World Animal Protection UK

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Elephant riding in Cambodia

Global wildlife tourism

Wildlife

Make a difference for wild animals

Thousands of animals are being ripped from the wild or bred in captivity to entertain tourists.
You can help end the abuse.

Right now, an estimated 550,000 wild animals are being exploited to entertain holidaymakers around the world. Many are beaten, chained and abused as part of the lucrative global trade in wildlife tourism.

It’s no secret: some of the biggest holiday companies sell wild animal ‘experiences’ like swimming with dolphins, riding elephants and petting big cats.

These are animals cruelly wrenched from the wild, or bred in grim conditions in captivity. They endure a lifetime of misery all to give tourists a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ experience, or a photo for social media.

But if enough of us show we oppose harmful wildlife tourism, we can end it.

Dolphin pod swimming in the wild

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A tiger used for tourist selfies at cruel wildlife attraction in Thailand.

Make a difference. Be a Real Responsible Traveller.

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Take action

The horrifying reality

Wild animals that are used for tourism experience immense distress, as well as physical and psychological trauma.

For example:

🐘 Elephants are torn from their mothers as babies, tied up, beaten and forced to walk in chains. They’re made to carry tourists on rides, or let people wash and bathe with them.

🐬 Dolphins are kept in small, barren tanks and made to swim with tourists, or perform circus tricks and routines for busy, noisy public shows.

🐯 Tigers are bred into a lifetime of exploitation. Kept in chains and sometimes drugged, they’re petted as cubs and used as props in holidaymakers’ photos

🦥 Sloths and other wild animals are ripped from their habitats to be passed between tourists for selfies, in chaotic environments.

Will you help protect wild animals by pledging never to take part in cruel wildlife activities on holiday?

Say no to cruel wildlife tourism

Wild animals should be living free in their natural habitat, not being exploited and abused for money. Whatever a tour provider says, all wild animals suffer when they’re forced to entertain tourists, and many are appallingly abused.

If you can hug, ride, touch, wash or take a photo with a wild animal, the chances are it has suffered some kind of harm.

We’re determined to end wildlife tourism by:

  • Pressuring travel companies to stop profiting from wild animals
  • Showing holidaymakers the cruelty at the heart of wildlife tourism
  • Pushing governments to better protect wild animals and their habitats

Learn more

Photo depicting trophy hunting

Trophy hunting

Wildlife

Trophy hunting treats wild animals as commodities, fuelling a cruel and unsustainable industry. There is an urgent call to action to phasing out this blood sport once and for all.

Star tortoise

Wildlife. Not pets.

Wildlife

Millions of animals are suffering in captivity in homes across the UK. Royal pythons, bearded dragons, tree frogs, African grey parrots, sugar gliders and many more species have complex needs that can’t be met in our homes.