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12 August 2020 A horse that was pulling a barrel intended for tourists in the Royal Palace of Caserta died this morning, probably due to the scorching heat. According to the ENPA (national animal protection body) in a civilized country the barrels should disappear immediately and forever. The health authorities have cordoned off the area at the Royal Palace to allow for the relevant findings and to bring the animal to a specialized center. The autopsy will ascertain the causes for which the animal "collapsed to the ground, lifeless, while carrying a carriage full of tourists, on a very hot day", remarked the Enpa.

The management of the institution: sorry for the incident
"This morning - they say from the direction of the Royal Palace of Caserta - one of the horses of the horse-drawn carriage service, managed under concession by the TNT company, has died. The competent bodies are carrying out in these hours all the checks that the case requires. The management expresses deep regret for what happened ".

The horse collapsed to the ground and died while in the hottest hour, around 1:30 pm, it was carrying tourists up and down the large park of the Royal Palace of Caserta by carriage. The photo of the horse fallen to the ground in the most beautiful garden in Italy is making the rounds of social media. Near the dead horse, the carriage and a dozen tourists who witnessed the scene in disbelief. The photo is arousing indignation not only among animal welfare organizations, but also among many ordinary people. Everyone is wondering how it is possible to use a horse with a carriage in 2020 to transport people, especially in these days of high temperatures, when the thermometer marks 40 degrees.

Royal Palace of Caserta, a horse used to transport carriages collapses to the ground due to fatigue and heat as reported by those present. Green Europe: ”We will sue the owner of the carriage. It's something shameful. " pic.twitter.com/LTvMVjGPw2

- Francesco Borrelli (@NotizieFrance) August 12, 2020
Borrelli: we will denounce the carriage owner
A terrible episode occurred at the Royal Palace of Caserta on August 12 as reported by several citizens. One of the horses used to transport the carriages that carry visitors around fell to the ground, probably thanks to the heat that increased the animal's fatigue. “For some time now we have been denouncing this exploitation of horses, which obviously does not only take place inside the Royal Palace of Caserta. It is a barbaric and shameful way to use animals. We live in a highly technological era and to think of using these poor animals for human transport, instead of modern zero-impact means, is something anachronistic, surreal and selfish. If we human beings in this period suffer a lot from the heat, let alone what horses forced to pull carriages full of people under the scorching sun can feel. We will sue the manager of the carriage who endangered the life of this animal. We ask the municipal police that where there is an ordinance that prohibits the movement of horses above certain temperatures and in the hottest hours of the day such as in Naples to enforce it while where it has not yet been foreseen it must be put, valid both for roads and parks and historical monuments. We will monitor with our volunteers to prevent these poor animals from being circulated in critical climatic conditions. "This was declared by the regional councilor of the Greens-Green Europe, Francesco Emilio Borrelli, and Rita Martone, co-spokesman of the Greens-Green Europe in the Caserta area.

Brambilla: national shame
"How many tragedies like the one that happened today in Caserta there is still a need for the government and the majority to finally decide, as I have been writing for years in my bills, to ban public transport services in the streets and non-scheduled public transport animal traction? ". Asked in a note by Michela Vittoria Brambilla (Forza Italia), president of the Italian League for the Defense of Animals and the Environment, who defines" sudden death a national shame, under the eyes of tourists and many children, of one of the horses intent on pulling wheelchairs full of tourists in the park of the Royal Palace of Caserta with real temperatures exceeding 50 degrees "." A until local authorities can never again authorize public transport services in the streets and non-scheduled public transport with animal traction - recalls the former minister - it would be necessary and sufficient to order the sharp repeal of article 70 of the Highway Code and part of the art. 1, paragraph 2, of ln21 / 1992, as I have always proposed. Unfortunately, what happened in Caserta also shows all the inadequacy of the compromise formulation identified in the Transport Committee of the Chamber, which never became law due to the inertia of the majority, which would allow the use of wheelchairs in parks. It is simply absurd, and inadmissible, that at the dawn of the 21st century horses are still used to drive tourists, and moreover that the torrid climate of midsummer days is not even taken into account. Neither the government, nor the majority, nor the mayors, starting with that of Rome, do not care if the horses continue to suffer on the streets and on the cobbles of our historic centers and, as you can see, also in the parks. It is a national shame, and who should act is watching. "