Don’t Buy Into Barbaric Animal Tourism!

I am not here to preach to you, but I do hope you will read what myself and six others have to say about animal tourism and how it is cruel, inhuman and, in some cases, leading to animal extinction. We also put forward some thoughts on what you can do to help these wretched animals. Furthermore, we have included links that will give you more information so that you can make a conscious decision about whether to ride that elephant, pat that tiger or buy the Kopi Luwak.

Not only do we discuss animals who are captive and abused for the tourists’ entertainment, but also animals that are killed to make souvenirs and herbal medicine.

During viewing the documentary Racing Extinction, I was shocked to hear that “Wildlife trading is second only to the drug market in the world, it is that lucrative.”

Most of us have heard about shark fin soup, but are you aware that the rest of the shark is wasted. In fact, once the fin is cut from the shark, it is thrown back into the water alive… to die a slow death. So when you are in China think twice before ordering a bowl of shark fin soup.

On a recent trip to Sarawak, a state in Malaysian Borneo, I saw the ground powder of the rhinoceros hornbill for sale. I was shocked considering the rhinoceros hornbill is the state bird of Sarawak and the country’s national bird. But obviously, the power of the powder far outweighs this birds status as a national bird. According to Chinese folklore, the powder ground from the horn, once consumed, greatly enhances a man’s sexual prowess. Appalling!

Animals are being poached from the wild to act as props for photos and selfies. On Phi Phi Island in Thailand, gibbon touts earn around 2,000,000 Baht a month by posing the gibbons with tourists. This is illegal! In Phuket white-bellied sea eagles are being exploited at the Kata Viewpoint; being used as photo props for tourists!

There is so much animal abuse happening in the world of tourism; it is hard to know where to start and impossible for me to include it all. I hope you take the time to read through this post and do some of your own research before you decide to buy into the animal cruelty that is animal tourism. It really is up to us, the tourist, to stop the abuse!

Tip: Look for ethical animal encounters (you will need to use your commonsense as some countries can use the word ‘ethical’ regardless).

Ethical Dolphin Watching – Alegria: Dolphin Watching Day Trips from Moalboal

Photo Opportunities with Captive Animals

By Vicki Brown – Travel Writer and Editor at Responsible Travel

Seeing wildlife in its natural habitat is one of the most exciting things about travel. The problem is, it’s often elusive, and when it does emerge, it may be far away or hidden behind vegetation – making it tricky to see, and even harder to photograph. The appeal of seeing wildlife in captivity, therefore, is understandable, and in the age of social media, it seems all the more important to capture the moment and post it for all the world to see.

However – please stop and think before whipping out your selfie stick, or choosing the perfect Instagram filter. There are many reasons why wildlife ends up in captivity, and many of them are completely valid. Creatures may be victims of illegal trade or habitat loss, or they may be orphaned or injured. But handling these vulnerable animals, in order to get your dream profile photo, increases their stress – and can even make them sick through the transmission of human diseases.

Worse still are the animals that should never be in captivity in the first place. Southeast Asia’s drugged tigers, for example, live a miserable life chained in concrete enclosures, as well as posing a significant danger to tourists – and their children. In Southern Africa’s canned hunting reserves, lion cubs have the fear cuddled out of them by unsuspecting travellers. Once they get too big to handle, they are taken to enclosures where trophy hunters shoot them for a huge fee.

Bear in mind that habituated wildlife can never be released into the wild and that using them as photographic props causes distress, and encourages unscrupulous facilities to keep more and more animals for tourists’ entertainment. Your cute tiger selfie could end up being something of an embarrassment – best not take it in the first place. Better still, ask your friends to do the same.

Responsible Travel social media links…

Kopi Luwak Farm

By Kelly from Trippin’ Turpins – full-time travellers and sailors.

Luwak Coffee became famous as the most expensive coffee in the world. The price reflected, not only the quality of the coffee (only the best coffee cherries consumed by the Luwak) but also the labour-intensive collection of the coffee beans and the limited supply.

For those that are unaware of the what Luwak Coffee is, or where it comes from; the Luwak, also known as the Asian palm civet, is a small to medium-sized mammal that is found in many parts of Asia. Kopi Luwak is the product of the coffee bean being ingested and fermented in the gastrointestinal tract of the Luwak. Traditionally the coffee was made from farmers collecting the Luwak scat containing the coffee beans.

However, in a bid to mass-produce this revered coffee, the traditional and humane way of providing Kopi Luwak has been replaced by Kopi Luwak farms. At these farms, the civets are kept in tiny cages, in appalling conditions and force-fed coffee cherries. Not only does this raise ethical arguments about the caging and treatment of these animals, but it also raises questions about the coffee as well. The civet is no longer free to pick the best of the coffee cherries to eat, but instead are being force-fed any cherries whether good or bad in quality. This begs the question “why is Kopi Luwak still so expensive?”

What can you do? DON’T visit the Kopi Luwak farms, and DON’T buy the product. Instead visit tea plantations, tropical fruit farms or non-Luwak coffee plantations.

Read more with this interesting article – Civet coffee: why it’s time to cut the crap

Trippin’ Turpins social media links…

Be Aware of Your Exotic Purchase

By Jenn, half the By Land and Sea duo, exploring the world through affordable luxury and sustainable travels.

While certain items may look tempting and like great mementos from your travels, it’s best not to purchase those which may be damaging or even illegal. Countless items fall under this but consider things made out of ivory, furs, feathers, shells or rare plants. Remember that many of these items serve their purpose in the natural environment and are often sold on the black market or for tourist consumption. When visiting shops, there are generally multiple items which have been taken from nature and their removal impacts the flora, fauna, and biodiversity of an area.

Another example of this is medicinal products made from the horn of a rhinoceros which can often be found for sale throughout Asia. This is yet another instance where animals are being killed for this highly sought after product (keratin found in the horn) and is causing species extinction. While I’m on the topic, please do not support this behaviour by ordering shark fin soup at restaurants! For more information on the 5,000 protected animal species and 28,000 protected plant species, check out CITES’ website.