Just Say NO
When your travel agent offers a visit to any establishment that offers touching a wild species as entertainment – say no. Simon Espley – CEO Africa Geographic
Gridlock in the heart of Jaipur, India. I craned my neck out the window to see what was causing the slowdown. My breath caught in my throat as the back of an elephant rose above the sea of cars, bicycles, tuk-tuks, buses, camels, and trucks. A real live elephant – wow! A few days later our guide had a special surprise for us, an elephant to ride to visit a famous fort. I was thrilled, I had never been so close to an elephant. That was 2006.
I am ashamed I participated in a tourist attraction that used elephants. I was entranced by the wonder of Rajasthan, the rich colours, the novel aromas, the cacophony of sounds. What was a thrill for me was a nightmare for the elephant. I did not consider the life of elephants in the tourist trade. How their feet, designed for forest floors handled the hot pavement or their lungs coped with the diesel fuel and smoke. I did not ask how a wild elephant became a beast of burden, separated from its family and its natural environment. How such an intelligent animal was trained to follow the orders of its mahout (handler). The sobering answers these questions is shown in Wildlife SOS Refuse to Ride video
Lion in a roadside zoo in Ontario
When I returned to Rajasthan as group leader in 2014, I explained why we would not be riding elephants. Although Asian elephants are huge, they are not physically designed to carry people and the howdah (a platform like saddle). Organizations like Wildlife SOS that rescue these animals, describe the elephants’ spinal problems and awful wounds on their backs from carrying heavy loads. You can support their work by signing their Refuse to Ride 1 petition. If you are ever offered a ride on an elephant, JUST SAY NO.
Tiger in an Ontario roadside zoo
South Africa has a dark history of captive big cat industry, but abusive practices can be found in our own back yard. There’s a small zoo near our summer cottage. We took our grandkids once. I will never go back. There was an opportunity for people to pet and hold lion and tiger cubs. These cubs are only “pettable” when they are very young. The zoo promoted the experience as an educational opportunity. If the truth about where these cubs came from and what their future held was part of the show, I’m confident most people would refuse to participate. The cuteness of the cubs and the thrill of being so close to a wild animal is very seductive. The Netflix series Tiger King exposed the dark side to big cat breeding in North America. There is nothing redeemable about large animals in small enclosures – it is inhumane. It is animal abuse. JUST SAY NO.
Lion cubs belong with their mothers not as petting objects
When your child wants to ‘save’ lions, tigers or cheetahs by volunteering at a big-cat breeding or cub-petting facility – say no. When you are asked to donate to any charity or facility that offers petting or walking with wild species – habituated or not – say no. Elephant-back riding or chimp cuddling – no. Do the research beyond the glossy brochures and claims of conservation benefits such as research and re-introduction to the wild, ask pointed questions and say no if there is any element of touching as a benefit for visitors or volunteers. It’s that simple. Simon Espley – CEO Africa Geographic
Wild Choices is a valuable resource to help you you decide if you should Support (Acceptable) ; Support With Caution (Unclear) ; Avoid (Unacceptable) an experience with wildlife.
The thrill of being close to the animals I’ve loved since childhood never gets dull. Every safari is an opportunity to learn more about wildlife behaviour and fill my soul with the wonder of nature. Every encounter, including many that are up close and personal, has deepened my commitment to conservation of these extraordinary animals and their habitat. We have a responsibility to learn from our mistakes and call out harmful practices. We have a responsibility to make ethical choices when we travel.
“Do the best you can until you know better.
Then, when you know better, do better.”
Maya Angelou
To see wild animals in their natural habitat is the thrill of a lifetime