Workers in tourist island, Lombok, load boxes in Gili Meno Village. (Antara/Budi Afandi)
The Gili Islands off the coast of Lombok are famed for their near pristine coral, world-class diving and horse-drawn carriages that ply the islands’ roads in the absence of motorized transportation.
However, animal rights groups are claiming that these very horses are being cruelly mistreated by the islanders and it could threaten the tourist industry on Gili Trawangan, Gili Air and Gili Meno.
The Jakarta Animal Aid Network and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals urge the Ministry of Tourism “to take action to improve the condition of the animals,” JAAN spokesperson Femke den Haas said in a press release on Monday.
“If not the number of tourists will decrease,” she was quoted by Detik.com as saying.
She said both organizations had received a number of complaints, which JAAN had then investigated.
The investigation revealed that the animals were treated poorly, and often given neither shelter nor fresh water among a host of other violations.
She said the local government needed to formulate standard procedures regarding how to treat the animals.
Jakarta's carriage driver Sain brushes down Imron, a horse he bought for only Rp 3 million ($249) because of its badly emaciated condition. (Photo: Titania Veda, JG)
Related Article:
Femke den Haas: Rescuing endangered animals
Jakarta Animal Aid Network (JAAN)
Jl. Jeruk Purut Buntu 2A
Cilandak, South Jakarta /
Tel: (021) 7802556
jakartaanimalaid@gmail.com
