Animal cruelty is often unintentionally fuelled through tourism, with tourist activities often involving the exploitation of animals. Be an animal-friendly tourist and ensure your actions don’t contribute to animal cruelty.
Do not take part in animal photo or handling opportunities anywhere- like the ones found in city squares, on beaches, or in non-accredited zoos. Many animals will have been badly handled or taken early from their mothers.
Do not buy products made from animals – such as shells, seahorses, teeth and bones.
Avoid animal rides on non-domestic animals such as elephants, often animals are not well cared for, have ill-fitting equipment and suffer significantly during ‘breaking-in’ processes. Be questioning about how domestic animals (horses, donkeys, camels), are cared for too.
DO look for animal-friendly tourist activities. Choose ethical, eco-friendly options supporting local communities and initiatives promoted by local animal welfare organisations. Do thorough research to understand the conditions for the animals and the impact of your visit.
What motivates you to visit the zoo and would poor animal welfare put you off?
By collecting data on public attitudes and actions towards animals and their welfare, we can effectively inform the decision makers on current opinions towards animals in zoos. This information can help zoos make better decisions on how they keep and manage their animals.
Palm oil is in hundreds of the products we use every day, from food items to toiletries. Rainforests in Southeast Asia – home to tigers, elephants, orangutans and thousands of other wild animals – are being cleared at an alarming rate, often illegally, to develop palm oil plantations.
Check your products for palm oil, choose some alternatives or only buy items containing sustainable palm oil. Learn more about sustainable palm oil HERE, find some great alternative product choices HERE, get a shopping list of ethical brands HERE, and find out about palm oil campaigns – like the one from Australia’s Zoos Victoria – and get involved if you can.
The illegal trade in wildlife is an international crisis, responsible for the loss and persecution of thousands of wild animal species globally. The Wildlife Witness smartphone app enables you to report wildlife trade and make your own contribution to worldwide efforts to fight wildlife crime and trafficking.