Beaten, drugged and humiliated: This is The Reality of the Wildlife Tourism industry
Posing for a tiger selfie, riding on the back of an elephant, watching dolphin shows: up to 110 million people visit Wildlife Tourism attractions every year. Yet behind the shows and performances there is a dark side to this industry.
Many animals have been stolen from their families in the wild and are forced to live in inhumane conditions. Their spirits have been broken by handlers, who beat them into submissive states. They then live the rest of their lives in squalor and are abused and mistreated on a daily basis. Research shows that over 550,000 animals worldwide are suffering for our entertainment.
Allowing listings for tourism activities such as animal performances, animal selfies, swimming with dolphins, petting big cat cubs and elephant rides, sends a very confusing message to the millions of people around the world who use TripAdvisor.
Being associated with a prestigious multinational company such as TripAdvisor gives legitimacy to these activities, encourages travellers to attend them, and gives a financial incentive to companies to continue their abuse of animals.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Asia for Animals coalition have come together to author a letter addressed directly to James Kay, Director of Corporate Communications at TripAdvisor. In it, we outline an action plan and urge them to take steps to stop endorsing this kind of cruelty. Read the letter HERE.
Please, if you are travelling in Asia (or anywhere), avoid any attractions which involve animals. Even if they seem legitimate at first, our member organisations have a wealth of evidence that this is almost never the case.