Be an
animal-friendly
traveller
Your guide to being animal-friendly on holiday
The problem
A lifetime of cruelty, confinement, neglect and abuse means
hundreds, of thousands, of wild animals worldwide pay a heavy
price for being tourist entertainment; and many even pay with
their lives.
Whether it’s posing for a photograph with a wild animal; visiting
shows featuring wild animals; or riding wild animals such as
elephants, increasing demand from tourists means these animals
continue to suffer and animals continue to be poached from the
wild for a lifetime of misery in captivity.
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Image © Big Hearts Foundation
The solution
Tourist activities, that involve the mistreatment of animals, exist for
you, as a tourist.
This means you also have significant power to help stop this cruelty,
simply by the choices you make when you’re on holiday. Together
we can educate ourselves and others to make animal-friendly
choices, in order to reduce the demand for wild animals
in entertainment.
Wild animals belong in the wild; let’s work together to keep
them there by making our holidays more animal-friendly.
Image © World Animal Protection/ Jiri Rezac
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Being an animal
in the tourist industry
is no holiday
Seeing wild animals when you travel can be such a
memorable experience. However, you may not be aware that
these animals often suffer unseen cruelty and abuse. Many wild animals are taken from their natural environments to be
exploited for entertainment and profit. You may see animals that
belong in the wild being used in live shows or being offered for
transport and rides. You may be approached to pose with animals
for photos, or be offered animal souvenirs or by-products. Often,
the worst cruelty is hidden from view.
Entertainment – example
Elephants are trained to perform for tourists in shows, they’re
beaten with rods to learn ‘tricks’ and chained to restrict their
movement. Elephants are also often cruelly trained to be used
for ‘elephant rides’. To train an elephant they are taken from their
mother at an early age. Their spirit is broken through both physical
and physiological pain, including isolation, starvation, beating and
being chained up in small enclosures.
Many other animals including tigers and monkeys are also cruelly
trained and used to entertain tourists.
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Souvenirs – example
Many animals are maimed and even killed to produce souvenirs
such as elephants for ivory; bears and big cats for furs and reptiles
for decorative shells and skins.
Not only do animals pay for souvenirs with their lives, but strict
laws in New Zealand relating to the Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) prohibits bringing exotic
animal products home. To check what these restrictions are, and
the restrictions relating to trade, go to www.cites.org
These examples are just the beginning… but you have the power
to make it stop, simply by the choices you make when you travel.
If you don’t buy, they won’t supply.
Be an animal-friendly traveller
Sadly, many tourists who love animals may actually contribute
to animal suffering simply because they’re unaware of the
hidden cruelty. Together with you, World Animal Protection wants to help
protect wild animals. This guide lets you know what to look out for
so you can make informed decisions about animal experiences on
your holiday.
Image © World Animal Protection
Image © World Animal Protection
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The animal-friendly
traveller checklist
The best way to see an animal is in the wild.
But you can also protect animals on your holidays by being
informed and alert to the welfare of the animals you encounter.
Please make good decisions for animals when you travel by
following these simple steps:
Before you go:
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Do
your research: investigate the venues you intend to
visit. If wild animal encounters are offered, reconsider your
visit as you do not know how the animals are treated or
where they have come from.
Ask questions: check if your tour operator or travel agent
has an animal welfare policy. Ask your friends and family
about their experiences.
Make positive choices: support tourism that does not
exploit wild animals. And further investigate the authenticity
of those that justify that exploitation by saying they are
‘ethical’ by “rescuing and rehabilitating wild animals”.
When you are there:
Always observe: spend time observing the animal that
the tourist activity is based around. You will be able to
see tell-tale signs in their behaviour. They may be hungry
or dehydrated, visibly in pain, unhappy, frustrated, tired
or without basic shelter. Please report any animal abuse
like this to the local authorities (also see section ‘After
your holiday’ page 9).
Beware of rides or performances involving wild
animals (including elephants): the animals involved
may have been cruelly trained and may be physically
restrained by chains or ropes; or under constant command
by its human supervisor – causing relentless stress. Many
may be living a life of unnatural isolation as well as have
no basic shelter.
Eat ethically: when trying local exotic foods, ask if the
animal is rare or endangered, which is often illegal.
Think before you buy: what may be a locally-produced
animal souvenir may actually drive demand for the illegal
trade in wildlife. Strict laws in New Zealand also prohibit
bringing many animal products into the country.
Do not accept culture as an excuse for cruelty: always
be respectful when you travel, but remember that culture is
not an excuse for cruelty.
Do not pose for photos with wild animals: these are
not happy snaps! Many of these animals have been
removed from their mothers too early and raised by hand;
harshly trained, de-clawed or have had their teeth filed or
removed to control their natural behaviour. Say no to poor-welfare zoos and marine parks: many
zoos and marine parks keep animals in poor conditions
with their basic needs denied.
If in doubt don’t take part: you have a voice and a
choice to say NO. The animals involved have no choice.
Please speak out for them.
Image © iStock. by Getty Images
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After your holiday
Spreading the word: tell your friends and family about
your (good and bad) animal-based experiences on
holiday. Use word-of-mouth or social media to encourage
your friends to learn about how they can be animalfriendly on holiday – by seeing animals in the wild!
Reporting and recording: record inappropriate
treatment and report it to the appropriate local authorities
(i.e. local police, tourism office, embassy and local animal
welfare society). And please report it to your travel
agent/tour operator. Do not take corrective measures
yourself. Be aware of risks to yourself and/or the
animals involved. Seeing animals in the wild: experience the joy and
wonder of seeing animals in the wild. And support tour
operators who offer these positive experiences. Protect
the environment on which wildlife depends. Joining World Animal Protection: learn more about
our vital work for animals in the wild, animals in disasters,
animals in farming and animals in communities. Visit:
worldanimalprotection.org.nz
Image © World Animal Protection/Dr Jan Schmidt-Burbach
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Image © World Animal Protection
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By empowering yourself with the information in
this booklet, you’ve taken the first step to helping
protect animals when you travel.
Thank you!
Now it’s time to put what you’ve learned into
action. Pack your bags, have a great trip – and
protect animals as you travel!
Together we can move the world to
protect animals.
worldanimalprotection.org.nz
Image © World Animal Protection
Cover image © World Animal Protection