MIJAS has unveiled plans for a new retirement park for its famous donkey taxis in a bid to quell years of controversy over their welfare.
The El Burrito recreational park will provide a home for up to 48 animals, with dedicated shelters, grazing areas and veterinary facilities where they can rest and recover away from the demanding tourist trade.
The 10,226-square-metre site will be built on the Vial Sur next to Camino de las Canteras, with the town hall now in possession of the full construction project.
The contract was awarded to company OLUZ in May with the design work costing nearly €40,000.
The park will be divided into two areas – a refuge for the donkeys and an interpretation center where visitors can learn about the animals and their place in the city’s history.
The plans also include absorbent bedding so the donkeys can lie down comfortably, alongside individual water points and lighting in the shelters.
The Ayuntamiento de Mijas says the design has been adapted to the uneven terrain, with timber, planted roofs and earthy finishes intended to help the park blend into the surrounding landscape.
The plans come with the donkey taxi trade still at the centre of a bitter debate between animal welfare campaigners and locals who view the rides as an important part of the town’s identity.
Animal rights party PACMA has repeatedly called for the service to be scrapped under the campaign slogan ‘Cut their rope’.
The group says tuk-tuks could offer visitors an alternative and more ethical way to explore the town.
But many residents continue to defend the rides, which began in the 1960s when tourists started paying local workers for trips on their donkeys when they returned from the fields.
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