WORLD ANIMAL PROTECTION
Five wildlife attractions to avoid and why Many travellers visit wildlife attractions because they love animals, not realising these elephants, tigers and other wild animals are often exploited and abused. A good ground rule is if you can ride or hug, have a selfie or see a wild animal perform tricks, you can be sure it is cruel. Here are five of the cruellest attractions to avoid and why;
1
Elephant rides and shows Elephants used for rides and shows suffer through a torturous training process to make them accept human interaction. They are often kept chained and controlled with sharp metal hooks.
4
Visit one of the national parks in Sri Lanka home to the highest density of wild Asian elephants.
2
Holding sea turtles In Bali, tourists can pose for photos holding sea turtles. These naturally timid creatures experience great stress when handled, which can weaken their immune systems. Tourists may also accidentally drop struggling turtles, causing potentially fatal injuries. Six of the world’s seven species of sea turtle call the Great Barrier Reef home.
3
Performing dolphins Captive dolphins are confined in shallow, sometimes chlorinated pools where they suffer painful skin and eye irritations, sunburn and stress-related illnesses. Instead, see large pods of dolphins swimming freely near the lighthouse at Byron Bay, Australia.
5
Civet coffee Popular in Bali, Kopi Luwak is the world’s most expensive coffee. Plantations keep civets in crowded cages and overfeed them. They end up severely stressed and malnourished. Grab a cup of cruelty free coffee at cafes like Peloton Supershop in Bali.
Tiger selfies Tigers are taken from their mothers as babies, chained or kept in small cages with concrete floors to be used as photo props by tourists for hours on end. See tigers in their natural habitat in Ranthambore National Park in India, part of a national conservation initiative.
WORLD ANIMAL PROTECTION
World Animal Protection recommends seeing wild animals in the wild – where they belong. Visit www.worldanimalprotection.org.au for more tips to be an animal friendly traveller.