Animals in tourism is a cagey subject matter. Historically, tourists who participated in wildlife tourism had unknowingly put animal’s welfare at risk by participating in certain travel experiences.
For instance, elephant riding – a tourist activity in Thailand that has long been popular – is extremely detrimental for the animal. It can lead to permanent spinal injuries, among others.
Meanwhile, something seemingly harmless like animal feeding can lead to long-term diet disruption.
“The wildlife tourism industry is diverse, taking many different shapes and forms. However, the wildlife tourism industry is also very controversial and has been subject to a lot of negative media coverage in recent years,” said Tourism Teacher founder Dr Hailey Stainton in a post.
She highlighted reports of elephant camps in Thailand and monkeys dressed in children’s clothing in Morocco.
“There are still circuses that use animals and attractions that make animals perform tricks for tourists,” Stainton said.
According to her, the disadvantages of wildlife tourism mainly stemmed from poorly managed businesses and unethical practices.
“This most commonly includes the mistreatment of animals, introduction of disease, dangerous behaviour, changes in the animal’s behaviour and reduced breeding success,” she said.
However, Stainton pointed out that there has been better awareness of animal welfare in recent years.
“Recent years have seen many laws and regulations introduced in the name of animal welfare all over the world. This has helped to reduce the mistreatment of animals in the wildlife tourism business,” she said.
Animal welfare groups say that real change, however, can only happen when tourists choose better wildlife experiences.
“Despite an increasing understanding of what constitutes good animal welfare and our recognition of animals as sentient beings with the ability to feel pleasure and pain, many tourist activities exist that involve the exploitation and mistreatment of animals,” said Wild Welfare, a registered animal charity in Britain.
“You can make a difference though. Put animal welfare first and avoid photo opportunities, animal handling interactions, riding animals and buying animal products. And trust your instincts, if something doesn’t feel right – don’t do it,” the organisation added.
According to Wild Welfare, tourists have the power to pressure tourism operators to champion animal welfare.
“You can ensure your actions don’t contribute to animal cruelty and that your holiday experience benefits animals, rather than harms them. You hold the power to make choices that speak volumes. What you choose to experience or avoid can help ensure animal wellbeing, not animal suffering, and send a clear message to travel and tourism companies around the world that animal welfare matters,” the organisation said.
The cons aside, experts agree that there are benefits to wildlife tourism which cannot be ignored. These include conservation, research, breeding programmes and economic benefits.
“For many wildlife tourism businesses, conservation is their top priority. In fact, most places where the focus is conservation would rather not have any tourists come to visit at all, however it is the tourists that pay the bills and allow their business to operate,” said Stainton.
If conservation is something that you feel strongly about, it helps to get better awareness about animals – especially endangered ones. And there are places around the world that you can visit to get some wholesome experiences.
We tracked down some of the rarest animals in the world and where you may be able to see them. If you do plan to visit any of these destinations, make sure you engage in the services of reputable tour agencies that specialise in ethical wildlife tourism.
Javan rhinos are critically endangered these days despite being the most widespread of Asian rhinos in the past. They had been the target of poachers for many years and were hunted for their for their horns, which are prized in traditional Chinese medicine.
Poaching, coupled with loss of habitat, had severely reduced the population of the Javan rhino. Its population in Vietnam’s Cat Tien National Park, for example, was declared to be locally extinct in 2011.
These days, there are reportedly only about 70 Javan rhinos in the world. And they can only be found at in Ujung Kulon National Park on the south-western tip of Java, Indonesia.
The Javan rhino is quite possibly the rarest large mammal on Earth.
Considered the rarest endangered marine mammal in the world, vaquita is a species of porpoise native to the northern end of the Gulf of California. They are fairly easy to spot due to the shallow water where they inhabit.
However, it’s extremely hard to chance upon one as they are critically endangered. It is estimated that there are fewer than 10 left in the wild as of February this year.
Their dwindling population is largely attributed to stray fishing nets, chlorinated pesticides, irrigation and inbreeding.
Threatened by poachers and herders (they’re killed to prevent them from preying on livestock), snow leopards have progressively decreased in number over the years.
Some of the few places where the species can still be spotted are: Mongolia’s Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park, the Himalayan mountains of Bhutan’s Jigme Dorji National Park and Phoksundo Lake in western Nepal’s Shey-Phoksundo National Park.
However, it is estimated that the global population is fewer than 10,000 mature individuals. And the future does not look any brighter too – snow leopard’s population is expected to decline about 10% by 2040.
Also known as the ounce, snow leopards has long been used as a political symbol. The animal has been depicted in official seals and national coat of arms.
As a result of expected habitat loss caused by climate change, the polar bear has been classified as a vulnerable species. The protection and survival of polar bear’s habitat are urgent issues for the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
Fortunately, five polar bear subpopulations are stable while two have been experiencing an upward trend. But the threat of global warming is a very pressing concern.
Water temperatures increase faster in the arctic compared to other areas of the globe. The decline of suitable hunting grounds for polar bears (as a result of the loss of summer sea ice) will eventually force them to travel greater distances to hunt. All that travelling causes declines in fat storage which results in stress to the bears and sometimes even death.
The polar bear was actually the first mammal to be listed under the “Threatened” list, due primarily to the effects of global warming.
Compared to the other listed animals, things are not entirely negative for the mountain gorilla. Since 1981, the gorilla population has almost doubled, thanks to conservation efforts. But while they are no longer considered critically endangered, mountain gorillas still face threats to their existence.
Illegal poaching is a major cause for concern. Mountain gorillas are often hunted for their meat. At the same time, war and civil unrest have also impacted negatively on their population.
Currently, there are two populations that travellers can visit to possibly catch a glimpse of one of these majestic animals. One is found in the Virunga volcanic mountains of Central Africa, located within three national parks: Mgahinga in southwest Uganda, Volcanoes, in northwest Rwanda, and Virunga in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park holds the other population.
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