Travel can be a wonderful and enriching experience, but it's important to remember that our actions as tourists can have a significant impact on local wildlife and their habitats.
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Swimming with dolphins… Taking photos with tiger cubs… Elephant Rides… And more. Have you ever tried one of these travel activities? Unfortunately, they can have serious consequences for animals. Do you want to travel with respect for animals? In this post, I explain the negative impact on animals of certain activities.
Elephants are intelligent, attentive, sensitive and compassionate animals. For example, members of the herd show solidarity with each other. It has been observed that when one member is sick, the other elephants care deeply for the sick elephant. Elephants have a strong memory. That is, the bad memories of people remain in their memory for years. These beautiful animals are killed for their teeth and used in circuses. They’re also captured to be used for riding. For this, they’re “trained” in many painful ways. Animals chained by their feet are frightened with fire and violence is used on their trunks, which are their most sensitive parts. If during the vacations we’re no longer part of this cruelty, who knows, maybe one day they’ll be free.
You may think that taking photographs with tigers is okay. Especially in recent years, this activity has become fashionable in exotic regions. Behind the scenes, however, it’s a living death story. First, tiger cubs are separated from their mothers. They’re physically abused and are under a lot of stress. Then, the tiger cubs spend the rest of their lives in cramped cages when they’re adults and considered dangerous. Yes, they’re cute, but all animals are beautiful in nature where they’re free. Please don’t take pictures with them. Don’t join in this cruelty.
Every ticket purchased for a bullfight contributes to sadism. Bullfights, where torturing has become a tradition, involve more pain than it seems. Bulls aren’t actually aggressive animals, but before they enter the arena, needles are injected into their testicles, newspapers are stuffed into their ears, and their vision is weakened by applying Vaseline to their eyes. The bulls, kept in a dark room for several days, are weakened and given drugs to lose their balance. They’re left hungry and thirsty. In addition, their horns are filed.
When the bull enters the arena, the picador steps into the same place as the horse and cuts the neck muscles of the animal. When the matadors enter the arena, they thrust their harpoon-like cutting tools, called banderillas, into the poor bull’s body. The tortured animal vomits blood to the point of death to the wild, brutal screams of hundreds of people. The audience also throws plastic bottles at the animal, whose ears and tail have been cut off. It’ll put an end to this terrible cruelty if it’s not supported.
Let’s make a positive impact on our planet by choosing animal-friendly activities. Let’s travel with respect for animals. It’s not only about being a responsible tourist; it’s about showing empathy for the natural world.
Animals (such as camels, donkeys, and horses) either carry tourists or their cargo. When they’re tired or hesitant to go, they’re beaten. You remember the phaeton giving up romantic trips. The poor horses get injured and die from exhaustion. By not choosing animals as mounts, you can save these animals.
Dolphins are intelligent and friendly animals. Just because they look happy, doesn’t mean they are. Swimming in a tank with human visitors, far from their home, is very stressful for dolphins and causes them to die prematurely. Before the dolphins are brought to these tanks, they must be transported in tankers and trucks. Dolphins that get ulcers from the stress turn off their own echolocation and go blind. While the poor beautiful animals give birth dead, they also have to use tricks to eat. You can also watch the documentary The Cove to learn more.
You can’t teach your kids to love animals by walking around zoos. Instead, you can visit animal shelters. Because behind the zoos and aquariums that people visit for fun and a nice day out are captivity and pain. These areas aren’t the natural homes of animals. Although they want to be dazzled by ponds, trees, and green spaces, these are the places where animals suffer the most. Aquariums and zoos that serve as prisons, these places that prevent animals from running free and birds from flying free, cause animals to die early due to stress or disease. Visiting a zoo is a crime against humanity. Let’s remember Arturo, who died in madness. Finally, you can only go to circuses without animals.
Doctor fish, also known as fish pedicures, are starved and forced to eat the dirty skin of humans. These animals serve as rasps and are discarded when they’re done. These fish are plucked from spas and smuggled into hair salons and beauty centers.
Our actions as tourists can have an impact on local wildlife. By prioritizing animal-friendly activities, paying attention to the impact on local wildlife, avoiding harmful products, and supporting animal welfare organizations, we can travel with respect for animals.
