Cheeky camel right here. What do you think of riding animals/animal attractions around the world? Share your experience below! •• Even though they may not often look it, camels are friendly, intelligent...and obviously very useful to anyone trying to navigate a desert. •• There has been a lot of talk of boycotting animal rides at the pyramids (and in general, at many tourist sites) because animals are often mistreated. Some animals are wild, not bred to transport people, and should never be ridden (like elephants), because getting them to the point where they interact with humans in that way probably involved a lot of physical and other kinds of mistreatment. •• However, animals like camels and horses are domesticated and meant for riding. It comes quite naturally to them. Camels can carry up to 900 lbs, though their more frequent loads are about 1/3 of that. So most people wouldn’t really put a strain on them. •• Entire families live off rides like these, so instead of boycotting, make sure the animals are well-treated. A few minutes of observing the owner with their camel, as well as checking an animal’s physical appearance and emotional state, should give you a pretty good clue. Look at how happy this guy here is! And if you see one of the men offering camel rides mistreating their camel, and they approach you for a ride, explain the reason why you will choose someone else instead. Money talks, use yours to encourage better treatment of these beautiful animals. . . . . .