Tourist horseback riding banned in Tayrona Park due to cases of mistreatment of horses

After tourists themselves reported cases of animal abuse and poor living conditions for horses, with them doing tourist horseback riding in Tayrona, in Santa Marta (Magdalena), the director of National Natural Parks of Colombia, Orlando Molano, announced that this activity was prohibited.

However, at the moment, of the 300 horses that were held for this activity, only 40 will remain in the area, according to what they explained on the regional digital news portal Campo Televisión. In addition, muleteers who worked with the animals will be trained to become local guides.

“We are working with horse operators, with muleteers, looking for alternatives for them to take out the horses and become tour guides. We are in the process, we have not reached an agreement, but horses are totally forbidden,” they quoted in that media the announcement of the director of National Parks.

Meanwhile, in the regional media Santa Marta al Día they reported that the ban on horseback riding also seeks to protect the ecosystem of the place, since the footsteps of horses are causing environmental damage.

On that news portal they also mentioned that they are working to reach agreements with the muleteers so that they can dedicate themselves to new tasks, but they will have to impose sanctions if there is a breach of this new provision with the equines.

“We enter into sanctions processes for all people who use or carry them. Dialogue will always be our best option, but if we do not reach agreements we will go with the legal channels”, warned the official.

Since mid-March, the poor living conditions that horses are suffering from have been reported, as visitors to the park have reported several times on social networks, as reported by one of them's complaint on La W Radio station.

“We understand that there are many families feeding on this type of business, but it is the responsibility of the State to help them find a more friendly income solution,” said one of the tourists on the radio station.

The decision was celebrated by groups of people fighting animal abuse in the country, as was the case with the High Platform that make up national sectors.

“Good news! National Parks announced that the use of horses will be banned in Tayrona Park. Animalists and visitors to the park had been denouncing the sorry state of the horses in this place. I fully support this decision,” they posted on their official Twitter account.

Santa Marta in public calamity due to water scarcity

In another news from the capital of Magdalena, public calamity was declared throughout the tourist district, in order to urgently implement actions to guarantee access to this public service to samariums and tourists.

The decision was announced by the local president following a Municipal Council for Risk Management where the Public Utilities Company of Santa Marta (Essmar), headed by the intervening agent Yahaira Díaz, presented a report on the current situation of water collection and distribution in the city.

“In times of drought we always had a contingency plan, we never left the inhabitants of the city without a drop of water, but since the Essmar company was intervened by the Superintendence of Public Services, citizens have failed to comply with the supply of the precious liquid,” said the mayor of that city, Lizi Johnson is here.

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