violence of the eruption of the homonymous volcano. Is famine in Yemen or Somalia and other African countries on the way to eradication? A scourge that affects 20 million people and 1.5 million children are at risk of death. No, this is not victory. This is a more societal, more current problem. But the result is up to expectations.
From now on, it is forbidden for tourists over a quintal to walk on the back of the island’s donkeys. The result of a successful action by associations specialising in animal protection.
A victory for the association « help the Santorini donkeys » associated with the Peta. The consequences of a petition that gathered more than 100,000 signatures that greatly facilitated this result.
But an act of this importance has direct or indirect consequences. So let us look at the potential collateral damage caused by this new situation.
The obesity rate varies between a quarter and a third of the world’s population. That’s a lot of people. The wealthy countries are logically the best off.
It is this same population that inflates the statistics of tourists travelling to Santorini.
Local donkeys will lose a significant part of their clientele. A number of donkey drivers and their baudets may find themselves unemployed.
How will the donkey union react to defend their interests? Will a demonstration in solidarity with the profession with manure barricades preventing pedestrians from travelling to or from the port of Fira be set up?
Only one thing is certain, this will prevent serious injuries to equidae climbing up or down the 500 paved steps 7 days a week in full sunlight. Innocent victims.
That said, we must consider the situation of their innocent tormentors. They will invoke segregation against them. Highlighting the state of their own joints abused by their overweight. There is even a risk of a boycott of the island by angry obese tourists.
Finally, it is to be hoped that injured, tired, ageing or obsolete donkeys will not end their lives in Corsica.
Let Jean de la Fontaine take the moral of this story: » In this world we must help each other. If your neighbour dies, the burden falls on you. « The horse and the donkey.
François Teyssier