The Brooke - Brooke work in Jordan

Country profile

Lying between Israel and Saudi Arabia, the desert Kingdom of Jordan has seen numerous civilizations, including the native Nabatean civilization which left rich archaeological remains at Petra.

Jordan is a relatively small country with a population of just over 6 million people. Main exports include, fertilisers and agricultural products*. Working horses and donkeys in Petra labour as part of the local tourism industry, either as cart horses or are horses and donkeys ridden by sightseeing tourists*.

Current situation

Largely due to the Brooke’s work in Petra over the last two decades, owners and local animal health providers are now taking increased responsibility for providing and maintaining treatment for their animals using the skills and understanding the Brooke has built-up.

On March 30th, 2010, the Brooke transferred the responsibility for running the veterinary clinic to the Ministry of Agriculture in Jordan and is delighted to have signed an agreement with the Ministry to make sure that local veterinary care for horses and donkeys in Petra will be available. This marks the beginning of an exciting new phase of the work of the Brooke in the region.

The Brooke is committed to strengthening existing veterinary services to make sure that quality services are delivered in the long-term. With the Ministry of Agriculture offering veterinary care, the Brooke is able to develop a different type of support for horses and donkeys and their owners in Jordan, with a focus on education, training and raising awareness.

Twenty years of success

The achievements in Jordan over the past twenty years are considerable and include an end to harmful practices such as firing, nostril-slitting and the killing of colts at birth. In addition, the Brooke now never comes across cases of animals suffering serious dehydration.

How we’re still helping

The Brooke will continue to work with tour guides and local visitor centres to provide information for tourists to remind them to use healthy animals and pay a fair price.

Whilst there continue to be a few complaints from tourists, these are fewer than before. In fact, we received many letters of appreciation from visitors to Petra and those tourists who have visited over the years have commented on the improvements seen in the majority of horses and donkeys. We will continue to encourage tourists to report any animal welfare instances or issues they come across to the Petra park rangers so they can act on this accordingly.

*BBC World Service country profile