孟加拉國疫情中受饑的馬

重慶 羅 霞

受疫情影響，在短短一個月內，孟加拉國最受歡迎的度假村內就有20 多匹馬死于饑餓。孟加拉國的旅游業正飽受疫情的折磨。

More than 20 horses have died of starvation in just one month at Bangladesh's most popular resort district as the country's tourism industry is suffering from the pandemic. The horses' owners said they were struggling to afford to feed their animals, which are used for tourist rides at Cox's Bazar Beach.

“Once the coronavirus hits, tourist numbers sharply drop,” Farida Begum, said spokesperson of the Cox's Bazar Horse Owners Association.“We are struggling to make ends meet. How can we feed the horses?”

Tourists had briefly returned to the district from December to February when infections slowed, but visits dried up under the fresh lockdown imposed from April 14. At least 21 horses out of up to 90 used for tourists at the beach have died over the past month. During last year's lockdown, 41 horses, including eight of Begum's own, died.

Some owners have set their horses free,hoping they can survive by eating grass or finding their food. The horse owners say they have been struggling to feed their own families, with many taking out loans from microlenders just to make ends meet.

“Officials from the microlender come to my home every week and bother me to pay back the loan. But unless the tourists start, I can't pay back the money,” Begum said, adding that she had borrowed 100,000 taka ($1,200).

Dozens of horse handlers usually hired by the owners to help tourists with the rides have switched to driving rickshaws （黃包車） or construction work. The resort town usually attracts more than 2 million mostly domestic tourists every year. But under the nationwide lockdown,offices and markets are shut and public transport is halted.

Reading Check

What job do horse handlers in Bangladesh turn to during the pandemic?

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