- Allegations of abuse against Santorini’s donkeys have fueled outrage and reflection.
- These gentle creatures are burdened with oversized loads, such as marble slabs and construction materials.
- Builders in Santorini’s caldera rely on donkeys due to the area’s unique geography.
- Without a defined legal framework, the animals face frequent mistreatment.
- Animal welfare advocates call for stricter regulations to ensure humane treatment.
Staggering Loads, Silent Sorrow
Santorini’s sun-soaked cliffs, immortalized in countless images, hide a troubling tale. Among the island’s idyllic paths and cobbled alleys, the steadfast donkeys labor tirelessly, their strength co-opted for harsh purposes. Laden with the weight of oversized burdens—marble slabs, cement bags, and towering stacks of construction materials—they ascend and descend the narrow trails of the caldera. This work, deemed vital for construction in an area inaccessible to machinery, takes an undeniable toll on their weary frames.
A recent video exposed vivid imagery of donkeys toiling under enormous loads in Firostefani’s central square, navigating steep paths with evident strain. The haunting sight evokes not only anger but also a deep sense of accountability as their plight becomes harder to ignore.
A Construction Boom with Dire Costs
Santorini’s ever-expanding allure fuels relentless construction along the dramatic landscape of the caldera. Yet behind this progress lies a harsh truth: the price of building in this region is nearly double that of other parts of Greece. The cost of transporting materials through treacherous, vehicle-inaccessible zones has driven concrete prices to as high as €800 per cubic meter—twice the going rate elsewhere in the country. Facing logistical challenges, many contractors turn to animals as an inexpensive albeit cruel solution.
Each trip costs around €50, depending on the agreement between the builder and the animals’ owners. Dozens of trips are often required per project, inflating costs even further and putting a physical strain on these creatures. Beneath the surface of bustling construction sites, these trips weave a perilous cycle of exploitation.
A Call for Change: The Fight for Protection
Despite these animals’ integral role in Santorini’s unique infrastructure, legal protections for them remain startlingly absent. Rather than formalized laws, loose recommendations dictate their treatment, offering insufficient safeguarding against overwork and abuse. Advocates for animal welfare, such as Rosa Roussou of the Panhellenic Association for the Protection of Equines (HIPPOTHESIS), have long illuminated these failings. Their voices underscore a grim reality: few owners understand how much weight their donkeys can carry, an oversight that stems from the varied physical conditions.
HIPPOTHESIS, in collaboration with the organization Promise to Animals, aims to establish a robust legal framework to ensure the welfare and protection of equines. They have already crafted proposed regulations addressing well-being standards and await an audience with the Minister of Rural Development to champion these changes. Roussou emphasizes, “Until such measures become reality, these haunting scenes of mistreatment will remain indelible on this island.
