Ethical Animal Tourism Matters: Why Many Animal Encounters are Inhumane, and How to Find Ethical Alternatives

Raise your hand if you love animals!

I’m going to assume that you’re emphatically waving at me right now.

Would you jump at the opportunity to get up close and personal with them while you’re traveling? Maybe help bathe an elephant? Pet a rescued tiger? Volunteer some of your precious vacation in return for one awesome selfie snuggling a rescued baby sloth?

Well, I’m here to tell you: just don’t. Don’t do any of those things. You may not realize it, but all of those activities contribute to the seriously inhumane treatment of those very animals.

Even the places that call themselves “sanctuaries” often are anything but.

If you’re questioning just how poorly these animals are treated (and/or would like a good cry today), I encourage you to read this heartbreaking piece from National Geographic that came out in June of 2019, and helped a lot of people, myself included, realize just how bad the wildlife tourism industry can be.

Not all animal tourism is bad, though. There are some legitimate sanctuaries and refuges that do amazing work for animals, and make their money by being open to the public for ethical, non-intrusive encounters. It just isn’t always easy to tell the difference.

I am not a perfect traveler by any stretch of the imagination. I strive to constantly improve my sustainability practices, but I am still learning. And I will be the first to admit that I have participated in some unethical animal encounters. I didn’t know any better. And like so many other travelers who learn later what actually goes on behind the scenes, I would not have participated had I known.

Nowadays, I am significantly more aware of the pitfalls of wildlife tourism, and I am better able to find ethical animal tourism alternatives, for myself and my family.

I have gathered below a list of popular but unethical animal tourism activities. For each activity, I’ve listed an ethical alternative that is similar and can be found within the same region. I’ve spoken from my own experience where possible, and asked a few friends to contribute their experiences, as well.

This list is far from exhaustive, but I hope that it gives you enough background to begin to determine for yourself whether any animal encounter that you consider in the future might be ethical or not.

My intention is not to shame anyone who has participated in these activities, but to help spread awareness. When you know better, you do better, right? My goal is that more families will understand that what you see is not always what you get, and learn to research any animal encounter before they participate, so that they do not regret their participation later.

A note about the featured photo: camel riding is a gray area. There are some tours that do it (arguably) ethically, and many that do not. Research your tour operator before you go, and avoid short rides at tourist attractions where the same camel is likely to give rides to dozens of people in a day (Petra is infamous for this). Opt instead for a trek where the camel will carry you for a few hours, but then stay with you overnight, ensuring that it will not be ridden back and forth repeatedly.

Unethical animal encounters, and an ethical animal tourism alternative

Unethical: Ride or bathe an elephant

By Brittany of Five Pax

Where: Primarily Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries

Elephant riding and trekking shows have long been popular activities for tourists visiting Thailand. Mahouts, elephant trainers & caretakers, have passed down training practices for centuries, centered on inflicting pain and punishment. While effective, this training method is grossly unethical by western standards. The recently exposed unethical treatment of elephants has sparked debate and created ripples of change within animal tourism in Thailand. 

Eliminating all elephant tourism would create a devastating deficit in the funds needed to care for thousands of working elephants. The animals have considerable medical needs and cannot live wild without at least a minimal level of human care. More thoughtful and insightful change has come from the development of elephant sanctuaries. And additionally, re-training and providing animal welfare education for the current generation of Mahouts.

There has also been the unfortunate rise of highly unethical “sanctuaries”. 

Ethical alternative: Visit a true elephant sanctuary

Where: Thailand and Kenya have some of the best ones

At an ethical sanctuary, elephants should be observed from a distance and freely engage in natural animal behavior. This means no painting, no riding, and no bathing. Elephants bathing with humans continue to require considerable training and discipline. Additionally, they are forced to stand for long days to facilitate this seemingly ethical but still highly problematic encounter.

The Phuket Elephant Sanctuary is one example of a truly ethical destination. The organization buys and cares for the elderly and disabled elephants at the end of their trekking careers. We visited with our family, including two toddlers, in the spring, just before the rainy season. At the Phuket Elephant Sanctuary, visitors of all ages can enjoy a hands-off elephant experience. We adored watching them roam free and bathe and roll in the large open water pools, finding joy in their final years in beautiful Thailand.

Thank you to Brittany for sharing her experience with elephants!

Unethical: Take selfies with trained street animals

Where: All over the world

This has been a popular tourist activity for a long time. I have photos of me as a child with trained street animals. You probably do, too. But this is something that maybe our children could miss out on.

There are lots of different examples of this, and it takes place literally all over the world. The degrees of cruelty certainly range, but in most cases, animal selfies should just be avoided.

Whether it is sloths that endure extreme stress being passed around from tourist to tourist, “snake charmer” snakes who’ve had their mouths sewn shut (and consequently die within a few days), impressive birds with clipped wings never allowed to fly, crocodiles with their mouths taped shut that sadly spend their life in a box, or any number of other animals that really shouldn’t have to take a photo with you. Your money supports this practice when you pay to take that photo. I have done it on multiple occasions, not realizing the impact.

Monkeys are one of the greatest examples of this. Around Southeast Asia and Northern Africa primarily, you can find trained monkeys throughout tourist hot spots. These monkeys might wear cute little clothes, they might dance or ride a bike, and they most certainly love human interaction… if you believe their handlers.

Truth be told, these monkeys are taken as babies from their mothers, go through abusive training, and live a life that no monkey should have to. What’s worse, the handlers will often go so far as to thrust the monkey right onto an unsuspecting tourist, and then demand payment for the interaction. Do not put up with this, do not stop to take a photo, and do not pay.

Better alternative: Take selfies with the monkeys at Ubud Monkey Forest

Where: Ubud, Bali

You might notice that I said “better” instead of “ethical”. The Ubud Monkey Forest is a much better way to get your picture taken with monkeys, but there are some elements to this activity that keep it from being a truly ethical animal encounter.

First, the good stuff: Ubud Monkey Forest Sanctuary is a big, open jungle area. The monkeys can come and go as they please, and they have plenty of space to stay away from humans if they choose to. The area is in the middle of the town of Ubud, and is a habitat that would almost certainly be destroyed if the Monkey Forest were not a hit attraction.

The monkeys live free lives with their families and basically do what monkeys do all day, and it’s a lot of fun to see.

All that being said, this kind of close interaction with humans is not natural for the monkeys, and while the monkeys are more than happy to have people buy bananas for them all day, it doesn’t exactly reflect their true habitat.

Perhaps more importantly, there will always be people who do not follow the rules, and that can result in monkeys getting hurt, getting fed harmful foods, and increased aggression. There are also reports that guards at the Monkey Forest “control” the monkeys by shooting them with slingshots. While I see the value in ensuring that a monkey doesn’t bite a child, for instance, it makes me question the ethics of the whole things if that kind of measure is necessary.

That being said, again, this huge natural habitat would likely not still exist in the middle of Ubud if not for the extensive tourism dollars keeping the Monkey Forest Sanctuary the way that it is.

Unethical: Walk with lions

Where: Zimbabwe and around Africa

“Walking with lions” is an increasingly popular activity in parts of Africa. Billed as a unique experience that raises money for lion conservation (while giving you the perfect vacation photos), many of the tour operators claim that their lions have been saved from poachers as babies, and when they get older, they will be released to the wild.

This is unfortunately not usually the case. The baby lions are separated from their mother (not rescued), and undergo extensive training in order to ensure that they are unlikely to attack humans. Anytime you are training an animal as far from domesticated as a lion, you can assume that the training practices will be extreme.

Beyond that, the lions are rarely ever released to the wild. Of course, you cannot have people walk with adult lions – way too risky – so what happens to those lions (who have none of the skills that baby lions spend their formative years developing) after they hit the age of 2? Many of them are released as “canned” trophy hunts. They are doomed to die.

Joyti of Story at Every Corner shares her experience:

As past of our 14-day trip to Southern Africa, we visit the region where Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana and Namibia border each other. After some conversation, our guide suggested that we do a lion encounter experience in a ‘sanctuary’. He described how they rescue lions and raise them at the so-called sanctuary. When they use words like rescue or rehabilitation or preservation, it is easy for tourists to think these are ethical experiences. Even the most humane minded people say yes to supporting these businesses.

It all sounded so wrong to us, because there is no way a lion would naturally be so tame as to walk with, or sit with people. The training process is nothing but cruel. These animals can never be released in the wild because they have been so altered.

Ethical alternative: Find lions on a Jeep Safari

Where: Botswana and around Africa

We instead asked our guide to organize a Jeep Safari in Botswana’s Chobe National Park, which is a humane way to see the wildlife: on their terms and in their natural habitat. We were rewarded with hundreds of sightings of the wild animals living their lives: lion cubs crossing the road with their mommies, lionesses resting, leopards in trees and on the ground, dozens of elephants, birds, impalas, hippos, crocodiles, etc. 

Watching animals in the wild without bothering or altering their life for our entertainment is the right way to experience nature. I hope you’ll make the same choice when you’re faced with it.

Thank you to Jyoti for sharing her safari experience!

Please note that not all safari’s are created equal, and while they are generally considered quite ethical, there are some operators and set ups that do not respect the boundaries of the animals, nor the natural habitat. Going on safari still warrants a bit of research before you sign up.

Another ethical alternative: Trek with gorillas

Where: Uganda or Rwanda, for ages 15 and up only

Instead of hanging out with lions, how about hanging out with gorillas?

In a nutshell, gorilla trekking works like this: every day, up to 80 people can obtain a gorilla trekking permit (purchased well in advance), and they set out in groups of no more than 8, each following a certain family of mountain gorillas. The group, led by very experienced guides, hikes to the location that the gorillas were last seen – that is, wherever they left off the day before. From there, the guides follow the tracks until they find the gorilla family. This might take a half hour, or it might take 8 hours. It is possible (though rare) to not find them at all.

Once the gorillas are spotted, the clock starts. You will have exactly one hour to observe the gorillas. The guides will get you to a reasonable distance, and then the gorillas can choose if they would like to come to you or not. Most mountain gorillas are fairly shy, although there are some silverbacks that are known for being quite curious about the people who come to visit each day. Friends that we met at the lodge wound up with a very curious silverback who came over to touch them!

We did not get that personal with the gorilla family that we saw. However, we had the incredible fortune to see a 3-day-old baby clinging to it’s mother’s chest!

If you want to see mountain gorillas, trekking is the only way to do it. The gorillas you can see in the zoo are almost always lowland gorillas, because these mountain gorillas cannot survive in captivity. They only exist in Uganda in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest (also called the “Place of Darkness” for the intense canopy cover, and I’m honestly not sure which name is more terrifying) and the Virunga mountain range that borders Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (where you can also gorilla trek, but the situation is much less safe for tourists). For this reason, conservation efforts in Rwanda and Uganda are paramount to the survival of this species, and the revenue from gorilla trekking has been the reason that these gorillas have seen a revival.

I will note that gorilla trekking is cost prohibitive for many families. Keep in mind the small number of permits allowed per day and the fact that it is highly regulated. The cost per individual in Uganda is $700 as of July 2020. In Rwanda, the price recently increased to $1500 per person. On top of that, Bwindi is not an easily accessible location, and the lodging is often pricey as well.

However, that money contributes to a very worthy cause if you believe in the importance of conservation, and gorilla trekking is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience to meet a family of gorillas in their home.

Find more information from Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park here.

Unethical: Swim with captive dolphins

By Astrid of The Wandering Daughter

Where: Primarily Mexico and the US

Families visiting the Mexican city of Puerto Vallarta often look forward to experiencing the ultimate bucket list wildlife tourism experience: swimming with dolphins. Brochures from Puerto Vallarta resorts and tour operators feature photos of families playfully holding on to dolphins as they swim through the water, kissing dolphins, or petting them.

These images are part of Puerto Vallarta’s Dolphin Discovery Center, which offers dolphin encounters for families visiting Puerto Vallarta, and is part of a water park called Aquaventures Park Vallarta located in Nuevo Vallarta. With a price tag ranging from $99-169, families can get up-close and personal with dolphins, and have their picture taken too!

Unfortunately, what the brochures don’t often show is that these dolphins are captive ones. Dolphin Discovery Center claims to treat the dolphins humanely, but animal research has shown that dolphins and whales living in captivity have much shorter lifespans than their wild counterparts. This type of lifestyle can pose major threats to dolphins’ mental well-being. Simply put, dolphins are not meant to live in captivity.

Ethical alternative: Swim with wild dolphins

Where: Puerto Vallarta and select other places throughout the world

A more ethical wildlife tourism experience is swimming with wild dolphins. Knowledgeable guides take families out into the waters of Puerto Vallarta’s Banderas Bay, where they can swim with dolphins in the wild. A company that offers these types of ethical animal experiences is Ecotours de Mexico. Their swim with wild dolphins experience comes complete with an educational presentation about the life of dolphins, conservation efforts to protect dolphins and whales, and what to expect when swimming with wild dolphins. The experience costs $90 for adults and $75 for kids. With Ecotours de Mexico’s swimming with wild dolphins experience, families have a chance to see and experience dolphins in their natural habitat. They get to see and learn how dolphins actually behave in the wild. Additionally, they are helping to conserve the wild dolphin population of Banderas Bay, and promote ethical wildlife tourism.

Thank you to Astrid for sharing her dolphin experience!

Unethical: Ride an ostrich

Where: Around Africa, but primarily South Africa

When we were planning for the portion of our honeymoon that would be spent in Africa, we came across the opportunity to ride an ostrich. I balked at first – that had to be inhumane! But then I read through the website which assured me that riding an ostrich is completely normal and healthy for the bird, so long as it’s done for short distances and that you weigh under 200 lbs.

We put this on our agenda, excited for the pictures of something that we were quite certain none of our friends had ever done!

But then, thankfully, I did a little more research. Website assurances aside, my initial instinct – that there is something very wrong with riding a bird – stuck. And that turned out to be right.

While ostrich riding has come under more intense scrutiny in recent years, you can still find establishments that offer it. But no quirky photo op is worth the pain that you will inevitably cause to the animal, and if it seems unnatural: it is.

Ethical alternative: Kissing a giraffe

Where: Kenya Giraffe Center in Kenya

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We decided instead on an encounter that is equally kitschy and unique, but infinitely more ethical: a kiss from a giraffe.

Okay… the kiss is optional. If you prefer, you can stick to feeding them and petting their giant fuzzy heads.

The Kenya Giraffe Center in Nairobi began as a breeding program for the critically endangered Rothschild Giraffe, which they have successfully been reintroducing into the wild for decades now.

At the Giraffe Center, you can visit the gentle giants and feed them pellets of food. The giraffes are super friendly, and as long as you’ve got some food, they will be your best friend! There are plenty of guides nearby to answer any questions, make sure that people are interacting respectfully, and speak about the great work of the Center, which also includes the creation of the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife.

The giraffes have extensive lands to roam, and choose to come visit the relatively small feeding platform at their pleasure. The Giraffe Center educates thousands of Kenyan schoolchildren annually through their Nature Education Centre, helping to ensure a continued commitment to preservation of wildlife by the future generations of Kenya.

The Center also has an adorable (if slightly temperamental) herd of warthogs! We loved feeding these hairy hogs, though you definitely do not want to get a kiss from them.

As a bonus, the Giraffe Center is only 20 minutes from the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, the most successful orphan elephant rescue and rehabilitation center in the world – largely regarded as the gold standard for running an ethical elephant sanctuary, and another strong force for wildlife conservation throughout Africa.

Unethical: Snorkel with manatees

By Rosanna of A Pragmatic Lens

Where: Florida, USA

In Florida, endangered manatees congregate in springs in order to escape the low temperatures of the rivers and oceans. To keep the manatees undisturbed, it is common for springs under responsible management to be closed to swimming during those times. Other places, however, do not have such regulations.

Because manatees are difficult to see in rivers and oceans in the summer months, this congregation in the clear springs attracts many visitors. The act of observing congregating manatees can be a harmless activity. The problem becomes when you start to get into their space.

In 2014, during a busy President’s Day Weekend, we participated in one such activity in Crystal River. This place is famous because you can swim and snorkel with the manatees!

As we arrived at the tour company, we were briefed about the rules we needed to follow to protect the manatees. We were not allowed to approach or touch them. If one approached us, we were required to keep our hands close to our bodies and stay still.

All good rules.

When the boat took us to the spot, we were surprised to see several other boats bringing dozens of tourists to a small, shallow cove where the manatees were resting. What I observed was chaos.

There were no guides leading the groups. Instead, we were all allowed to swim and snorkel at our leisure. The only people “enforcing” the rules were volunteers in kayaks – citizens concerned about the activities taking place.

Children are allowed, which is normally a good thing; however, most children (and many adults) were inexperienced with snorkeling. They did not know how to do gentle fin kicks to minimize splashing. Also, they kept trying to stand up and losing balance in the process, oftentimes hitting manatees that were resting at the bottom.

For the remainder of the morning, I turned myself into an unofficial volunteer. I was swimming around making sure people gave manatees their space and did not break the rules. I left that day concerned about the activity and surprised it was even allowed, considering the endangered status of these gentle animals.

Ethical alternative: Observe manatees from a glass-bottomed boat

Where: Florida, USA

Fast forward six years. We now have two little preschoolers that we take on many adventures. Recently, those adventures have focused on camping, and just a few weeks ago we went to Silver Springs State Park to spend three nights there.

This park is famous for its glass-bottom boat tours. We generally avoid guided tours, but we decided to try this tour because this is one of the few springs that are closed to swimming all year long.

We were nervous to be on a boat for 90 minutes, thinking the kids would get bored sitting there the whole time… but it was a hit! Watching the river floor go by as the experienced captain showed us half a dozen springs was quite fascinating. The captain also led us to see multiple alligators that actually have names because, well, they are locals.

The best part, we were able to observe manatees from a safe spot. Everyone on board was on the lookout for manatees. When manatees were spotted, the captain would decide whether it was safe to follow them. You see, boat strikes are one of the main reasons manatees are killed. In areas where the river was shallow, the captain stayed away to avoid harming the gentle beasts. He also stayed away from areas where he knew the manatees rested in order to not disturb them.

In areas where the river was deep, the captain took us to see the manatees that were gracefully enjoying a seagrass feast at the bottom. We were able to see multiple, active manatees that way, without getting in their space.

This is an example of wildlife tourism that is managed by a responsible agency and led by experienced staff. It provided an opportunity to observe wildlife undisturbed, and in its natural habitat. Just as importantly, it provided the opportunity to teach our kids about safe practices and responsible tourism.

Thank you to Rosanna for sharing her manatee experiences!

Unethical: Pet a tiger

by Wendy of The Nomadic Vegan

Where: Primarily India and Southeast Asia

When my husband and I traveled to Thailand, we were very excited to visit the “Tiger Temple” in Kanchanaburi province that we had seen featured in a National Geographic documentary on TV. It sounded like a wonderful place where Buddhist monks lived in harmony with tigers and other wild animals that they had rescued. Unfortunately, the reality we experienced was something very different.

It wasn’t until years later that I found out about the horrible things happening behind the scenes at the so-called temple. But even when we were there, I knew instantly that something didn’t feel right, and I wished we hadn’t come. The temple was essentially a tiger zoo where the animals were exploited for tourism dollars. Tourists (us included) lined up to get their selfie taken with a tiger, who was chained up and sleeping. Only later did I realize they were asleep because they had been drugged.

Years later the temple was raided by police, who found tiger cubs and tiger body parts hidden inside freezers. Apparently, the temple had been illegally trading in tiger parts used for Chinese medicine. While that temple was shut down, there are sadly other establishments engaging in similar unethical practices. Any establishment offering selfies with wild animals is best avoided.

Ethical alternative: Enjoy a tiger-spotting safari

Where: India and Nepal

Instead, try your luck at spotting tigers in their natural habitat. It’s much more exciting to see them in the wild! There are several national parks in South Asia where you can go on a tiger-spotting safari. Chitwan National Park in Nepal and Ranthambore National Park in India are two of the most famous ones. 

But do choose the jeep safari option rather than riding an elephant. Elephants are not domesticated animals, and they undergo extreme cruelty in order to be broken to the point where they will allow humans to ride them. See here for more on how to be an elephant-friendly tourist in this part of the world.

Thank you to Wendy for sharing her tiger experiences!

Unethical: Visit a for-profit zoo or aquarium

Where: All over the world

I know this one hits a bit close to home for many people. Who doesn’t love bringing their children to the zoo? It’s one of the top things that travelers with little kids look to do in a new city, and it can be an awesome learning experience.

But not all zoos and aquariums are created equal. There are still many zoos out there that keep animals in squalor, in cramped enclosures, and promote inappropriate practices. If you’ve ever gone to a zoo, seen a depressed-looking animal in a tiny cage, and gotten the feeling that you’re supporting something that’s wrong: you know what I’m talking about.

For-profit zoos and aquariums exist for one reason: a profit. They do not exist to promote animal welfare and conservation, and you can bet that the majority of them do not put the welfare of their animals as a top priority. This is, unfortunately, even more true in the developing world, where there is less scrutiny for these practices.

Better alternative: Visit a WAZA-accredited non-profit zoo or aquarium

Where: All over the world

How can you know if a zoo is going to be “good” before you go? A quick look at their website should tell you. First and foremost, are they a non-profit? Non-profits generally work more toward conservation and education efforts, as they do not have the same priority toward the bottom line that a for-profit establishment does.

You can also look for their accreditation. The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) is a global alliance of certification programs for ethical practices in zoos and aquariums. It certifies only about 400 establishments worldwide, and is trusted as a reliable indicator of good care practices for zoos. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) is the US branch of WAZA.

Zoos and aquariums are still controversial, however. Not everyone agrees that it is ever okay to keep and breed animals in captivity, regardless of how great their enclosure is, or how strong the conservation work is, or how much awareness and education the zoo brings to the community. Some would argue that this work can be done without using captive animals as an attraction.

I personally disagree with this stance. I think that the greater good that ethical zoos (and their funds) contribute outweighs the harm of captivity, especially when speaking about species that are critically endangered in the wild. I do think it is important to only support zoos and aquariums that do the good work, and treat their animals well.

How do you tell if an animal encounter is ethical?

Do some research. Before you book any animal encounters, spend some time researching the general practice, as well as the specific tour operator. The fact that a celebrity has done an experience doesn’t mean it’s been vetted. Learn as much as you can before you decide.

Look for accreditation. Many conservation agencies provide accreditation for wildlife organizations, and that can be a good indication that you’re looking at an ethical animal tourism activity. But just make sure that the accreditation is real – there’s nothing to stop a website from making up a fake certification.

If it seems unnatural, it probably is. If it seems painful, or out of place, or cruel, it probably is. Trust your instincts, and think about what has to be happening behind the scenes to make this encounter possible.

Don’t fall for the marketing. Words like conservation, sanctuary, rehabilitation… they don’t mean anything if they’re not backed up with actual practices. You can have the kindest tour guide, and they can give you all kinds of information about wildlife conservation, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they are running an ethical program. They know that’s what tourists want to hear, and so that’s what you’re going to hear.

Look at reviews. TripAdvisor is actually pretty good for this. Check out the negative reviews. While I never advocate blindly believing angry reviews online, you can often find reviews from people who see beyond the story told by the tour operator, and that speak to the condition of the animals.

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I don’t blame anyone for participating in unethical animal tourism without knowing any better. I have done it. Many of us have. But when we learn the truth, we’re able to make better decisions for the wildlife encounters that we want to have in the future, and we can show our children what it means to interact with animals in a way that honors them and respects their habitat.

I would love to hear about your experiences – good or bad – in the comments.