A popular tourist spot in north-central China which offers camel rides has allowed the animals to go ‘on strike’ fearing they might die of exhaustion as they are unable to keep up with the rising number of visitors.
Staff working at the Crescent Moon Spring Scenic Spot in Mingsha Mountain, in Gansu Province, decided to suspend the camel rides after the number of tourists reached almost 30,000 a day.
With only 1,000 camels in use, organisers said the animals and their guides are barely able to catch a breath.
Many of the camels were exhausted at the end of each day so they decided to give them an extended break.
Images of the thousands of animals carrying a pack-load of tourists across the desert show there is barely room for them to move or stop to rest.
Adventure-seekers began flocking to the scenic spot as summer came, each one hoping to get a taste of the unique experience offered by the organisers.
However, as one visitor – surnamed Li – travelled all the way to Crescent Moon Spring wanting to be walked across the dunes by a camel, she learnt it was no longer an option.
Ms Li told local media she was told there was no information about when the project would resume and she did not understand why it was cancelled.
In response, a staff member explained: “There are too many tourists this summer. The daily passenger flow is about 20,000 to 30,000, and most of the tourists want to ride camels, but there are only more than 1,000 camels, and they are working from morning to night.
“It’s hot, and some camels are exhausted.
“In addition, because there are a lot of camels, in the afternoon, there is a lot of dust in the scenic area, and there are camel faeces, which smells heavy and pollutes the environment.
“Therefore, the scenic area is also undergoing rectification.”
But organisers assured Ms Li and other tourists they can still explore the area by vehicle.
The animals and their guides reportedly worked from 6:00 in the morning till 8:00 at night, taking only a short break at noon.
The decision reportedly comes after a similar incident back in 2012, when one camel at the same scenic spot died of exhaustion.
Now, it seems organisers are looking to avoid the same unfortunate scenario.
It is unclear when the project will kick off again but staff said visitors would be properly notified.
