A PROTEST against the use of donkey taxis in Mijas has been organised after outrage over sightings of ‘emaciated and ill’ donkeys.

Expat Michael Wisniewski says his partner was in tears after seeing the state the donkeys were in during a visit to the pueblo this month.

“Some donkeys looked okay, but some looked emaciated and ill, and they were strapped to a metal-framed carriage,” he said.

The ex-soldier went on to say he ‘had seen some things’ in his time, and the donkey’s situation seemed ‘very cruel.’ “It felt truly heart-wrenching and sad to see this happening,” he added.

READ MORE: New protections for the Costa del Sol’s controversial ‘donkey taxis’ after ‘several collapsed from the heat’ last summer

He believes the donkeys need to be inspected and asked why the local authorities seemed to be ignoring the alleged animal abuse.

“Maybe in Spain, cruelty to animals is justified for their tourism,” he says. “The tourists should open their eyes to this and stop being part of such a cruel, money-making, uncaring venture. Any real human being would put a stop to this.”

The Mijas donkey taxis have met criticism since 2018, when animal rights activists called for heavy riders to be banned. The campaign went on for two years, when in 2020, riders weighing more than 80 kgs were banned.

The Mijas town hall said that, since the current government team took office, important measures have been taken to ensure the donkeys’ welfare, including the creation of an Animal Welfare Department and hiring of a municipal vet.

Just last year, new rules were introduced to protect the animals from extreme heat.

When the official weather agency Aemet issues an orange or red level warning, no taxi or horse-drawn services can be run.

If there is a yellow warning in place, services will not be operational between 2pm and 6pm, the hottest time of day.

When Wisniewski visited Mijas, he noticed ‘jail cells with bars and only a small standing space on concrete floors’ where he assumed the owners kept the donkeys overnight. “No grass-filled fields for those poor souls,” he says.

However, a town hall spokesperson said plans are in place to create a ‘recreational park’ for the donkeys, with more spacious stables and a museum sharing the story of the donkey taxis’ with visitors. Shaded resting areas with more drinking fountains have already been created for the donkeys.

“The department is working to implement new measures and decisions that will prioritise the interests of the animals and the municipality above all else,” they said.

All taxi drivers must already have a licence for their donkey, with the number of licences granted being reduced by 10% for the next four years.

“The department is monitoring the number of daily walks these animals take, and there are annual veterinary checks the animals must undergo,” the spokesperson said, as a ‘balance between tradition and animal protection.’

AIM Sanctuary treasurer Tracy Duggan says she will be attending the upcoming protest as she believes the Ayuntamiento de Mijas may ‘talk the talk’ but they don’t ‘walk the walk.’

“Instead of being proactive, they’re very reactive,” she said. “They’re reacting to the protests, thinking it’ll be bad for tourism and the town, so they’re putting those ideas in place.”

She says at last year´s protests against the donkey taxis, the owners were aggressive towards the protestors.

“Whilst I can understand that they feel threatened as it’s their livelihood, if they had actually taken better care of their donkeys, things would’t have reached the same extent of protest,” Duggan said.

“But they seem to have absolutely no regard for the donkeys at all.” 

Duggan would like to see the donkey taxis phased out completely. A petition is being passed around, with organisers hoping if enough tourists sign, the Mijas town will see there’s no longer any reason to run the taxis. 

“The town hall could set up a donkey sanctuary and have tourists visit the donkeys there, with money made from merchandise rather than taking advantage of the donkeys,” she said.

This month’s demonstration, organised by local animal shelter AIM Sanctuary, begins at 11am at Mirador Hermanos Nunez Andreu Mijas pueblo on May 25. 

“Next time you’re in Mijas, go into one of the churches and pray to the Virgin Mary that the Spanish authorities will put a stop to this barbaric treatment of these lovable, defenceless animals,” Wisniewski added. 

READ MORE:

TWO naked female German tourists performed lewd sex acts on a Murcia City highway before leading police on a motorway chase for several kilometres.

The women, aged 23 and 27, will be sanctioned for indecent exposure, reckless driving, and resisting the police.

The La Verdad newspaper said the bizarre events happened last Friday afternoon close to the Nueva Condominia shopping centre and Real Murcia football stadium.

READ MORE:

• Fine for naked beach goer in Mallorca
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A motorist rang the Murcia Policia Local to say that there were two naked women standing towards the back of a parked van.

One of them was using a sex toy while her friend was recording her pleasure on a mobile phone.

A police patrol arrived at the scene and the naked ladies got inside their van and fled at high speed down the A-7 motorway.

A chase ensued lasting for four kilometres with the women driving recklessly and endangering the lives of other road users.

Eventually they were intercepted by four patrol cars and behaved aggressively as officers tried to cuff them.

The driver tested negative for alcohol and drugs.

A SAILOR has recounted the ‘awe-inspiring’ moment a six-tonne orca targeted her vessel in the Strait of Gibraltar.

Speaking exclusively to the Olive Press, Ilona Skorobogatova described the experience as ‘a mix of adrenaline, respect, curiosity, and care.’

In a viral video on social media, the Latvian can be heard crying: “Oh my god, it’s huge! Please don’t! She’s bumping us, she’s trying to hit us to the side!”

Ilona and her skipper had been navigating a brand-new Lagoon 43 catamaran on a 4,000km journey from the French town of Les Sables-d’Olonne to Split in Croatia when the alert was sounded.

READ MORE: WATCH: Scientists are attaching cameras to orcas in the Strait of Gibraltar amid growing yachtie anger over dangerous ‘interactions’

“I had just come off watch, which runs from 3pm to 9am, and was lying down when I heard my skipper: ‘Ilona, I think we’ve got orcas’,” the 38-year-old began.

The interaction started around 10am on May 6 as the half-a-million-euro craft made its way past Barbate to port in Gibraltar.

A group of four orcas were spotted splashing around about half a kilometre out to sea, sending nerves up the spines of Ilona and the skipper.

READ MORE: EXCLUSIVE: Yachtie warns of killing orca ‘with a tear in my eye’ if dangerous interactions in the Strait of Gibraltar are not tackled this summer

But they stayed calm and maintained course, and for a time it seemed the huge creatures would keep their distance and leave them alone.

“Then suddenly, boom – a hit on the port side rudder,” Ilona recalled.

“We were inside the boat when we felt it, hard and fast. We powered both engines to keep control, get moving, and stay safe. 

READ MORE: WATCH: Vessels in the Strait of Gibraltar are being fitted with sharpened blades to the rudders to ward off critically-endangered orcas

“But she kept coming, swimming under the hull, hitting us again, starboard side this time.

“It was definitely a proper blow, not just a gentle nudge. I’d even say it felt very intentional – like she was really trying to hit the boat with force.”

The whale hit the boat with such force that Ilona had to ‘quickly grab something because the impact was loud and it jolted the whole boat.’

“You could feel the power behind it, it wasn’t just a light tap, it was a real hit.”

READ MORE: Dutch captain speaks of ‘scary moment’ when orcas attack yacht in Straits of Gibraltar off Spain’s coast

The creature then started pushing the catamaran with her full weight – ‘not ramming but shoving the us around – it felt surreal.’

The orca did ‘maybe four or five times over the course of about five to seven minutes – then she vanished.’

The once-in-a-lifetime experience left Ilona unsure whether it had been ‘play or attack’, with the curious creature only using just a fraction of its true might.

They hadn’t felt truly threatened in their sturdy boat, which at 13 metres in length and eight wide emerged unscathed from the orca’s attentions. 

“It was stressful and nerve-wracking, but also awe-inspiring. It was something wild and up-close, and something I’ll never forget.”

READ MORE: Exclusive: Endangered sperm whales are dying in the Strait of Gibraltar – as experts reveal ‘biggest culprit’

Curiously, Ilona believes that the orca which struck them was different from the small group she had spotted initially.

“She came from a completely different direction around 20 minutes later, so it definitely felt like a different orca, not part of the original group we first spotted.”

After it was all over, marine conservation experts from Sea Shepherd France on a routine patrol appeared, checking that they were okay and the orca was unharmed.

Ilona stressed that she ‘understands the fear and frustration many sailors feel, as some boats have been seriously damaged and a few have even been sunk.’

“If you’re out there and your rudder’s gone and your hull’s compromised, that’s terrifying. 

“So I don’t judge anyone who wants to avoid orcas at all costs, it’s a valid fear.

“But at the same time, I think we need to keep a sense of perspective. The number of encounters is still small compared to the thousands and thousands of sailors who pass through without incident.

“I’m fully aware that when we sail through areas like the Strait of Gibraltar, we’re entering their world. It’s where they hunt, where they live, and where they raise their young.”

Ilona underlined that she only has ‘deep admiration and respect’ for the orcas, adding: “They’re absolutely magnificent, intelligent, powerful, and beautiful. 

“I hold a deep love for the ocean and every creature in it. Knowing that orcas are endangered in some regions only makes that respect stronger.”

And she offered her utmost support for the ‘scientists, researchers, and conservationists who are trying to understand why these interactions are happening.’

“That’s the key: not panic or blame, but understanding.

“This experience just deepened my love for the ocean,” she concluded.

“Encounters like this remind us that we’re not alone out there. We’re part of something vast and wild and sacred. And that’s exactly how it should be.”