Compassionate Travel

Compassionate Travel A guide to animal-friendly holidays In association with

Compassionate Travel A guide to animal-friendly holidays

Compassionate Travel: A guide to animal-friendly holidays Copyright Š 2018 Horizon Guides

All our coverage is 100% impartial and editorially independent. Our guides are researched and written by destination experts and are not influenced in any way by our sponsors.

While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of all advice provided in this guide, the reality is that any travel information is liable to change at short notice. We strongly advise that you verify any important details prior to your trip as we cannot be held responsible for errors or information that has since become outdated.

Published by Horizon Guides Suite 38, Alison Business Centre 39-40 Alison Crescent, Sheffield, S2 1AS http://horizontravelpress.com/ Edited by Matthew Barker Layout & design by Simon Ross-Gill Front cover photograph: Valentyna Zhukova Š 123RF.com

With expert contributions from:

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Using This Guide About The Contributors Compassionate Travel What Is Compassionate Travel?

Understanding Your Animal Footprint The Issues Animals In Circuses Animals In Holiday Photos The Lucky Ones Zoos And Safari Parks Elephant Tourism The Truth About Elephant Tourism Dolphins And Captive Marine Mammals The End Of Dolphinariums?

Responsible Shopping Viewing Animals In The Wild Resources How To Find A Real Sanctuary What You Can Do Travel Directory Travelling To A Better World About Born Free About Horizon Guides Also In This Series

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Contents

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Compassionate Travel The Issues

Animals and wildlife are a feature of many holidays, both at home and further afield. From the everyday -- zoos and circuses -- to the exotic and unusual -- swimming with sharks and walking with lions -- we often see opportunities to get “up close and personal” with wild animals while travelling.

But there’s growing unease among travellers with the use of animals in the tourism industry. What was the sequence of events that led to an individual animal being made available for our entertainment?

What are the effects of captivity on wild animals’ health and wellbeing?

What does the commercial demand for captive wildlife mean for their survival in the wild?

Thankfully, very few of us wish to cause deliberate harm to wildlife.

We’re usually driven by the purer motivations of curiosity, kindness and love. But even so, our personal decisions while on holiday can have a direct impact on the welfare of individual animals, and their conservation more generally.

It’s not always easy to make the right choices, or even to know what they are. That’s why we created this guide, which draws on authoritative sources to give you a look behind the scenes of the wildlife tourism industry and help you make informed decisions about how you interact with animals on your next holiday.

The purpose is not to tell you what to do (or what not to do), but simply to help you navigate the minefield of issues, show you what to look out for, and equip you to ask the right questions before you book your trip.

Ultimately, it’s always down to individual decisions: whether to visit one place and not another; whether to take part in a particular activity or not; whether or not to have your photograph taken with an animal; where to spend your hard-earned money; what values you support and what values you reject.

We all have choices. That is part and parcel of being a human being. And the cumulative impact of thousands of individual decisions can have a dramatic effect.

What you decide can make a world of difference.

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Using This Guide

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Chris Draper PhD Chris is head of animal welfare and captivity at the Born Free Foundation.

He oversees animal welfare across all the Foundation’s projects and leads on promoting its Compassionate Conservation initiative. Chris is also the European Coordinator for the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS) and has completed a PhD at the University of Bristol on the implementation of legislation and assessment of animal welfare in zoos.

Kartick is co-founder and CEO of Wildlife SOS, a charity established in 1995 to protect and conserve India’s natural heritage, forest and wildlife wealth.

Today, the organisation works to protect Indian wildlife, conserve habitats, study biodiversity, conduct research, and find sustainable livelihoods for poacher communities or communities that depend on wildlife for sustenance.

Tricia Holford

Naomi A. Rose PhD Naomi is the marine mammal scientist at the Animal Welfare Institute, leading the organisation’s efforts to publicise the problems associated with the capture and captivity of marine mammals for public display. She lectures at three universities and has testified before the U.S. Congress on issues as diverse as polar bear sport hunting, the welfare of captive marine mammals, and the impacts on marine mammals of human-caused noise in the ocean.

Naomi has been a member of the International Whaling Commission’s Scientific Committee since 2000.

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Will is president of the Born Free Foundation, which he co-founded with his parents, Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna, in 1984. Today his role focuses on media outreach, public speaking, social media advocacy, political dialogue, and international representation at key meetings.

Kellie is former executive director of the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries, an international organisation that works to certify “true” animal sanctuaries and ensure that their animals receive the highest standards of care during rescue, rehabilitation, and for the rest of their lives. Kellie received a Bachelor of Science from Purdue University and a PhD from Northwestern University. She currently resides in St. Louis, MO, with her two rescued dogs and one rescued cat.

Kartick Satyanarayan

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Will Travers OBE

Kellie Heckman PhD

Tricia is the longestserving employee at the Born Free Foundation. Starting out in 1984 on the Zoo Check programme, she coordinated the Big Cat Project which developed from Born Free’s first big cat rescues. She has considerable experience of working with Born Free’s big cat sanctuaries in South Africa and India, and in coordinating Born Free's team of campaigners.

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About The Contributors

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The Born Free Foundation has a unique and special history. In 1964, my parents, Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna, travelled to Kenya to star in the classic wildlife film, Born Free. Released in 1966, the film told the true story of George and Joy Adamson’s successful effort to return Elsa, an orphaned lioness, to the wild.

The story was enjoyed by tens of millions and helped change the world’s attitude to lions and wild animals in captivity. But the making of Born Free also had an impact closer to home. It profoundly affected my parents, who increasingly devoted their lives to wild animal welfare and conservation, ultimately leading to the creation of the Born Free Foundation in 1984.

Today, Born Free is one of the world’s most recognised wildlife charities, working in dozens of countries and playing a central role in rescuing animals from cruel or inadequate conditions and giving them lifetime care in our sanctuaries.

The welfare of animals in the tourism industry is another major focus of our work today. We work with the travel industry to expose the activities that cause suffering

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Will Travers OBE President, Born Free Foundation

and harm; change legislation to reduce exploitation; promote tourism experiences that help protect and conserve wild animals and their habitats; encourage the flow of lasting benefits to local communities; and champion compassionate travel.

But it’s not just tourism businesses who have a role to play. We, as holidaymakers, also have a huge responsibility to ensure that our leisure time doesn’t come with hidden costs for animals and wildlife.

Compassionate travel means making careful choices and informed decisions about what we do on holiday. It means being aware of our “animal footprint” and how our chosen holiday activities might affect the welfare and conservation of wildlife.

This guide explains some of the biggest and most pressing welfare and conservation issues in tourism hotspots around the world. Using this information, as you plan your future adventures, will help you to recognise problems when you see them, encourage you to be an ambassador for wildlife, and will allow you to enjoy your holidays, safe in the knowledge that they’re animal friendly.

Happy travels.

Will Travers OBE

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What Is Compassionate Travel?

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People have always had a fascination with wild animals, flocking to zoos, safari parks and circuses for a glimpse of nature, even if in captivity. And given the chance, many seek out even more interactive and exotic experiences: diving with sharks, riding an elephant, swimming with dolphins, petting a lion cub; they’re all high on many a holiday bucketlist.

It’s easy to see where this fascination comes from. In our sanitised world, wild animals hold a firm grip on our imaginations; everything about these animals feels magical -- their appearance, their size, their behaviour, their habitats, their sheer wildness.

And in many cases we’re motivated not just by curiosity, but by compassion and empathy. As you’re reading this guide, the chances are you care deeply for animal welfare, you’re horrified by cruelty and suffering, and you want to support the protection and conservation of animals in the wild.

Despite the best of intentions, there are considerable costs involved with getting up close and personal with wildlife. The growing demand for wildlife interactions on holiday

footprint is the first step to ensuring a better future for animals, supporting their conservation in the wild, and creating positive holiday memories that we can cherish for a lifetime.

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with dishonest claims about animal welfare and conservation credentials.

But as consumers, all the power is in our hands, provided we make careful choices and vote with our feet -- and wallets. Understanding our animal

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Chris Draper Head of animal welfare and captivity, Born Free Foundation

can cause huge damage. This is our animal footprint and it can affect the welfare of an individual animal right up to the survival of an entire species.

Elephants are colossal, powerful giants. But does riding them come with hidden consequences? Dolphins seem playful and inquisitive around humans. But how does a lifetime of captivity affect their wellbeing?

Volunteering in a big cat “sanctuary” sounds like a noble cause. But is that lion cub truly an orphan, or was it purposefully bred and taken from its mother to make money from wellmeaning tourists?

The further you dig, the more complex it becomes. But holidaymakers with even a passing interest in animal welfare should question the animal footprint of any activity they choose to book.

Always start by asking: what are the circumstances that led to these animals being in captivity and made available for our enjoyment?

More people are travelling than ever before, and the demand for animal experiences in one form or another will continue to rise. As demand increases, pressure on animal welfare and conservation will become more extreme, which makes being mindful of our animal footprint more important than ever before.

It’s a complicated subject, with few simple answers. Regulations are patchy and not always enforced, and there are few international standards to which businesses should adhere.

Sadly, unscrupulous companies are all too willing to muddy the waters further by misleading their customers

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Understanding Your Animal Footprint

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• Many circuses require animals to perform and behave in ways that are deeply unnatural, and often physically and mentally harmful.

If wild animals are performing unnatural acts, it can mean they have been subjected to abusive and violent training.

• Although domesticated animals are more used to human contact than wild animals, they can still suffer from harmful training methods and unsuitable, often unregulated, living conditions.

• When not performing, animals are often kept out of sight in restricted cages or enclosures with poor diets and inadequate care. The impact of frequent travel, disruption caused by being loaded and unloaded on and off trucks, and living in temporary enclosures, can all contribute to high levels of stress and even to premature death.

• When animals in circuses get too old and are no longer profitable for their owners, they may be sold or

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Animals, both wild and domesticated, have been used in travelling or permanent circuses for many centuries, perhaps as far back as the gladiatorial spectacles of ancient Rome. Today, performances range from the familiar -- horses and dogs performing tricks and jumps -- to the more unusual, such as elephants walking a tightrope and big cats jumping through burning hoops.

People have questioned the ethics of using animals in this way for many years. More recently there has been a growing awareness of health and welfare concerns surrounding wild animals in circuses. Some European countries -- but not yet the UK -- have banned the use of wild animals in circuses.

There are a number of things to think about before visiting a circus.

Choose your show carefully or you may be inadvertently supporting harmful or even dangerous practices.

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Photo: © J McArthur, Born Free Foundation

retired to even worse conditions, or simply killed.

• Wild animals are unpredictable and dangerous to their handlers and the public. Close contact poses a risk of injury or death, and the transmission of diseases.

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The practice of animals performing in circuses is well-established and might be seen by some people as normal and acceptable. Only recently have animal welfare concerns been recognised, leading some countries to introduce more stringent rules and, in certain cases, ban or phase out the use of wild animals in circuses.

In general, animal welfare should never be compromised in the name of public entertainment. If you’re

thinking of going to a circus that uses animals, the safest option is not to.

However, if you are still determined to go, the following information will help you make an animal-friendly choice.

Wild versus domesticated animals Domesticated animals have been selectively bred over many generations for characteristics and traits to make them more able to tolerate life alongside humans.

Wild animals retain all their original natural instincts, and never fully adapt to human contact and control.

This means they can suffer serious psychological stress when kept captive and trained to perform circus tricks.

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Animals In Circuses

19 Photo: © Britta Jaschinski, Born Free Foundation

Welfare concerns Unnatural physical and social living environments, lack of privacy, extremes of noise and light, and frequent close proximity with people,

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Many of the acts required of performing animals are completely unnatural, and even harmful.

“Tricks” such as elephants standing on their heads or back legs, tigers jumping through hoops of fire and chimpanzees smoking cigarettes, all pose obvious risks to the individual animal.

Some bizarre and unnatural acts, like elephants painting or riding on bicycles, which are meant to be funny and entertaining, are likely to require abusive and painful training.

Abuse can include food deprivation, the use of physical force or emotional manipulation. Forcing a wild animal to accept close human contact often means separating it from its mother’s care at an early age. All this can cause serious long-term harm to the animal.

can all cause damaging levels of discomfort and stress for wild and domesticated animals alike.

Animals kept in captivity often become bored and frustrated with their restricted and barren surroundings. This lack of stimulation may cause them to develop strange, repetitive behaviours to try to cope with their stress. Big cats may constantly pace around their cages, and elephants frequently sway side-to-side. Both are examples of wild animals trying to cope with an unnatural, unrelenting and stressful environment.

Stress, harsh training, lack of suitable exercise, low levels of social interaction and mental stimulation, and a poor diet can cause animals in circuses to become unwell. Should this occur, few circuses have suitably trained veterinarians on staff and most practising vets do not have appropriate training to treat exotic and dangerous animals such as big cats and elephants.

Unwanted adults Once they have been trained to perform, wild animals can almost never be released into their natural habitats. As they become older, less mobile, more prone to ill-health and less useful to their owners, they may be retired to low-grade permanent facilities, sold on to zoos, or simply killed.

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Unnatural performances

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This also applies to wild animals that are born in captivity and have never experienced their natural habitat.

Even if an animal appears “tame” and compliant, its natural instincts and needs remain intact, as if it were living in the wild.

Although domesticated animals may be more used to human contact, it doesn’t necessarily mean that their training and living conditions are appropriate and can satisfy their physical, social and psychological needs.

Training wild animals to perform is stressful and potentially abusive

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Why it’s a concern • Direct human contact is unnatural for any wild animal. Forced and frequent contact can cause physical harm and mental distress to the animals involved, even if they appear outwardly to be fine.

• Training wild animals for human contact can involve unnaturally separating them from their mothers at an early age to make them dependant on humans for all their needs.

• Owners often regard their animals as simple property. By providing only the absolute basics, owners

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It is common in many countries for tourists to be offered the chance to pose for a photo with an animal. It can happen at a zoo, on the beach, even on a busy street, in a market or nightclub. You may be given the opportunity to have your photo taken with a lion or tiger cub, a reptile, a small primate, an exotic bird, even an elephant. What a great souvenir! Or is it?

Remember that things are not always what they seem and that holiday snap is likely to come with hidden costs. Behind that photo there could be an untold story of great suffering. The animal you are cosying up to may have been removed from its mother, endured painful and abusive training to force it to behave, live in dreadful conditions and face a short, miserable life.

may ignore their animals’ physical, social and psychological needs, keeping them on a poor diet, in cramped and unnatural conditions and without the company of others of their own species.

• Wild animals can be unpredictable and dangerous. People in close contact with them run the risk of injury or the spread of disease. To render the animals less dangerous, they are often mistreated and abused to make them passive and to perform on demand. In addition, they may be sedated with powerful drugs to keep them apparently docile, and their teeth and claws are sometimes painfully removed.

What you should know Offering souvenir photos with captive wild animals is commonplace in holiday destinations around the world.

Tourists are often approached by touts in the street offering the opportunity to take photographs with their animals, for a small fee.

They may speak good English and even offer reassurances about the origin of the animal, its care and welfare and living conditions.

It may be tempting to be snapped with a tiger or with a very cute slow loris. But just because it’s readily available, it doesn’t mean it is legal, regulated or acceptable from an animal welfare perspective.

Here are a few useful pointers to keep in mind before you pull out your camera (and your wallet).

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Animals In Holiday Photos

Handling and posing with wild animals can be hugely harmful

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Safety

Unnatural activity Close human contact and repeated handling is stressful for wild animals. They may struggle, become aggressive, or even attack their handler, so owners often reduce these risks with painful mutilations such as removing teeth, talons, claws or even tying jaws together.

Larger animals may be sedated with powerful drugs. If a large, wild animal appears to be surprisingly docile, it could have been drugged.

The animal may be in distress and pain; or hungry, hot or thirsty. Of course, you may not be able to read its feelings and it’s easy to assume that it seems to be fine, or is even “enjoying” the experience.

Wild animals (whether wild-born or captive bred) are unpredictable and

Unknown origins The animals are usually sourced from captive facilities, breeding centres or simply taken from the wild. The activities they are forced to take part in are often unregulated or may be illegal. Removing endangered animals from the wild may contribute to the risk of extinction faced by the species, and it is almost certain that these animals can never be released safely back into their natural habitats.

Poor welfare Owners may have limited knowledge of their animals’ basic needs and often raise them on poor and inadequate diets.

Animals are frequently kept in inappropriate conditions with little

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Uncertain futures What were once cute baby animals can become more difficult to handle as they mature into adults. Once they stop earning their owners money, they may be sold off to zoos, circuses, sold for meat or their body parts, or simply killed.

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Photo: © Born Free Foundation

can become aggressive. There have been several cases of larger animals, such as elephants and tigers, causing serious injuries and even killing people during photo sessions.

Wild animals can also pass on harmful pathogens such as salmonella or transmit dangerous diseases such as toxoplasmosis or rabies. Children, pregnant women, the elderly, and others with weak immune systems are at greater risk.

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space or opportunity to express their natural behaviour. They may be transported in small boxes, tethered or kept on perches for long periods, or subject to high temperatures with no drinking water, shelter or shade.

The lack of appropriate social conditions (for example, the company of others of their own species), and measures to address the psychological welfare of the animals concerned, only serve to make matters much worse.

All this, along with the stress of constant handling, can cause the animals to suffer physical and mental illness, or even die prematurely.

What are the circumstances that lead to animals becoming orphans?

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The Lucky Ones

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Tricia Holford Animal rescue coordinator, Born Free Foundation Tenerife, 1995. We stood watching as two lions paced in their tiny cage.

One and a half paces forwards, turn, one and a half paces back, turn... in endless, shell-shocked silence.

The classic indicator of captive wild animals in distress.

The only furniture in their cage was a narrow sleeping shelf. We could see rusty nails protruding from the wood.

The floor was littered with empty packets of dog food thrown between the railings. The corrugated iron roof

absorbed the beating Spanish sun, making the temperature inside ovenlike.

Another day in the life for an animal rescue officer at the Born Free Foundation.

Horrified tourists had alerted Born Free to the lions’ plight. We named them Raffi and Anthea and initiated a rescue mission. An exposé in a British newspaper helped raise public awareness and persuaded the authorities to confiscate the lions.

Britannia Airways donated the flights to a sanctuary in England.

Here Raffi and Anthea could run and walk on grass, perhaps for the first time in their lives. Seeing their excitement as they experienced this new world was a magical moment I’ll never forget.

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damaged by their captive experiences to survive.

The fortunate few animals that are rescued have their lives transformed.

Some of our high profile rescues have helped us close circuses and failing zoos and dolphinaria forever.

The success stories also help raise awareness of the many ways that captive animals are exploited for entertainment by the some aspects of the seedier side of the tourism industry.

However, faced with the scale of the problem, rescues will never be the solution. We have to ensure that the industry changes its ways, and compassionate tourists can lead the way by not visiting attractions that use wild animals in this way. If we vote with our feet, the money will dry up, and the businesses will become non-viable. It is our dream that one day wild animals will be found only where they belong -- in the wild.

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Photo: Karel Joseph Noppe Brooks © 123RF.com

Two years later they were offered a permanent home at the Shamwari Reserve in South Africa -- a beautiful, expansive, safe bush enclosure where they could experience the sights, sounds and smells of their ancestral homeland.

Raffi and Anthea were the lucky ones.

Concerned tourists have continued to alert us to the plight of captive animals all over the world and we have rescued more than 70 animals, from dolphins in a crumbling pool in Turkey, to leopards in a run-down zoo in Cyprus.

But it’s simply not possible to rescue every animal in need. There aren’t enough sanctuaries or resources for the sheer number of animals that have been caught up in the tourism industry.

Some rescued individuals can be released into the wild but in many cases the animals have been too

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Big cats belong in the wild, or in properlyrun sanctuaries

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• Keeping wild animals in captivity usually means housing them in an unnatural environment. Enclosures are frequently far too small and offer nothing like the complex natural habitats in which animals have evolved, preventing the animals from expressing normal behaviour and causing them significant stress.

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Why it’s a concern

Photo: © Born Free Foundation

• Life in captivity can be especially traumatic for animals like big cats, bears, elephants, and dolphins that, in the wild, travel vast distances and maintain enormous territories.

• Breeding programmes may not be what they seem and may be poorly regulated. Some zoos allow their animals to breed in order to trade with other zoos. Some breed because they know that ‘cute’ baby animals are good box office. In some cases they sell their surplus animals to wildlife dealers, or for hunting.

• The very worst zoos use their animals in cruel performances

or shows, or allow direct public contact between the public and wild animals for an additional charge, risking both human and animal health and safety.

What you should know Zoos have a long history, originating from private collections of wild animals kept by ancient kings and emperors as a way to demonstrate their wealth and power.

Public zoos emerged in the mid1800s as displays of exotic curiosities from far-flung corners of the world, sometimes as a way of indicating the extent and power of empire.

Conditions were usually appalling,

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Zoos are still a common fixture in towns and cities around the world and claim to provide plenty of entertainment for kids and adults alike.

Zoos commonly keep a wide range of animals in one facility, but some specialise in a certain type of animal: for example, aquaria specialise in fish, while zoos that keep dolphins or whales are known as dolphinaria. A safari park is a type of zoo that keeps its animals in much larger enclosures through which visitors can usually drive.

Zoos may keep anything from a handful of animals to thousands from hundreds of species.

Whatever their type and size, all zoos should meet the basic needs of

the animals they house. This includes providing a proper diet, adequate space and shelter, and an enriched environment that at least offers the opportunity for natural behaviour.

Unfortunately, these basics are not by any means guaranteed. Ultimately it’s your decision whether or not to visit a zoo. Reading up on the main issues first will help you make a responsible decision.

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Zoos And Safari Parks

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Wild animals kept in captivity require environments that match their natural instincts and needs, with features that encourage the expression of natural behaviour. For instance, burrowing animals should be able to dig, tree-dwellers should have vegetation and opportunities to climb, and animals that swim or wallow should have enough water to do so.

When wild animals are deprived of space and the ability to express their normal behaviour they become stressed and are more likely to fall ill and die prematurely.

In short, enclosures should be designed for the benefit of the animals, not for the entertainment of the visitor.

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Inadequate environments

Photo: Š J McArthur, Born Free Foundation

Unnatural behaviour Some unscrupulous zoos train their animals to perform tricks and stunts - parrots riding bicycles, or elephants standing on their heads, for example.

Some use animals as props for photos (frequently for an additional charge).

Any activity that involves a wild animal being used in performances should be avoided (see Animals In Circuses, p. 18).

Education and conservation

A life of captivity is traumatic for wild animals 30

More recently, zoos have been encouraged to play a bigger role in public education, fundraising for conservation efforts, and to take part in scientific research.

However, commitment to these efforts varies greatly from zoo to

zoo. If you visit a zoo, ask what programmes it actively supports, how many of the species it has helped return to the wild, how much money it invests in the protection and conservation of species in the wild, and what it is doing to reduce the impact of humans on wildlife populations and their habitats.

Bear in mind that zoos may make exaggerated or inaccurate claims about their role and commitment to conservation.

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in conditions that are a far cry from their natural habitats.

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with animals kept in bare cages in the most unnatural of environments.

Fortunately some progress has been made since then. In some countries there are rules requiring zoos to support public education, animal welfare and the protection of species in the wild. There have been moves towards creating more natural enclosures, restrictions on how zoos can breed and trade their animals, and even limited efforts to use zoos to help replenish declining wild populations. In countries such as the USA and in the EU, zoos are required to be licensed, although that is by no means always a guarantee of quality.

Despite this progress, most zoos exist primarily for visitor entertainment rather than conservation and animal welfare.

Scant regard is paid to animal welfare considerations and most zoos continue to keep their animals

31 Photo: Š J McArthur, Born Free Foundation

Elephant riding is harmful despite their strength and size 32

In Asia, humans have ridden elephants for nearly 4,000 years -- and elephants have been used in construction, timber extraction, religious festivals, royal parades and even in military campaigns -- however, many of these activities are now being re-evaluated in light of our growing appreciation and understanding of the behaviour and needs of elephants.

Today, captive elephants are still used and frequently abused in cultural spectacles across Asia and, increasingly, they feature as controversial components of holiday itineraries. Tourists are able to ride, feed and bathe elephants, watch them perform tricks, play polo or football, or they are able to buy pictures painted by elephants.

Demand from tourists, and the potential for big profits for the people who run these “attractions”, means that captive elephant tourism is now widespread across Asia and has spread to southern Africa.

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• Populations of elephants are threatened with extinction in the wild, yet elephants are often illegally sourced from the wild for use in the tourism industry.

• Wild juvenile elephants are forcibly separated from their families and taken into captivity to supply demand.

• Wild-caught and captive-bred elephants are usually subjected to abusive treatment to break

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Why it’s a concern

their spirit and make them more compliant.

• Trained elephants may be controlled by their handlers through a combination of intimidation and reward, which may involve the use of the ankus or bullhook -- a implement with a sharp steel point and curved hook which is used to stab, direct and compel the elephant to make it obey commands. It can cause pain, even significant wounds, especially to the more tender parts of the elephants, the feet,the joints and behind the ears.

• Elephants used for riding risk spinal injury, internal damage and wounds from ill-fitting saddles or seats.

• Captive elephants used in tourism may be kept in restricted, unnatural environments, may be chained for long periods, may endure many long hours without shelter, shade or drink, and are often required to live alongside unrelated and incompatible animals.

• Deprived of freedom of movement and appropriate social interaction with other elephants, captive elephants often become frustrated and bored, and exhibit distressed behaviours.

• Elephants are unpredictable and potentially very dangerous: tourists should not consider trained elephants as tame. Interacting with them directly is risky and should be avoided.

Exceptional, wild, and endangered Elephants are highly intelligent and social beings that live in complex family groups, or larger herds, comprising multiple generations.

They feel and express pain, suffering and distress, as well as affection, happiness, loss and grief.

Unlike truly domesticated animals such as horses, elephants are wild animals and remain extremely unpredictable and dangerous.

Elephants are immensely strong and fast and can cause severe injuries and

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Elephants have an almost magical hold on our imaginations. Millions of children are brought up reading “E is for Elephant”. These magnificent giants are a joy to watch, and bathing or riding one is a temptation for many tourists visiting Asia. It looks like great fun to sit atop a three-metre high wild animal while it lumbers through forests and across rivers. And surely it can’t harm such a massive beast, can it?

Unfortunately, it can, and it does.

There is a very dark side to the use of

elephants in tourism -- one that most tourists are simply not aware of.

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Elephant Tourism

33 Photo: © Born Free Foundation

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Young elephants are sourced from the wild to meet the increasing demand from tourist attractions. For example, a 2014 report by TRAFFIC, an NGO that monitors wildlife trade, said that some 80 wild Asian elephants were illegally captured to be sold to the tourist industry in Thailand between April 2011 and March 2013.

Maintaining control

even death. It is therefore unwise to regard them as tame, tractable or entirely safe. Direct contact between elephants and tourists should be avoided.

The Asian elephant is classified by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) as endangered, with the wild population numbering around 40,000 animals spread unevenly across 13 Asian countries. In Thailand, for example, there are thought to be between 2,500 and 3,200 wild elephants, while the captive population was estimated by the Government in 2012 to be 4,169, mostly used in tourism.

The African elephant is classified by the IUCN as vulnerable, with a continental population of about 400,000. African elephants are found

Most elephant control systems involve the use of the ankus, or

Elephants under human control are often denied the ability to move at will or to engage in natural behaviours like foraging, and are often kept alone or in unnaturally small groups, usually with unrelated individuals. They develop abnormal behaviours, which indicate poor welfare.

Males, in particular, can become extremely dangerous when they are in breeding season known as

in 35 countries and populations in some nations have been reduced by up to 60 per cent in the last 10 years.

Capture and training This usually involves great cruelty and stress for the animals. Young elephants are forcibly separated from their families, causing significant and continuing distress for the captured infant, its mother and the rest of the herd.

Before captured elephants can be used in tourism, they must be trained into compliance and to accept human control.

This brutal process, which is known as crushing, (keddering in India or phajaan in Thailand), usually involves the elephant being restrained by ropes or held in a crush-pen for days,

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Photo: Š Born Free Foundation

Captivity

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Illegal trade

bullhook. The ankus is usually used by the elephant keeper to control and handle the elephant by jabbing or hooking the head, the mouth, behind the ear, the joints and the feet, all of which are particularly sensitive areas.

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where they are deprived of food, water, sleep and the company of other elephants, and are beaten and terrified into submission.

Even bareback elephant riding involves abusive training methods

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35 Photo: Š Born Free Foundation

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Performance Training an elephant to perform in shows usually involves cruel and abusive methods. The animals are

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Elephants may be large, but they have not evolved to be ridden. In fact, carrying heavy burdens may cause spinal injury, damage their

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Riding

internal organs, or stunt growth. The elephant-riding industry is largely unregulated and unsupervised, and the elephants work long hours, can’t behave naturally, and are exploited simply for profit. Any kind of elephant riding is a cause for concern and should be avoided.

Photo: © Born Free Foundation

forced to behave in highly unnatural ways. Elephants have been made to walk on tightropes, to stand on their heads or up on their hind legs. It hardly needs to be said that such activities can cause an animal great discomfort, pain, physical and psychological injuries, and emotional distress.

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Sanctuaries and “orphanages”

Training elephants to perform invariably involves abuse and cruelty 36

While genuine sanctuaries exist, the terms “sanctuary”, “rescue centre” and “orphanage” can be used by less reputable or profit-driven enterprises to disguise operations that may handle wild-caught elephants, breed, trade or sell animals to other organisations, train the animals to perform tricks, allow them to be ridden and generally permit them

to be exploited as entertainment for tourists.

How to tell the difference? Genuine sanctuaries prioritise animal welfare over profits, do not use chains and tethers, allow the animals the opportunity to move at will and not on command, do not permit direct contact between guests and the elephants, and create opportunities for their elephants to freely associate with each other. Genuine sanctuaries do not permit animals to breed unless the group is destined for release to the wild. They provide short or longterm refuge and rehabilitation and, where necessary, lifetime care.

See our companion guide ‘Elephants In Asia, Ethically’ for further reading on elephant tourism.

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musth, a state that can last for several months. Unless their captive environment is specifically designed to contain them during this time of heightened aggression they are frequently chained for the entire period.

37 Photo: © Born Free Foundation

In many countries elephants are used by the tourism industry to give rides, as performers in shows and circuses and for other types of entertainment. But behind what seems like innocent fun lies a dark and disturbing reality.

Elephants are wild animals and cannot be domesticated. They are trained for human contact with a cruel and heart-breaking process that involves separating the calf from its mother at an early age followed by a prolonged period of beatings, starvation and torture to break the young animal’s spirit and force it into submission to its human master.

The inconvenient reality is that whenever you see an elephant used for human entertainment, it has undergone this brutal treatment to ensure passivity and obedience.

Over the last two decades I have worked to combat the illegal elephant trade and expose the trafficking of elephant calves.

Wildlife SOS has been able to save 27 elephants, bringing them to our rescue centres where we provide care and rehabilitation as they recover from their traumas. Watching these

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Kartick Satyanarayan Co-founder, Wildlife SOS

frightened animals regain their confidence has been a privilege and their amazing ability to forgive human beings is deeply humbling.

The only way that this unacceptable and horrific cruelty can be ended is by removing the demand for captive elephants in the tourism industry. It is our responsibility to ensure that no more elephants suffer for our enjoyment.

I understand the love and curiosity for elephants that drives people to want to interact with them. But rather than riding on their backs or paying to watch them perform in a circus, it is safer and more responsible to give them the dignity they deserve by visiting a reputable sanctuary, or going to a national park and seeing them in their natural habitat.

Learn more about Wildlife SOS and see how you can support their elephant rescue centres here: www.wildlifesos.org.

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The Truth About Elephant Tourism

Elephants are wild, vulnerable, and potentially dangerous creatures 38

39 Photo: Š Born Free Foundation

What you should know Most dolphinaria exist purely for the entertainment of paying visitors. There is usually very little focus on education or conservation.

Dolphinaria typically include some form of performance. Tricks include jumps, backflips, somersaults and tail walking, and acrobatics.

Some centres allow visitors to swim with or pet the dolphins and pose

Intelligent, far-roaming dolphins are entirely unsuited to a lifetime in captivity

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• Cetaceans are intelligent social mammals that range over vast distances in the wild, and are poorly-suited to life in captivity.

In comparison to their natural habitat, dolphinarium tanks are tiny, unnatural environments that lack the features and space that these animals need. Deprived of space and stimulation, they can become stressed, develop abnormal behaviours and can become aggressive to each other and to people.

• Dolphinaria are often stocked with animals captured from the wild.

Breeding is relatively uncommon and calves are frequently separated from their mothers prematurely to stock other dolphinaria.

• The animals are often used in public shows which include performing completely unnatural tricks such as tail walking, balancing balls and spinning hoops.

• As a result of the stress of captivity, cetaceans, especially orcas and beluga whales, are more likely to die at a young age.

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Dolphinaria (or dolphinariums) are zoos that primarily keep dolphins, whales and porpoises -- collectively known as cetaceans -- for public display and performances. Some dolphinaria allow visitors to swim and directly interact with the animals.

The animals are usually kept in small smooth-sided tanks or in sea-pens.

There are more than 300 dolphinaria worldwide, housing more than 2,500 cetaceans in captivity. Most are in Japan, China, North America and Europe, and while the number of dolphinaria is in decline in Europe, the number is growing rapidly in China, the Middle East and Russia.

The most common species kept in this way include the bottlenose dolphin, the orca (“killer whale”), the beluga whale and the harbour porpoise.

A dolphinarium often resembles a stadium with audiences viewing the performance from tiered seating.

Smaller ones may be attached to hotels or resorts, and some allow direct contact between visitors and the animals.

Dolphinaria have received lots of negative attention in recent years but, for some tourists, they remain popular places to visit. When deciding whether or not to visit one yourself there are some useful things to keep in mind.

Why it’s a concern

Photo: © Britta Jaschinski, Born Free Foundation

with them for photographs, usually for an additional fee.

In recent years public opinion has taken a major turn against dolphinaria, spurred by negative media coverage generated by high profile documentaries such as the 2013 movie Blackfish, which provided graphic evidence of animal suffering.

Most experts agree that a life in captivity is harmful to cetaceans. It seems clear that they cannot thrive in such unnatural conditions and there is little scientific reason to keep them in captivity.

Despite this, dolphinaria are still being built, especially in popular tourist areas in China, the Middle

East, North America and Russia.

Dolphins and whales continue to be captured from the wild to supply the demand, and multinational entertainment corporations continue to make huge profits from the captive cetacean industry.

Unsustainable sourcing Dolphinaria still use animals that have been captured from the wild.

Cetaceans are hunted and captured from the waters off Cuba, Japan, the African coast and the Russian sea of Okhotsk.

Aside from the cruelty involved in taking intelligent creatures from their natural habitats and social

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Dolphins And Captive Marine Mammals

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Cetaceans live in complex social groups, or pods. Different species have different diets and even different languages. Orca, the largest dolphin species, have been recorded swimming 150 kilometres in a day, and diving to depths exceeding 60 metres.

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large audiences, may cause them significant discomfort and stress.

Limited diet In the wild, cetaceans hunt a variety of prey depending on the environment and availability. In captivity, however, they’re usually given a bland diet of thawed frozen fish which lacks important nutrients. They may have to be given supplements and are sometimes force-fed to give them the necessary nutrition. The use of antidepressants has also been reported.

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Tricks and training

Tricks and performances are far from natural dolphin behaviour 42

Many dolphinaria train their animals to perform tricks. Some of these, such as jumping and catching food, are exaggerated versions of natural behaviour. Others, such as balancing balls, spinning hoops and swimming with trainers riding on their backs, are totally unnatural.

If you are still considering visiting a dolphinarium, look at how the dolphinarium markets and promotes its shows.

Premature deaths As a result of the poor conditions in which they are kept, and the stresses of life in captivity, mortality rates in dolphinaria around the world are significantly higher than they would be in the wild. Research indicates that beluga whales appear to live about half as long in captivity as they do when roaming freely in the oceans.

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Welfare concerns

Captive facilities are a tiny fraction of the size of range that dolphins enjoy in the wild. In a dolphinarium, different species from different geographical regions may be kept together in unnatural groups, which can lead to stress, aggression and physical injury.

Without space and with limited interaction and stimulation, these intelligent creatures can develop abnormal behaviours and mental anxiety, and tend to die younger than would normally be expected in the wild.

In the wild, dolphins are highly dependent on their ultra-sensitive hearing. The noise produced at a typical dolphinarium -- loud music, the hum and throb of pumps and filters, and the shouts of

Public safety Although many cetacean species appear cute and playful, as large wild animals and highly specialised predators they are naturally unpredictable and dangerous. There have been several reports of captive cetaceans attacking and even killing their handlers.

The animals may also carry bacterial and fungal diseases that can be transferred to humans through direct contact or sharing of swimming pools. The opposite is also true: human diseases may infect dolphins.

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groups, removing animals from the wild can also pose a threat to species conservation.

Dolphinaria also breed their animals, separating mothers from their calves at an early age to stock other facilities. In many dolphin species, the bond between mother and child lasts for years, and separation in captivity is stressful for both mother and offspring.

43 Photo: Š J McArthur, Born Free Foundation

When I began working in the field of marine mammal protection 25 years ago, I was one of a tiny number of scientists speaking out against the keeping of whales and dolphins in captivity. To me it seemed obvious that these large, wide-ranging, socially complex, intelligent predators could not be adequately housed in concrete tanks, even at the best facilities.

At the time this was an unpopular view. Most of the marine mammal science community assumed that cetaceans were fine in captivity and many of my colleagues felt I was allowing emotion to overwhelm my scientific objectivity.

Over the next decade and a half I honed my arguments, monitored the scientific literature and identified an increasing amount of research consistent with my position. Along with the efforts of dedicated activists, we made incremental but steady progress on changing the consensus on this issue. Some facilities were closed by protests; others were built despite them. Still, we moved slowly forward.

Then, in 2010, an orca named Tilikum killed his trainer, Dawn Brancheau, at SeaWorld Florida.

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Intelligent, far-roaming dolphins are entirely unsuited to a lifetime in captivity

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Naomi A. Rose PhD Marine mammal scientist, Animal Welfare Institute

This dramatic tragedy changed everything. I don’t really know why, but the media frenzy around this event seemed endless. There were major news stories, an investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (which ultimately banned waterwork -trainers performing in the water with the whales), the book Death at SeaWorld, and eventually the documentary Blackfish that reached millions of people.

Tilikum’s moment of violence was the tipping point that fully captured public awareness and anger, bringing popular opinion in line with years of science-based arguments. The science remains, but now it’s about right and wrong, kindness and cruelty, black and white (pun intended).

I have been fighting in the trenches of the campaign to end cetacean captivity for a quarter of a century.

It was a long, slow slog… until Dawn’s tragic death. The acceleration of debate since then has been breathtaking. It is clearly now a matter not of if, but when, the last dolphinarium will close.

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The End Of Dolphinariums?

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45 Photo: willyambradberry © 123RF.com

• The trade in wildlife and animal products is widely recognised as a major threat to many wildlife species. The illegal wildlife trade is thought to be worth as much as $20 billion a year.

Animal products in souvenirs directly contribute to cruelty and conservation concerns 46

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Why it’s a concern

Photo: © Born Free Foundation

• By its very nature, capturing and killing wildlife to produce souvenirs threatens the survival of the species as a whole and causes distress, cruelty and pain for the individual animals involved.

• Farmed or ranched animal products don’t necessarily minimise the threat to wild species or avoid individual animal suffering. In fact, they can create a demand for exotic animal products, putting pressure on wild populations, increasing illegal activities and creating wildlife law enforcement challenges.

• The illegal exotic animal trade is closely intertwined with other black market activities such as illegal hunting, drug smuggling, corruption and arms dealing.

• Capturing live animals may involve killing many other family members

and separating the animal from its relations at a young age, causing cruelty and distress. And it’s important to remember that wild animals can never be domesticated, they may be unpredictable and dangerous; they do not make good pets.

• The widespread illegal hunting of wild animals for food and the trade in bushmeat has become a major threat to the survival of many species.

What you should know Finding an exotic souvenir at a low price might seem like a bargain too good to refuse. After all, who doesn’t want to bring something special home to remember a holiday?

But buying products of animal or even plant origin can be an ethical minefield. Leather may be an

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We all like to bring great souvenirs and gifts home from our holidays -for many of us, the more unusual the souvenir, the better!

In many parts of the world you’ll find unusual, seemingly attractive and appealing souvenirs made from animal and plant products. You may be able to buy luxury items made from ivory, rhino horn, coral, shell, tortoiseshell, exotic hardwoods and animal skins, some of which are simply not available back home.

And in restaurants you might be tempted by the chance to try unusual food products such as bushmeat

(the meat of wild animals). In local markets you might even see live animals for sale.

It may well be illegal to bring many wildlife products and live wildlife specimens home in your luggage, but you can play a positive role in protecting endangered wildlife by being a responsible shopper, and being mindful of your animal footprint when choosing souvenirs.

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Responsible Shopping

47 Photo: © Born Free Foundation

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seems like an innocent keepsake can lead to a lot of trouble if it’s discovered by the authorities at the border.

Being a responsible shopper is one of the most important ways to minimise your animal footprint while abroad. Consider the following tips to help make the right decisions: Products such as ivory, rhino horn and animal shells account for a significant part of the trade in wildlife.

Between 2013 and 2017, nearly 5,500 rhinos were killed in South Africa alone. Between 2010 and 2013, more than 100,000 elephants were

Photo: © Born Free Foundation

killed in Africa to supply illegal ivory markets - that’s more than one fifth of the known wild population. Big cats are poached and trophy-hunted for their skins, and turtles for their shells.

Products made from animal parts, may directly contribute to the worldwide demise of threatened species, and might be illegal.

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Coral

Think before you buy: Where did these animals come from?

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Ivory, horn and shells

Although they may look like plants or even inanimate rocks, corals are actually living animals that cluster together in their billions to create colourful reefs and provide an invaluable habitat for fish and countless marine species.

Unfortunately due to climate change and rising sea acidity, coral is in serious decline worldwide. Coral

mining and irresponsible tourism make them even more vulnerable.

The gathering of coral for sale to tourists is big business, but the trade is extremely harmful to the ecosystem and is contributing to the decline of many corals, particularly pink and red species.

Many types of coral are protected by international treaties and local laws but buying coral products is extremely widespread and is contributing to coral decline and may be illegal.

Reptile skins Reptile skins are commonly used to make souvenirs and exotic gifts. Skins are taken from crocodiles, alligators, caimans, boas, pythons, and lizards among others, to create products as

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everyday item at home and many people still eat meat, so what’s the difference with animal products for sale abroad?

The big questions are: How was that souvenir made? Did it involve the capture and killing of a wild animal, possibly from a threatened species? Did its production involve cruelty and suffering? Has producing it contributed to the destruction of habitat, the decline of wildlife or the exploitation of vulnerable human communities?

And it’s important to remember that certain animal products are illegal in many countries, although it’s not always easy to know the legal status of what we’re purchasing. What

49 Photo: © Born Free Foundation

Live animals

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The global trade in live wild animals is a multi-billion dollar industry, and is largely illegal and unregulated. Wild animals are captured and brought into Europe and other markets to be sold as exotic pets. All sorts of species are involved, but some of the most common include parrots and other birds, tortoises, turtles, reptiles and fish.

Removing a live animal from the wild may require the killing of its mother or other family members and causes significant distress to the animals involved. It may also threaten the future of the species.

Laws on the trade and use of live and wild animals vary from country to country and are not always properly enforced, but it is usually illegal to buy a live animal that has been taken from the wild. It is also always illegal to bring live animals back home

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Steer clear Some souvenirs that are best avoided outright: • Coral jewellery and trinkets.

• Anything that uses shells, either from marine or land animals. This includes tortoiseshell products.

• Ornaments or accessories made from starfish or seahorses.

• Anything made from ivory.

• Clothing or accessories made from animal skins, such as reptiles, gazelle and big cats, even when labelled as farmed or ranched.

• Wood carvings made with ebony, rosewood and other rare hardwoods.

• Porcupine quills.

• The feathers and eggs of many bird species.

• Animal horns such as antelope or rhino.

• Spiders, butterflies and other insects.

• Traditional medicines made from animal parts and products.

• Many species of cacti, snowdrops, orchids and epiphytes.

• Live animals.

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without the necessary import and veterinary documentation. Getting caught at the border guarantees stiff penalties.

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varied as shoes, wallets, coats and belts.

One in five species of reptiles is listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List as threatened with extinction, and the demand for reptile skin products is recognised as a major contributor to the decline.

Reptile skins are often sold as farmed, but in many cases this is used as a smokescreen to cover illegallycaught wild animals. Even if you buy skins from genuinely-farmed animals, the conditions in which these animals are bred, reared and slaughtered, are largely unregulated and often barbaric and cruel.

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The trade in ivory directly supports wild animal poaching

51 Photo: © Born Free Foundation

Why it’s a concern • Chasing wildlife, following the animals too closely, or crowding the animals with too many people, can cause distress and can disrupt their normal behaviour. Family

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What you should know Wildlife viewing has become a hugely popular holiday activity. It can either be the sole focus of a trip, or be a shorter excursion or day out. Most of us, it seems, love to see fascinating, colourful and charismatic animals in the wild.

The variety of opportunities on offer is astounding, from the exotic and thrilling: diving with whale sharks in Australia, trekking to see orangutans in Borneo, spotting tigers on safari in India, or observing the wildebeest migration in Kenya and Tanzania, to specialist trips such as birdwatching holidays, whale watching or citizenscience expeditions in support of research.

If managed well, such trips can provide important support for wildlife conservation and protection.

As the popularity of wildlife viewing holidays grows, it’s essential that

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Only book safaris with a responsible tour operator

Photo: © Anita Ritenour (flickr CC BY 2.0)

visitors check before they buy and make sure their chosen operator follows best practice guidelines including: Book responsibly Always aim to book your trip with a responsible tour operator, or through a responsible travel agency. Note that travel agencies often sell trips on behalf of another provider. Try to find out who the actual supplier is and ask about their approaches to animal welfare and conservation.

Avoid operators that appear to endorse an irresponsible attitude to animal welfare. Some obvious warning signs: Do their marketing materials show tourists getting too close to -- or holding -- animals? Do they also offer some of the other activities covered earlier in this guide which are best avoided?

Keep a safe distance Getting too close to wildlife, approaching animals head-on or pursuing and encircling them is likely to disturb them and cause distress.

Approach wildlife at an angle, which is less threatening than coming at them head-on. Movements must be steady and predictable.

The correct distance varies on the species but in general your presence shouldn’t alarm the animals, cause them to flee, or change their normal behaviour. If the animals appear disturbed, you should move away immediately.

Noise, such as the sound of engines, and laughter or shouting, should be kept to a minimum. Engines should be switched off when stationary and vehicle horns or fog horns on boats should never be used.

Bright lights and flash photography will startle an animal, possibly costing it a meal or even its life. Where night drives are legally permissible, the

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As we’ve seen in previous chapters, tourists often encounter wild animals in a variety of unnatural settings. Seeing animals in their natural habitats seems like a great alternative. We can observe individual animals and species interacting naturally with each other as part of their ecosystem. Their behaviours are natural and, if we are responsible and respectful, our presence should have minimal negative impact. Plus, by visiting national parks and reserves we can directly support conservation efforts.

But we must tread carefully and remember that we’re entering an animal’s natural habitat and that our presence can disrupt or affect the animal’s normal behaviour. If poorly managed, viewing in the wild may be just as harmful to wild animals and their environments as the impact on individual animals caused by some of the captive situations featured in this guide.

Supporting well-managed wildlife reserves is one of the best things we can do for compassionate conservation, and community development. Here’s how to make it a positive experience.

groups are easily separated, leaving younger animals vulnerable to predators.

• Loud or unnatural noise -- shouting and laughing, or the sound of engines -- is also disruptive.

Exhaust, litter and other forms of pollution can kill wildlife, and vehicles driving off-road can damage habitats and nests.

• Unscrupulous operators attract wildlife with food which disrupts their normal foraging and hunting.

• Direct contact with wildlife is potentially life-threatening and risks transmitting dangerous diseases between humans and animals.

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Viewing Animals In The Wild

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Don’t interfere

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Absolutely no direct contact should be made between wild animals and people, including the guides.

This can be highly stressful for the animals concerned, run the risk of transmitting diseases, and can, potentially, cause injury or even death. If you are observing wildlife from a vehicle, never get out of the

Be sure not to disturb, crowd, or approach animals in the wild 54

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Litter, including plastic bags, batteries and cigarette butts, can be ingested by wildlife, causing injury or even death. Make sure you don’t drop anything and dispose of your rubbish properly.

Avoid causing unnecessary damage to the environment. For example, scuba divers should never touch corals, which are easily broken and killed, and should avoid smothering marine life with clouds of sand or silt.

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Leave only footprints

car unless instructed to do so by your guide.

The skin of certain marine and reptile species is sensitive and easily damaged by human contact.

Poisonous chemicals such as mosquito repellent can cause serious harm.

All animals have very specific diets and feeding them different foods could make them ill. Feeding wildlife can also change their social and feeding behaviour, encouraging begging, causing conflict between other animals, and increasing the likelihood of aggression towards humans.

Chumming or luring sharks with fish and blood has been shown to cause significant changes in shark behaviour, causing them to spend more time closer to the surface and increasing the likelihood of shark attacks on people. Shark cage diving is controversial, even when responsibly operated, and those who use chumming techniques should be avoided as well as those operators who advertise their trips as an

Photo: © Born Free Foundation

“adrenaline-rush adventure” rather than an ecotourism experience.

Luring wildlife by playing tapes of animal noises and mating calls can displace them from their natural territories or cause aggression between animals.

If travelling in a group, don’t be shy.

If you see or experience unacceptable human behavior that has a negative impact on wild animals, be sure to speak out. If you cannot prevent the behaviour at the time by voicing your concerns, contact your tour operator and register your disapproval.

Conversely, if you have a great experience, thank and reward your guide appropriately and let your tour company or agent know that you appreciate their conscientious approach to what should be a magical experience for all.

Manage expectations Part of the joy of seeing animals in the wild is that you’re visiting them in their own environments and witnessing their natural behaviour.

Inevitably there will be times when the animals are less active or visible, depending on the location, the season, or even just the time of day.

Do your research before you travel and find out the best time of year to view the wildlife you most wish to see. If the animals aren’t active when you visit, don’t be disappointed: this is not a zoo. It’s all a part of a respectful approach to the natural world that you’re visiting. It’s important that tourists don’t pressure their tour guides into manipulating the situation to make viewing the animals easier, or to set up that once in a lifetime photo opportunity.

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use of naked searchlights should be replaced with red filtered lamps that do not disturb wild animals.

55 Photo: © Born Free Foundation

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Photo: Amrit Takhar Š 123RF.com

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natural habitats should always leave those animals off their tour.

When in doubt, ask questions. Real sanctuaries are transparent about their practices and will be excited to answer your questions. You should walk away feeling that the animals have a great life in a clean, safe and spacious environment.

For more information about best practices of animal care, safety and operations of true sanctuaries, visit the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries at www.sanctuaryfederation.org.

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Lots of travellers enjoy experiencing wildlife while on holiday but, as this guide shows, it’s not always easy to find and choose facilities that genuinely support animal welfare and conservation.

Visiting a wildlife sanctuary is a great way to see wildlife and support the work of charities caring for animals that have been displaced, exploited and abandoned.

There are sanctuaries all over the world. Some care for animals whose habitat has been destroyed, others care for animals that have been the victims of the pet trade or survived the entertainment industry. In a good sanctuary, the animals get a second chance on life. The goal is to provide each animal with the best possible quality of life it can have outside its natural habitat.

Unfortunately, not all sanctuaries are created equal. Many lack sufficient funds to care for the animals properly. Others lack the necessary expertise to provide for the unique needs of each species.

And many sanctuaries fall into the trap of commercialisation -- opening their doors to paying visitors at the expense of the animals’ well-being.

How can you visit a sanctuary without feeling like you are contributing to the exploitation of animals? One easy way is to check if

animals are missing a big opportunity -- one that benefits both you and the creatures in their care.

Guides also provide oversight to protect both animals and visitors.

They enforce the precautions in place to ensure that all visitors remain safe and limit any stress to animals.

Finally, no true animal sanctuary allows visitors to get close to animals that are candidates for release back into the wild. Most wild animals have a natural fear of humans which is important for their survival. Animals that get used to being near humans are at greater risk of conflict with people once they are returned to the wild. This can have deadly consequences. Sanctuaries intending to release animals back into their

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Kellie Heckman PhD

the sanctuary has been accredited

by Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries. Accredited sanctuaries have undergone a thorough review of their care, safety and operations practices, and meet a set of rigorous standards written with each species in mind.

If a sanctuary is not accredited, the sanctuary may still be a good choice to visit -- some are not yet accredited, and may be working toward that goal.

Here are a few other warning signals to help you make an informed choice.

Firstly, no true animal sanctuary will ever let you touch a wild animal.

Direct human contact can be stressful for the animal and dangerous for the handler; a real sanctuary should be promoting natural social bonds within species, not habituating them to human contact.

Be aware that in some so-called sanctuaries the animals that appear to have been rescued have actually been purpose-bred, in order to provide photo opportunities to paying tourists. This is a sad practice that actually increases the number of wild animals in captivity.

Secondly, no true animal sanctuary will allow you to tour the facility without a guide. Good sanctuaries will explain the specific circumstances of the individual animals. Each animal has a heartbreaking story of cruelty and thoughtlessness that led to its captivity.. Without a guide it’s easy to miss these individual stories and see the animals as a source of entertainment. Sanctuaries that allow you to walk freely among the

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How To Find A Real Sanctuary

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59 Photo: Владимир Григорьев © 123RF.com

Report your concerns to Born Free Eye-witness reports about wild animals in captivity provide Born Free with invaluable information.

If you visit a zoo or other captive animal facility and see poor conditions, cruel treatment or strange behaviour, or if you encounter animals being exploited in a circus or show, you can report it to Born Free.

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Report your concerns

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Your eye-witness reports help Born Free gather evidence, investigate problems and, where possible, alleviate animal suffering. Use this form to report your concerns at any time: www.bornfree.org.uk/reportanimal-suffering

Who to write to The Embassy or High Commission for the country concerned UK residents can find the details of the relevant country’s Embassy or High Commission on the website of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Here you will find a link to the London Diplomatic List, which provides the details of country representatives in London, the name of the Ambassador Extraordinary Plenipotentiary or the High Commissioner, and the postal and/or email address of the embassy.

Non-UK residents can find the details of the relevant country’s Embassy or High Commission in your home country at www.embassy-worldwide.com.

The national tourist office for the country concerned For UK residents – The National Tourist Office for many countries can be found on the website of The Association of National Tourist Offices and Representatives (ANTOR).

For both UK and Non-UK residents – The Tourism Authority based in the country concerned can be found on the website of the World Tourism Organization UNWTO.

Information your letter or email should include:

It is important that they hear directly from concerned customers and tourists. Many places state that ‘they never receive any complaints’, so please make your concerns known.

• The date of your visit.

• What you have personally witnessed: what animals you saw or are concerned about.

• Where you saw the animals, the name of the facility/attraction, location and country.

• Describe the sort of conditions they were in or how the animals were treated.

• Explain if the animals were being made to perform tricks and what they were doing.

• Describe your feelings at the time.

• Ask direct questions that require an answer, such as: can you assure me that my concerns will be investigated? Are you aware that this treatment is going on? What are the laws concerning the welfare of animals in zoos or circuses etc?

• If you took photographs you could include some with you letter or email.

Remember to ask for a reply and to give your contact details ( name, address and/or email.)

Your tour operator, travel agent or hotel They are obliged to investigate your concerns involving animals seen on an excursion or at a hotel or facility booked through or promoted by them. This should also ensure that animal welfare remains an important issue on their agenda.

Local media or national press Tell them about your experience and concerns. Sending them accompanying photographs may also spark an interest from the media.

What to write Effective letters or emails are short and concise. 300 words should be adequate to relay your comments and concerns. Be specific about why you are writing and what concerns you.

Remember that you visited a country to have a wonderful experience or you have perhaps paid an entry fee or bought a ticket, you therefore have the right to raise your concerns about the welfare of animals you have encountered.

Always be polite and courteous. You are less likely to receive an answer if you rant or are rude. You want the people that you are writing to, to listen and take you seriously.

Also send Born Free copies of any replies you receive - by email (zoocheck@bornfree.org.uk) or in the post to the UK office (marked FAO: Captivity Programme).

Compassionate Travel

You can also help by raising your concerns with numerous points of contact.

The zoo, captive facility or attraction itself

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This guide explores how you can vote with your feet (and wallet) to support ethical wildlife activities on holiday. But you might still witness examples of animal cruelty while abroad. Never underestimate your power as a tourist to help force the travel industry to change its ways.

In addition to making responsible choices, there are a number of practical things you can do to help combat animal cruelty in the tourism industry.

Write to the authorities

Resources Resources

Compassionate Travel The Issues

What You Can Do

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Flights & transport Round The World Flights - Long distance and round-the-world flight specialists. Personal service to help you find the right flight. www.roundtheworldflights.com Wanderu - Reduce your carbon footprint and make shorter trips by bus or train. Wanderu searches hundreds of services connecting 8,000+ cities across North America and Europe. www.wanderu.com

Caravanistan - A studiously updated online travel guide for Central Asia and the Silk Road. www.caravanistan.com Routes North - An independent travel guide to Scandinavia with city guides, money saving tips and accommodation reviews. www.routesnorth.com New Worlder - An online magazine covering travel, culture and food in the Americas. www.newworlder.com VoiceMap - Audio tours created by local journalists, filmmakers, podcasters, and guides in over 100 cities worldwide. The app uses GPS to play audio automatically, at the right time and place. www.voicemap.me Lonely Planet - Still the gold standard of printed, in-destination guidebooks. www.shop.lonelyplanet.com*

Reading Trip Fiction - A website that matches global works of fiction and travel related memoirs with the locations in which they are set. Search by location, author, or genre to find your perfect holiday read. www.tripfiction.com Maptia - Inspiring travel writing and thought-provoking stories that will make you want to get out and explore the world. www.maptia.com Conservation & responsible travel Born Free Foundation - An international NGO working to prevent animal suffering and protect threatened species in the wild.

Born Free provides information on how to enjoy an animal-friendly holiday. www.bornfree.org.uk

Travel advisories Travel Aware - The UK government provides British nationals with the latest travel advice and information at www.gov.uk/travelaware Travel.State.gov - The US State Department’s travel information and advisory portal. www.travel.state.gov Links marked with an (*) are Horizon Guides’ affiliate partners. Making a purchase via these links will earn us a small commission, without affecting the price you pay.

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Travel insurance World Nomads - Award-winning travel insurance for independent travellers from more than 130 countries. www.worldnomads.com*

Other guides Travelfish - Authoritative, indepth and reliable travel guides and coverage for Southeast Asia. www.travelfish.org

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Compassionate Travel The Issues

Travel Directory

Global Heritage Fund - An international nonprofit dedicated to the sustainable preservation of world heritage sites in areas of economic need. You can support their work here: www.globalheritagefund.org

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Sustainable Travel International Working towards improving lives and protecting places through travel and tourism. sustainabletravel.org

Resources

Resources

Ethical Travel Guide - Guides and travel advice on responsible tourism in destinations around the world. www.ethical.travel

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Compassionate Travel

Our holidays are precious: most of us work hard for that city break or two weeks in the sun, that opportunity to get away from it all, to indulge ourselves.

But the way we travel and the choices we make can make tourism better for us, and for our hosts. We can choose to travel and holiday better. Responsible travel is about using tourism to make better places to live in, because great places to live in are great places to visit.

Holidays should be carefree, but not careless. Very few of us want to trash the places we love to visit. Travel and tourism is what we make it – the small choices we make as individuals add up to make huge differences. Fly less. Recycle more. Avoid disposable plastic. When you walk into a hotel room and the temperature is down at 15° with all the lights and TV are on, complain at the front desk and ask to see the manager. Consumers are powerful if we all speak up.

Value the authentic local experience.

Forsake the hotspots and the trophy selfie, and seek out encounters with local people – our memories are made of shared experiences. Seek out local shops, local artists and crafters and buy from them – it will likely be a better experience for you and you will be contributing to the local economy.

Travel with respect and you will be treated with respect, aspire to be a temporary resident and enjoy

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Harold Goodwin

your experience of the other, with the other. Think hard before doing things abroad that you wouldn’t do at home. You wouldn’t expect to visit an orphanage or teach children, unqualified, at home – so why is it OK to do it abroad? Seek out the opportunities for authentic encounters with local people in parks, at the theatre, in markets – forsake the tourist tat and the tourist traps.

To be a holidaymaker or a traveller is to be a guest in someone else’s place.

Follow Robert Frost’s advice in The Road Not Taken: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less travelled by, And that has made all the difference.

Resources

Compassionate Travel The Issues Resources

Travelling To A Better World

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65 Photo: Alexey Poprotsky © 123RF.com

Compassionate Travel

You can support Born Free’s important work by making a donation, purchasing a gift or even adopting an animal.

Learn more on their website: www.give.bornfree.org.uk.

The Issues

The Born Free Foundation is an international charity which works to prevent individual animal suffering, protect threatened species, and keep wildlife in the wild.

The charity was founded in 1984 by the actors Bill Travers MBE and Virginia McKenna OBE, stars of the iconic film Born Free, and their son, Will Travers OBE. From small beginnings, the Born Free Foundation has grown into a global force for wildlife, but one which remains true to its roots. Described by The Times as “Big enough to make a difference, but small enough to care”, Born Free describes itself as a family of likeminded people who share the same goals: to save lives, stop suffering and protect species in the wild.

Born Free’s emergency teams rescue vulnerable wild animals from lives of misery and give them lifetime care at spacious sanctuaries. Born Free saves orphaned big cats, great apes and elephants and provides their food and care.

As human populations expand, wildlife comes under increasing threat. Born Free is determined to try to halt the race to extinction by protecting rare species in their natural habitat. Working with local communities, the foundation finds solutions for people and wildlife to live together.

Born Free also works to lobby policy makers and capture public imagination with high-profile campaigns against the ivory trade,

sport hunting, or the exploitation of wild animals in zoos and circuses.

Born Free enjoys the support of a roster of celebrities, including Joanna Lumley, Martin Clunes, Bryan Adams, Jim Moir (Vic Reeves), Helen Worth, Jenny Seagrove, John Cleese, and Amanda Holden, alongside tens of thousands of individual supporters.

Resources

Compassionate Travel The Issues Resources

About Born Free

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67 Photo: © 123RF.com

The Issues

What we do We create guides to help you find, plan and book your next adventure.

Each of our guides is researched and authored by travel writers with indepth local knowledge and first-hand expertise.

100% impartial The information in our guides is 100% impartial and guaranteed free from any commercial influence. We never accept payment for positive coverage.

Resources

Travel far, travel well

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We believe that travel has the power to change ourselves as people and the world around us, usually for the better.

But we also know that irresponsible mass tourism can be culturally disruptive and environmentally damaging.

Running through all our guides is a common theme: that travel is best when we’re open, curious and mindful of our footprint. We’re on a quest to promote a vision of travel that is sustainable, responsible and adds to the world rather than taking away.

Elephants In Asia, Ethically Humane experiences with Asia’s sacred animal 2nd Edition (2017)

The Great Wildebeest Migration Exploring Africa’s biggest wildlife phenomenon

Compassionate Travel

Also In This Series

2nd Edition (2017)

Undiscovered Sri Lanka Getting off the tourist trail in Sri Lanka

Visiting Antarctica Responsible travel to the White Continent

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We publish guidebooks to incredible experiences and thrilling destinations. We exist to inspire our readers’ curiosity and wanderlust with useful guides to fascinating places.

Our partners are all carefully selected small and independent operators who share our mission. You will never see a Horizon Guide on all-inclusive resorts or mega cruises. We’re here to celebrate real places, authentic experiences and mindful travel.

We're proud to support the following organisations who are working to make the world a better place for all: • Born Free Foundation • Global Heritage Fund • Sustainable Travel International • The Ethical Travel Guide

1st Edition (2018)

1st Edition (2018)

Walking With Gorillas Tracking the gentle giants of East Africa 1st Edition (2018)

Machu Picchu And The Galapagos Made Easy Demystifying South America’s top two destinations 2nd Edition (2017) Resources

Compassionate Travel

About Horizon Guides

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