Morocco celebrates Festibaz donkey festival

In the Moroccan village of Beni Ammar Zerhoun, donkeys, which work hard all year, got a special day of pampering as the villagers held a festival in their honor.

This event, called Festibaz, is the village’s 13th donkey festival and featured fun activities like a beauty pageant and a race.

Seven donkeys participated in the beauty contest, where their owners proudly paraded them in front of a judging panel. One donkey, named “Shah Rukh Khan,” stood out, wearing a flower crown and impressing the judges.

The contest didn’t just focus on looks but also considered how the donkeys behaved with their owners and others. The winner received a 50-kilogram (110-pound) bag of barley as a prize.

Amine Yaala, whose donkey won, shared, “I take care of it all the time and never neglect it because it helps me and takes me wherever I need to go.”

In this village, donkeys are an essential part of daily life, helping with transportation across the hilly terrain and carrying goods. “I can’t live without them because they’re extremely important in the mountains. On flat land, we use tractors, but in the mountains, we always need donkeys,” said Mohammed Azzouzi, a local villager.

Even though donkeys are often seen as stubborn, the people of Beni Ammar Zerhoun view them as a valuable part of the local economy.

The donkey festival first started in 2001 but hasn’t been held every year. This is the first time it’s back since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alongside the fun, the Society for the Protection of Animals and Nature set up a health check for the donkeys to ensure they were fit to participate in the race.

The 1-kilometer race featured 12 donkeys and their young riders, aged 17 to 20. The winner was 19-year-old Said Hayani, who proudly celebrated his victory.