Greece Bans Overweight Tourists From Riding Santorinis Donkeys

The load carried by Santorini’s famed donkeys is set to get a whole lot lighter after the Greek government banned “overweight” tourists from riding the animals, multiple news outlets reported. 

According to the Greek City Times , the country’s Ministry of Rural Development and Food has published a new set of regulations to protect the animals after a series of complaints were made earlier this year  about their well-being.

Under the new rules, individuals hoping to ride the donkeys will have to weigh no more than 220 pounds   or one-fifth of the animal’s body weight.

In July, holiday visitors were slammed for being “too fat” to ride the island’s donkeys, with animal welfare groups arguing that the animals were at risk of suffering spinal injuries while carrying heavy travelers up and down the tourist hot spot’s steep terrain.

The regulations which were circulated to Greece’s island regions after “multiple complaints” were received over the summer dictate that the animals “should not be loaded with a weight excessive in size, age or physical condition,” CNN reported .