Wildlife Tourism: Is it ever ethical?

Ethical Wildlife Tourism

Travelers tend to love animals, and often, people who love animals also want to see animals.  We want to get as close as we can to the wildlife in order to learn from these animals, to photograph them and have a meaningful interaction, but the reality is that many of the tourists attractions promoting wildlife experiences around the world are run as businesses and often disregard the well-fare of animals in favor of making profit. This is the time to empower yourself and learn about ethical wildlife tourism! Think of elephant rides, photo opportunities with tiger, and swimming with dolphins, all these experiences are putting these wild creatures to work in ways that are unnatural to them. 

There is a dark truth behind wildlife tourism and it is primordial that as concerned travelers, we begin unraveling the secrets of these industry in order to create a reliable guide for doing wildlife tourism the right way. I have taken part in many wildlife experience, both good and bad, and in this post I want to share the knowledge I have gathered along the way in order to make your experience one that is both respectful of the wildlife but also enriching for you. 

First, let us look at some numbers. More than 500,000 wild animals worldwide, that includes elephants, tigers, dolphins and monkeys, are suffering for the sake of tourist entertainment. Depending on the conditions and species, these acts of cruelty include forced interactions with people, beatings and food restrictions. Although the awareness is growing amongst tourists worldwide, around 110 million people still visit these attractions annually. 

Here are a couple standards practices to avoid getting yourself in situations where you are unknowingly participating in harmful wildlife tourism. 

Ethical Wildlife organization: Elephant valley project, in Mondulkiri, Cambodia

Elephants bathing at Elephant Valley Project, in Mondulkiri, Cambodia

1. No to physical interactions

First and foremost, it is important to note that any experience that offers any sort of physical interactions with the animal in question is highly questionable. Professionals around the world are trained to interact appropriately with wildlife and as tourists we are generally not equipped to do so. 

2. Do your research 

I cannot stress this point enough! Doing research before engaging in any sort of wildlife tourism is incredibly valuable. Look for facilities where animals are notoriously respected, well-fed and have access to water at all times. The freer the animals, the better so pay special attention to the size of the enclosures. Also bare in mind that high rating on TripAdvisor are often not synonymous of good animal welfare standards and pay attention to the one and two star reviews to get a fuller picture. 

3. Look for warning signs  

Injuries are the number one red flag of any wildlife tourism. In addition, being chained, performing, interacting with tourists such as being washed, ridden or forcibly posed with are not normal behavior for wild animals and should therefore be avoided. Even for the ones born in captivity! I often compare these activities to an excited stranger suddenly invading your personal space to take a selfie with you. This might be fun and surprising the first time, but I can guarantee that by the hundredth time, this stranger will not feel fun anymore. Animals have personal space too, let us not forget that. 

4. Keep it wild

Seek experiences that offer observation-based exploration with animals freely engaging in their natural behaviors. Animal observation in national parks is one of the best way to get close to animals without disturbing their day to day lives. 

Supporting Manta Ray conservation, in Bali

Swimming over the great barrier reef, in Australia

5. Support conservation 

Remember that wildlife tourism can also be a great way to support conservation efforts all around the world, so don’t veto all wildlife tourism just to be on the safe side but rather take the time to carefully plan these special activities. Individual actions can make a collective difference and it also incentivizes the providers to grow in a more sustainable and ethical direction.