A few years back, I was on a press trip to Zimbabwe. At the time, the country was going through a financial resurgence after ‘dollarising’ and forming a coalition government. New hotels and lodges were being built, tourism was growing again and hotels were flying in any sort of exotic food stuff from Zambia or South Africa to please their guests.
Another aspect of my visit was to see the wildlife. We started our trip at Kariba, experienced the beauty of Hwange and then ended off with a visit to Victoria Falls and surrounds. On our itinerary was the chance to go on an elephant back ride. While I wouldn’t say I was anxious about this last activity the entire trip leading up to it, it was definitely playing on my mind that I wasn’t comfortable with the idea.
Having worked as a tourism journalist, I had written more stories than I could count on various conservation practices or #AnimalRightsInTourism, or lack thereof, around Southern Africa. There was always a common theme to them, no matter if they were from Angola, Botswana, Zimbabwe or South Africa: animals played the role of entertainment, while humans profited in some manner.
When we arrived for our elephant back rides, I immediately backed out. I promised myself then and there that I would never be a part of this giant circus we call the world and have an animal do something against its nature for my own entertainment. While everybody saddled up and got on board, I sat sulkily at reception after bidding these gentle creatures goodbye. The photo below makes me sad to look at, I know how uncomfortable I felt in it, and if I dwell on it enough, I begin to cry for these ellies.
I’m not saying that there aren’t honest intentions behind some animal interaction places. I do believe that staff and even owners and management have good intentions when it comes to the care of the animals they offer up to tourists as if they’re trained pets, but it has never sat right with me that we are pushing wild animals to perform on command, these are not dogs or horses, they are meant to be left alone and viewed from a distance.
After Zimbabwe, I managed to avoid any and all animal interaction facilities until I started travelling more in 2014. I visited Thailand where we were taken to a facility that also offered elephant rides. It was one of the most incredibly depressing places on earth. I could feel the elephants’ tension, and mourned for the 10-foot burmese python who was on a cage smaller than my car, curled up in a corner with no branches to slither on. I also visited the Gibbon Rehabilitation Project, which was an inspiring best practice facility. It was educational and not built for the tourists passing through Phuket.
Similarly, I was recently ‘whisked away’ by a big brand in the travel space for the launch of their new campaign at a secret location. A driver picked me up early one morning to chauffeur me through to an elephant sanctuary just outside of Joburg. As we got closer, and got lost, I asked where we were headed to try assist with directions. I cannot tell you how quickly my heart dropped and immediately I started getting worked up and angry about why the brand had chosen this place as a launch spot. When I got there, I asked to be taken home immediately, it was a three hour round journey that upset me. Big brands should know better, they should do their research, especially as it was only a week after a tourist had been killed at the Lion Park, a nearby facility that has recently announced it will ban its lion cub interactions.
I’ve opted to put down my personal thoughts on this because I believe that we’re filled with stats and shock factor. If I even make one person think about the impact of animal encounters in tourism, it would be meaningful for me. Today (22 July 2015) is the release of Blood Lions, a documentary looking at the effect of lion cub petting on the conservation industry and its link in canned hunting.
I’m asking you to find out more the next time you’re in a similar situation with wild animals, understand why the facility is doing it, but also keep in mind that IT IS NEVER OKAY FOR ANIMALS TO BE USED FOR HUMAN ENTERTAINMENT.
This post was written from heart, as many others have been by bloggers in my community. Follow the #AnimalRightsInTourism hashtag on Twitter and check out other informative and personal pieces on this topic.
Comments (16)
Well said Kate, I couldn’t agree with you more!! I’m totally against animals for our entertainment!
Thanks for the support Dee!
I’m not going to lie. I’ve interacted with cubs, petted a cheetah and been on an elephant ride. Riding the elephant wasn’t fun and I enjoyed walking through the veld with them more cause it felt more natural. I have very much changed my views on the issue since then though and feel the same as you. It is sad though that there are so many places that encourage and promote the interaction element of it. I’m all for sanctuaries where animals are rehabilitated and if they can’t be released in the wild again are given a home, but the interaction side of it is starting to go against my grain more and more. I can understand that people want to say that they have touched a lion or rode on an elephant, but I think we are usually too naïve to realize what happened before or long after. I don’t know how we are every going to stop this though as long as visitors want to do it.
I think it starts with education Jonker, the more we speak out, the more chance we have of stopping it. If the demand fades, the supply will too.
Great post Kate. I’ve seen the sad state of elephants in India, and can relate. I recall seeing an elephant chained to a tree on the side of the road, as an advertisement for tourists to stop bye and it made me so sad. It’s only through education, of the trade and the public, that we can end these practices.
Thanks Meru! That sounds just awful!
Well said Kate. With more articles like this, the launch of Blood Lions, and more commitment from tour operators to stop including these activities in their itineraries, I hope that elephant rides, cub petting and walking with lions will soon be embarrassing relics that will no longer feature on anyone’s bucket list.
Let’s hope that day is soon Ed!
It’s a tricky one this. I’ll never ride an elephant or pet or walk with any of the big cats in sanctuaries, heck, I even refused to ride the donkeys in Santorini when they were still in frequent use in the 90s! And I’ll certainly never shark cage dive because we ARE harming them in the long run by habituating them, whether we acknowledge that or not. But I’ve tracked gorillas and tigers and I plan to do the same with cheetahs soon. Is that really any different? Sure, we don’t touch them and there’s no training of the animals involved, but is it any different? Just as recently as yesterday I was forced to re-evaluate my own principles on the matter when my nearest and dearest said: Interesting, you refuse to ride elephants, yet you’re willing to ride a horse to go and see the elephants in Addo. Hmm, a bit of a conundrum, no? I also confess to recently riding a camel into the Sahara in Morocco. Is that any different? I’m still not sure what the difference is between using a domesticated animal for this type of tourism and using a wild animal, but I’m giving it serious thought!
I’m so with you Harvey. I actually choose not to ride horses for this reason, but have obviously ridden a horse in the past. Camels are a no go for me, although the are domesticated in some countries just as horses are. I think what’s important is that you remember the only person you have to answer to is yourself, if you can be comfortable with your decision, then go ahead. Choice is what makes us human after all, I just choose to tread a little lighter than some I guess.
Wonderful article Kate, until about a year ago I had never heard of captive lion breeding and I can’t for the life of me understand why it is legal in South Africa. I have to admit had I not known of the links between cub raising, volunteering and canned hunting I may well have been inclined to volunteer at a big cat project, I had certainly researched a few whilst planning my upcoming trip to Afrcia.
I have never ridden an elephant, I have ridden camels in the desert and horses in my youth, I doubt I would do these things now as I see the exploitation involved.
[…] you follow my blog on a semi-regular basis, you would’ve seen the blogger collective #AnimalRightsInTourism campaign that launched on 22 July. South African travel bloggers out their strengths together and […]
[…] I stand for #AnimalRightsInTourism. Do you? – IndiKate […]
[…] I stand for #AnimalRightsinTourism – IndiKate […]
Well done Kate – I applaud you! Great article to dig up and dust off especially this month being Tourism month in S.Africa. Any wildlife interactions should be avoided at all costs and never supported by especially those of us in the tourism industry – Never Stop Flying The Flag
Thanks Hilton!