Beyoncé and Jay Z did it in Thailand.
Model Cara Delevingne did it in a Tag Heure ad.
Even the Toronto Blue Jays did it in their own locker room.
So posing for pics with adorable wild animals must be cool then, right?
Nope.
Wild animal photo ops have been around a long time, and not just for celebs (or Tinder).
Snapping pics with exotic critters on the beaches of Mexico, Asia, and beyond has been a common tourist trap for as long as cold Canadians have been seeking out southern sun. But as we now know, the truth behind that dude on the beach, charging a couple pesos for a pic with the cute little monkey or loveable lion cub, is that these wild animals are being exploited and abused.
So before you jet off on that beach vacay, and before you make that tiger selfie your new profile pic, there are a few things you should know.
THE TRUTH
According to World Animal Protection (WAP), 50% of people who pay for wild animal experiences on trips do so because they love animals. But as WAP wildlife expert Dr. Jan Schmidt-Burbach says, “Many tourists unwittingly contribute to the suffering of wild animals. When you look behind the scenes, holiday snaps like these support an industry that relies on animal cruelty. They’re simply not aware that their ‘once in a lifetime’ photo means a lifetime of misery for that animal.”
THE PROBLEM
The main issue is that in order to make wild animals suitable (and profitable) for contact with human beach hoppers – in other words, not wild – a number of things have to happen.
First, the animal has to be plucked from the wild and taken away from its mother at a very young age.
Then, sharp teeth have to be pulled (like in the case of Rihanna’s fave, the wide-eyed slow loris), claws removed, and the animal may be drugged to make it easier to handle.
Then, after a long shift of Facebook photo duty is over, the animal will be made to spend its downtime chained or caged up in horrible conditions. And inevitably that lion cub or monkey baby will outgrow its marketable and manageable cuteness, and the furry star of your Insta page will then be sold for canned hunting, or killed for meat.
So to review, your pic basically translates to an animal being kidnapped, tortured, and killed.
And nobody should be ‘liking’ that. Ever.
THE SOLUTION
So what can we young professionals do to help put a stop to this?
Well, it’s as easy as simply saying NO.
Once the demand for wild animal pics is gone, so too will the business. Don’t do it. Don’t “like” it. Don’t post it.
Simple.
Notable Resources
For more info on how to responsibly include wildlife in your travel adventures, go to http://beforetheybook.worldanimalprotection.org/ and download the WAP’s travel guide, or check out World Wildlife Fund’s many exciting tourist packages: www.worldwildlife.org/travel.
And for more on what to avoid and why, like elephant rides and dolphin encounters, check out right-tourism.com.
Cara image from: www.mirror.co.uk
Beyonce image from: www.vibe.com