SPANA, Working Animals and Responsible Trekking Around Imlil

Two separate things, kept separate

This article contains two kinds of statement and we label them, because they are not equally strong. The first is independently sourced background about SPANA, a working-animal welfare charity whose own website is the authoritative source. The second is our own owner-verified statement about how we work.

The owner-verified statement is this, in full: Toubkal Views cooperates with SPANA's animal-welfare work concerning working animals in the Imlil area. That is cooperation. It is not partnership, certification, accreditation, approval or endorsement, and we will not describe it as any of those.

• SPANA's own website (external)

Why working animals are a mountain issue

In valleys above the road head, animals do the work vehicles do elsewhere. That makes their health an economic question as much as an ethical one: a lame mule is a household's transport, income and harvest at once.

It also means welfare work in a place like Imlil is practical — care for working animals, and support and education for the people who depend on them — rather than symbolic.

Where trekking fits in

Trekking adds seasonal load to an animal population that already works. Handled well, it adds income to the same households. Handled badly, it adds hours, weight and pressure at exactly the busiest times of year.

That is the whole reason we treat mule welfare as an operational responsibility and not a marketing line.

• Responsible mule welfare: what to look for
• Mules in the High Atlas

What travellers can usefully do

Book with operators who can describe their animal arrangements specifically. Keep your own luggage within the limit you were given rather than at the edge of it. Say something at the time if you see a problem. If you want to support welfare work directly, go to the charity itself rather than through a tour operator.

None of that requires you to be an expert. Noticing is most of it.

• Our responsible trekking commitments

Domande frequenti

Is Toubkal Views an official SPANA partner?

No. We cooperate with SPANA's animal-welfare work in the Imlil area. We are not a partner, are not certified, accredited or approved by SPANA, and are not endorsed by them.

Does booking a trek donate to SPANA?

No. We do not run a donation scheme, and we would rather say so plainly than imply one. If you want to support the charity, use its own website.

Where can I read about SPANA's work?

On SPANA's own site, which is the authoritative source for what the charity does and where it works.