According to News Source Reuters, In Istanbul, Turkey. There is a traditional Camel Wrestling Festival. That attracts thousands of people every year. On Jan 16, This cruel festival garnered attention from Animal Rights Activists who had plenty to say about this.
According to many Activists/Advocates, the camels in question are abused and even injured during the events that take place. According to Reuters, The 40th International Camel Wrestling Festival was held in Selcuk, part of the Aegean province of Izmir, on Sunday with 152 camels sporting saddles and ornamental cloths and embroidery of various patterns and colours on their humps and necks.
The Camels are led/brought into a Sandy Arena where they are pitted against each other. Although According to Reuters they are equipped with muzzles to “prevent” bite wounds. Allegedly there is also other personnel in the ring with the camels, along with a Referee.
Gulgun Hamamcioglu, the Izmir representative for the Animal Rights Federation (HAYTAP), said goading animals to fight each other was a “big crime”. “You see an animal, a live being fight in front of you and it is suffering, is wounded and maybe they kill each other. People enjoy this and maybe make a financial profit,” she said. “Please let’s all together stop this picture of shame, this scene that makes us ashamed of humanity,” Hamamcioglu added.
Unfortunately, Turkey Does not have laws against camel wrestling and these matches last 10 to 15 minutes at a time. If this happened in the states it would be a major animal abuse crime. This kind of event should not be forcing Camels to fight. Even if they have muzzles, the camels still become injured by that blunt face gear, not to mention the body blows that camels do. It still leaves the camel injured with wounds. If you have ever watched a Documentary with camels fighting (during mating) you would know how powerful these body blows are.
Male Camels are aggressive during the mating season especially, when a female is near and in heat. Male Camels will literally fight to the death, just to ensure they can pass on their genes. Additionally not just camels, yet Monkeys, Lions and other animals will do the same. In their world it is actually survival of the fittest.
If you want to have a camel festival, how about we judge them based on Health, and looks. This way no animal is harmed during the festival. Just a thought. Respect the animal instead of destroying.
It’s time to break away from barbaric traditions, create new ones that don’t entail violence of animals or humans for that matter. We as people need to do better.
Read more of the Camel Wrestling here: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/animal-rights-activists-slam-turkish-camel-wrestling-festival-2022-01-16/?fbclid=IwAR29DxzgkJr9YoIUBtlWW3lvDVsuNH_xXJ3-i_6ONdD-kpma3Gj9HP8sK-A
Necip Cotura, who has three camels and participates in the festival as a hobby, said the event was a longtime tradition. “It is something that is done with love. It is not a fight, it is wrestling – just like how humans wrestle,” he said.
Wrestling is actual Staged fighting when it concerns humans, they barely touch each other and they, the wrestlers are professionals and go under immense training. CAMELS literally hit each other with “Body Blows and Kicks”. You cannot compare this to a human sport. Forcing animals to fight/wrestle IS NOT LOVE. You are FORCING the Camel to go against the natural order. This is the kind of Twisted Mentallity that gets Animals Culled and Euthanized.
I agree with Mrs. Hamamcioglu, we need to come together and end this violent tradition of using animals as entertainment purposes. Find other ways for entertainment one that does involve harming animals.
If people truly respected or loved their animals, this would not be a thing. It would have been abolished ages ago. It’s time to start protesting the government for change, light that fire for change. Animals Should Have Rights EVERYWHERE.
Guardians Of Life 