REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq Acquire Licensing RightsPARIS, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Paris will ban pony rides for children in its public parks from 2025 following a campaign by animal rights activists who argue that the ponies are not well treated.
Pony rides have been a popular feature in Paris parks like Champ de Mars, Parc Monceau and Parc du Luxembourg for decades, mostly on the weekends and during school holidays.
It just turns ponies into entertainment objects," Paris Animaux Zoopolis (PAZ) activist Amandine Sansivens said.
Stephane Michaud, director of AnimaPoney - which operated pony rides in several Paris parks but has now closed half of these - said his ponies work only about 150 days per year.
They love the contact with the ponies," said Celine Papouin, whose daughter confidently sat astride a pony in Parc Monceau.
Persons:
Paris Animaux Zoopolis, Stephanie Lecocq, Champ de, Zoopolis, PAZ, Amandine Sansivens, Stephane Michaud, Celine Papouin, Geert De Clercq, Jan Harvey
Organizations:
Paris, REUTERS, Rights, Parc du, Thomson
Locations:
Paris, France, Monceau, Parc, Parc du Luxembourg, Rambouillet, Parc Monceau