Tourists expressed shock and concern after witnessing a pony squeezed into the boot of a small Citroën C1 during an hour-long ferry crossing to the Italian island of Ischia. The incident occurred on July 5, when temperatures in Pozzuoli, near Naples, reached 31 degrees Celsius.
A passenger captured footage of the light brown pony appearing distressed, with its head forced down by the car's roof and its hindquarters pressed against the rear windscreen. The animal occupied nearly the entire interior of the red Citroën C1.
The tourist who filmed the scene reported it to onboard staff, who stated they were aware of the animal's presence. However, no immediate action was taken by the ferry company, Medmar Navi Spa.
Animal rights activist Enrico Rizzi shared the footage online and questioned how the vehicle was allowed onto the ferry and why authorities were not alerted. He filed a police report in Pozzuoli, calling for an investigation into the driver for alleged animal cruelty and into the ferry company's employees for allowing the journey to proceed.
"Only a monster could behave in such an inhumane way towards an animal," Rizzi stated. Another social media user expressed anger towards the driver. Member of Parliament Francesco Emilio Borrelli also called for the owner to be identified and the pony to be removed to ensure its welfare.
Medmar group was approached for comment regarding the incident.