How to be an animal-friendly traveller
Seeing wild animals at home or abroad can be a memorable part of any travel experience. However, you may not be aware of the severe cruelty and abuse that these helpless animals face behind the scenes.
At each stage, from being poached from the wild or bred in captivity to being exploited until the very end, captive animals in wildlife tourism undergo intense suffering and trauma.
Animals in this industry often suffer physically and psychologically from not being able to move and behave as they would naturally in the wild. On your vacation, you may see wild animals performing in shows. You may be approached to pose with animals for photos or be offered souvenirs made from animal skins, shells, or bones.
Often, the worst cruelty is hidden from view. Many animals like monkeys, tigers and elephants are removed at an early age from their mothers and have often had to endure painful training to force them to do unnatural things like give people rides, perform tricks, and allow people to touch them.
Sadly, many tourists and day trippers who love animals may actually contribute to animal suffering, simply because they are unaware of the hidden cruelty.
Our travel guide lets you know what to look out for, so you can make informed decisions about animal experiences on your journey at home and abroad. It also demonstrates the best way to make a difference to exploited animals when you’re on holiday.
