Most wildlife lovers out there would jump at the opportunity to get up close and personal with an exotic animal. However, what people sometimes don’t know is, that in order to provide this kind of entertainment for tourists, animals often have to endure terrible living conditions and incredible abuse. While the idea of taking a selfie with a wild animal might sound fun, some animals that are used for entertainment purposes undergo such high levels of stress that they end up dying.
The responsible tourist should be aware of animal-related activities that contribute to animal cruelty and must be avoided at all costs.
Here are some animal activities to avoid, for the responsible traveler:
The Circus
Probably the most widely known form of animal use for entertainment purposes, circus tricks featuring animals have been forbidden in many countries. Animals that perform in circuses usually spend most of their days confined to tiny spaces, and the training and performing schedules can severely damage the animals’ welfare.
Elephant Rides
Elephants used as attractions are usually separated from their mothers as babies. From then on, they live a life filled with physical and psychological pain, and they are often kept in tiny cages or tied up. Aside from posing a danger to the animal, the amount of distress it goes through can also have fatal consequences to the humans who unknowingly interact with it.
Pictures with Tigers and Other Wild Animals
Zoos that offer photo ops with wild animals are common in many tourist destinations. While there are controversies about how the living conditions actually are in some of these locations, it is known that a lot of them keep tigers and other animals in confined spaces, administer drugs to prevent aggressive behavior, and have these animals undergo procedures such as claw and canine removal.
Holding Sea Turtles
Many seaside towns offer this type of attraction, and while they may seem harmless, sea turtles are actually susceptible to being dropped by tourists who are handling them, and have their shells broken. This amount of handling can also injure the animal’s immune system, and make them more sensitive to disease.
There are many other attractions that could be mentioned, and these are just some few examples. As a rule of thumb, the responsible tourist should always be wary of animal attractions.
Always research beforehand if the attraction you’re interested in visiting is environmentally responsible, and respects the animals’ natural habitat.
It is also important to give preference to attractions that don’t disturb the animals, and to report anything that seems shady, be it to a tour guide or even with an online review to warn other travelers!
