Asian Trails - Animal Welfare Policy

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PAPUA NEW GUINEA SINGAPORE
INDONESIA
CAMBODIA
VIETNAM

OUR COMMITMENT TO ANIMAL WELFARE

Animal Welfare is vitally important for the environment and for humans. Our vision at Asian Trails is for tourism to make a positive contribution to wildlife conservation and the welfare of animals, ensuring that no harm is caused to them.

We believe animals have the right to enjoy these five freedoms:

Freedom from hunger and thirst.

Freedom from discomfort.

Freedom from pain, injury and disease.

Freedom to express normal behaviour.

Freedom from fear and distress.

We do not promote the following:

Any form of hunting.

Sites with poor animal welfare. Animal performances or fights.

The buying or trading of endangered wildlife products.

We encourage responsible wildlife viewing and promote the following:

Obeying national and marine park guidelines. Ensuring guides follow and enforce respectful practices.

Maintaining safe viewing distances at all times. Never chasing or luring animals with food. Minimising the use of artificial light and noise during night tours.

Leaving natural objects undisturbed.

Captive Animals

While we prioritise wildlife viewing in natural habitats, we recognise that many captive creatures exist in our destinations due to the domestication of wild animals in local cultures and also habitat loss.

We partner only with suppliers who provide positive environments for animals, support conservation efforts, and educate both tourists and local communities.

When selecting animal excursions to promote, we ensure that:

Animal attractions have a valid legal licence.

Animals have been acquired legally.

Animals in captivity have continuous access to food and water.

Animals live in spacious and acceptable conditions.

Animals can behave naturally and socialise with their own species.

Animals are not trained or forced to participate in tourism activities.

Animals receive veterinary care and undergo regular health checks.

Animals are not drugged for the purpose of tourism activities.

Animals and visitors are protected through strict safety regulations.

Community-Based Tourism

Asian Trails is committed to preserving the local culture in each destination by promoting and supporting communitybased tourism projects. We ensure that communities follow safe and sustainable guidelines for animal activities offered to our guests, such as fishing, horse or pony riding and ox-cart rides.

Responsible fishing practices and animal care:

We do not promote catch and release fishing for the purpose of entertainment.

Fishing is not permitted in marine national parks or other protected areas.

Fishing of any species listed as protected on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is prohibited.

Animal riding is only supported when animals receive proper care, carry reasonable loads and safety is prioritised.

Elephants in Asia

Elephants have historically been revered and culturally significant to the extent that many still seek blessings from, and make offerings to them. They have participated in combat on behalf of ancient kings, helped construct temples and human habitation and they continue to play an important role in modern society.

In the past, these gentle giants were heavily involved in the logging industry across large parts of South-East Asia. Due to habitat loss and trafficking, they cannot be easily released into the wild. Given the high costs of their care, many mahouts (handlers) and their elephants have transitioned to tourism for a livelihood.

Asian Trails believes it is our duty – and that of other tourism stakeholders – to support communities that depend on elephants for their livelihood and whose elephants depend on their owners to provide for them. We are sensitive to the interdependence between elephant and human populations in our destinations.

As a priority, we promote camps and sanctuaries that have been established with the primary purpose of caring for retired working elephants, rescuing abused elephants and supporting the conservation of the species.

Guideline to choosing elephant experiences:

Follow the five freedoms, ensuring elephants have suitable shelter, access to a seasonally varied diet and clean drinking water and can socialize.

Elephants are not over-worked, have sufficient breaks and are not made to do unnatural activities such as standing on hind legs.

Mahouts are provided training and do not harm elephants

There are legal documents showing provenance of the elephants and no engagement in wildlife trafficking or illegal use of fauna or flora.

Preferred camps support local elephant conservation, as well as local communities.

For more information, camps are certified by Asian Captive Elephant Standards (ACES). ACES is dedicated to raising the standard of welfare, safety and management of elephants living under human care across SouthEast Asia. They respect the complex issue; the majority of elephants cannot be rewilded, tourism experiences can generate essential income for care, and also can contribute to this species’ conservation.

Prioritising Animal Welfare

The wellbeing of animals in our activities is paramount. Our product managers thoroughly audit animal experiences to ensure both client safety and animal protection.

To support this, our sales staff and guides receive in-depth training on our selection of animal-related tours and activities. We encourage our clients to follow our policies, so we can work together to promote the welfare and safety of animals across Asia.

Our Responsible Animal Experiences guides are designed to help clients make more ethical choices when booking animal experiences with us.

Stay up to date with our responsible travel initiatives: https://www.asiantrails.travel/responsible-travel

China
Cambodia
Singapore Thailand
Indonesia
Laos Malaysia Myanmar Vietnam

ASIAN TRAILS LTD (HEAD OFFICE)

183, 12th Floor, Regent House, Rajdamri Road, Lumpini, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand

Email: marketing@asiantrails.org

Website: www.asiantrails.travel

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