Animal exploitation for tourism

This post is about my experiences with animal exploitation on my travels around the globe. I am an animal lover and I have been vego for about 10 years now. Everyday I become more enlightened and aware of the current state our planet is in. We are on the cusp of another mass extinction, caused by humans. We exploit these beautiful creatures on our planet every day. So this one is dedicated to my greatest love in life, which is nature. The most inspiring and beautiful force on this planet, every creature is alive so that another can be, nature just works seamlessly, without interruption. Until the human race fucked it all up. I am trying to do my bit, and so I will be honest and speak up for these poor creatures that have no voice.

We all want that first hand, exotic animal experience when we travel. Social media has created a platform for people to gloat and advertise about times when they have had these experiences. Whether it is riding and elephant, going snorkelling with sea turtles, having a photo with a tiger, or merely visiting a zoo. It is the decision we as tourists make to have these once in a lifetime experience that is putting the lives of many beautiful animals at risk.

You walk down any tourist strip, and there right in front of you are people trying to sling a baby monkey around your neck, put a snake on your shoulders or tempt you with a sleepy slow loris. These animals are not pets, they are not treated correctly. THEY ARE BEING EXPLOITED. Animals do not wear cute pyjamas, nor do they want to be kept on a lead, in the noisy, bright tourist districts of the world. These animals have been poached from their natural habitats, and kept calm with the use of sedatives. If you pay someone to have a photo with one of these poor babies, it is YOU who is facilitating the exploitation of these animals. If there was no one who paid for this, no one would try to sell it. THINK.

Next up, I will explain the issue with 'elephant sanctuaries.' So you like elephants? You want to save them? You would love the opportunity to bathe them? Theres plenty of these places all over Asia where you can have this expierence. The whole thing is marketed as if you are volunteering, and helping with the care of these animals. They are 'ex elephant ride' animals. But, did you ever stop to think that these animals need rehabilitation, not to be kept in these 'sanctuaries' still robbed of their free will. These elephants then have babies, which then stay at the sanctuary, and eventually the sanctuary has lots of elephants... which means MORE MONEY FROM TOURISTS. The whole thing is a scam people! The real places where elephants are being cared for won't be asking tourists to come and have experiences with them. These places will be rehabilitating these poor creatures, and letting them have a more wild life experience than constantly being in contact with hordes of tourists.

The case of riding elephants is really bloody sad people. These animals are kept in captivity, chained up and beaten, all for the conditioning to entertain tourists. Do not ride elephants! They are smart and gentle giants with a high IQ and self awareness. Please do not participate in the exploitation of this endangered species!!!!!

*I have to admit, out of ignorance, I once rode an elephant in Thailand when i was a teenager. Not knowing the concequences and through ignorance, we went along to have a ride. However, I could see the mahut whacking the gentle giant on the head with a hook...... not cool.... I was mortified when we turned the corner and there were monkeys locked up in a cage, screeching at people who went past. The elephants tried to stampede through the jungle on our ride, quite obviously distressed and frustrated. At the end of the ride, they had a baby elephant in the middle of a circus ring doing hand stands and all sorts. And a monkey rode a small bicycle around the arena. One of the worst things I have ever seen.

It makes me sad to think that i participated in this. But this is why I am writing this blog post, to educate others where I wish I had been all those years ago. I want to be open and honest about the situation because learning from mistakes is the best way to grow.

The topic of Thailand brings me onto another very pressing issue. The opportunity to have your photo with a tiger. DO NOT DO THIS!!!!! I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH. These animals have been poached, drugged, and kept hostage so that humans can have a fucking selfie with them. Anyone who has done this, you should be ashamed of yourself. TAKE DOWN THE PHOTOS YOU PUT OF THAT ON SOCIAL MEDIA. These photos create advertising for this exploitation. If you can see that you were wrong to participate, then PLEASE TAKE DOWN YOUR PHOTOS. Everyone makes mistakes, but now it is your duty to stop aiding the advertisement of exploiting animals!!!!!

In Mysore in India, I went to the Zoo. (Since this experience, I have boycotted all zoos) I know, I am naive to visit a zoo in a developing country, but nothing could have prepared me for what I saw. I'll start with the birds, kept in enclosures no bigger than your living room with low ceilings. How would these birds FLY for goodness sake. The Indian visitors were shouting at every single animal to try and get them to turn round, it was so sad and aggravating. The big cats were kept in larger enclosures, but nowere near large enough - try a vast african desert maybe? They were hungry and angry, prowling the fence. Then we were watching the

, being chased by 2 zoo workers with a stick, to get the terrified animals to run near the front where the crowd was. The rarer the animal, the less of them they had, for example a lonely sun bear walked up and down his pond. But nothing could prepare me for this. Close your eyes for a moment and imagine this: A lonely silverback guerilla, sitting in the middle of a grassy enclosure, he sits next to a singular swing, which he pushes back and forth with no enthusiasm. The look on his face was heartbreaking. I have never seen such sadness in any other animal. The thought of him now brings a tear to my eye. The Indians around the enclosure are jeering and shouting at him, to make him react. But nothing, no reaction, he is numb.

In London, England I went to the London Aquarium near the London Eye. DO NOT GO TO ANY AQUARIUMS PEOPLE! This one was the most shocking thing I have witnessed. There was the penguin exhibit. In a room about 7m squared was about 20 penguins. The pond in the middle was not big enough for these creatures. The walls were painted with the image of the arctic with all the ice caps etc. But the penguins just stood there, still, looking out to the 'arctic'. Staring at the walls, longing, wishing, waiting. These poor babies were kept in a tiny room with no natural light day in day out. Absolutely disgusting. In the wild they would be swimming in the ocean, fishing for their dinner, huddling together and sitting on their babies. But instead they stand looking out at a painted wall of the habitat in which they should be living in.

I have written this post for everyone, to learn from my experiences, to take note from things I have seen. All that glitters is not gold. So please, next time you are tempted with that close encounter, think again and mother nature will thank you.

Peace and love x

Look out for my next post about SaPa in Vietnam!