There are all sorts of reasons to travel: discover an exotic place, hike in the wild, visit historical sites or vibrant cities, interact with the local folk, etc. Among them, the love of animals and the desire to meet them are strong enough to have generated a whole section of today's tourism, wildlife viewing tours.
However, given the considerable craze around this industry and the windfall it represents, many unethical excursions have developed that participate in illegal exploitation, based on captivity and/or animal abuse. Sometimes, it is the tourists themselves who exhibit harmful behavior.
Discover the different types of activities that you can encounter as part of an wildlife viewing trip in order to make an informed and responsible choice.
Excursion from one hour to half a day
In many usual organized trips, depending on the country you are in and its immediate availability of wild animals, a short activity may be offered to you to access wild species. Riding an elephant, meeting dolphins or whales in motorboats, approaching tigers in a monastery, etc. However, most of these activities are carried out on or with animals that are drugged, tortured or alienated in conditions that are destructive to their development.
If one or more of the following conditions are met, the excursion and its participants will be contributing to the suffering and torture of these animals.
The animals are in captivity and/or are the subject of a show
You can touch/ride on wild animals
You can get close enough to touch them
You chase the animals to see them up close
You can feed the animals
There is noise and/or commotion around the animals
The number of spectators is significant
To ensure that your service is eco-responsible and that no animals are endangered, ask your tour operator if any of these conditions exist in the program. If so, refuse the excursion and protest!
These practices should not be found in any animal observation experience, whether it takes place for a day or over three weeks. Be very careful before choosing your service provider.
Volunteering in an animal shelter
Volunteering in a sanctuary is a very tempting experience because the idea is attractive to be as close as possible to the animals. Although it is not ideal, as the individuals are generally in captivity, it does allow you to learn how to treat or care for them, including preparing and distributing meals, cleaning enclosures, collecting and classifying data or photographs, setting up enrichment activities, etc. The tasks you will be given will not necessarily be brilliant or put you in contact with the animals. The most serious sanctuaries will not even allow it if you only stay for a few days.
Here too, let's be careful, many sites are shelters in name only and do not care so much about animal welfare or the training of their volunteers as about your financial contribution. Before choosing your volunteering, find out how the structure works, which must display all of the following elements:
Recognition by international and/or governmental institutions for its work in animal protection and conservation
An ethical charter committing it to animal welfare and respect for the environment
Animals can never be touched (unless you are a keeper)
Observation is done from afar
The center's activity is organized according to the animals' rhythm
Not all animals are accessible to all volunteers
A minimum stay of 3 weeks is preferable to access certain animals
Wildlife viewing tours in nature
The most respectful option for animals is, by far, to observe them in their natural environment. Even if it is still possible to contribue to mistreating animals unintentionally while observing them in the wild, you can make sure, to avoid irresponsible structures, that none of the destructive practices mentioned earlier are on the agenda.
To guarantee the activity will be conducted by professionals committed to providing a responsible service, respectful of the environment and the well-being of animals, check that the following practices are observed.
Observation from afar (with binoculars in particular)
Observe in silence
No certainty of meeting all the animals
Small groups of visitors
Silent walk: no music, no shouting, no discussions
Once an animal is spotted, avoid sudden movements
No photo flash
Wear clothes that blend in with the surroundings
Evaluate and compensate your carbon impact
Waste management in dedicated bins (organic, recycling, etc.)
The idea today is not only that tourism should not destroy the local environment but above all that it participates in its development. Contributing to the local economy with associations and ethical local businesses helps to strengthen the preservation of the environment and to make the actions implemented by these structures sustainable.
To learn more about the reconciliation between tourism and animal welfare, browse the documentation of the excellent travel agency Voyage sauvage, which is committed daily to raising awareness and protecting animals and their environment.
Choose your activity
To choose the experience that will suit you best, it is important to identify the reasons for your watching animals, but also your limits.
If your goal is to touch animals, it is best to look for volunteering around domestic animals: cat and/or dog shelters. No company allowing you to touch wild animals works for their well-being, on the contrary. Making them harmless to human touch necessarily requires mistreating them to the point of making them deny their deepest instincts.
If you are physically limited and/or cannot venture into nature for long, there are small sites (monkey forests for example) where discovering several sedentary species can be done in less than an hour, while respecting all the precepts of observation in nature. Otherwise, you can travel long distances on a photo safari, in African reserves in particular, with an ethical agency working in compliance with environmental conservation.
In all cases, communicate in advance with your travel agency to clarify your needs, your wishes and create the trip that will suit you best, while respecting the animals.
If you ever witness animal abuse, please report it to Pact for Wildlife.
Comments