Cruise passenger killed by donkey in Santorini
A tourist has been killed by a donkey in an accident in the town of Fira in Santorini.
The German holidaymaker was enjoying a cruise in the Aegean when the ship docked in Santorini on Wednesday 7 October.
The woman and her husband joined another couple in a walk around the town centre, when suddenly a donkey used to give tourists rides broke free from its owner.
The donkey hit the 67-year-old woman before trampling her and ultimately causing her death, according to the Greek Reporter.
The woman's husband was reportedly in a state of shock. The incident is being investigated by local police.
Donkey rides for tourists in Santorini is a controversial issue.
According to My Greece Travel Blog, animal welfare groups strongly urge tourists against using donkeys to get into the town of Fira from cruise ships, suggesting that the animals are overworked and mistreated by their handlers.
The blog explains: "The abuse takes several forms. The roughly 360 donkeys and mules that work as tourist "taxis" on the island are forced to climb up and back down a pathway with around 600 steep steps, making as many as seven trips a day between 9 o'clock in the morning and sunset.
"Often, the animals are required to carry tourists who, putting it bluntly, are obese and may weigh considerably more than the donkeys themselves. And the mules must do this exhausting, gruelling work in blazing sunshine and searing summer heat, often with unsatisfactory food, water and rest periods, plus few if any breaks in the shade.
"To add insult to injury, they may be wearing ill-fitting harnesses that inflict cuts and sores on their bodies, while their owners or handlers may frequently strike them with sticks to make them move or hurry up. In short, they toil under cruel and deplorable working conditions."
So, in short, tourists should either walk or use the cable car.
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