Travel in an animal-friendly way
The treatment of animals varies very much all over the world. While travelling one can witness even cruel treatment of different kind of animals.
The money tourists bring is important in many countries and cultures and the tourist is enticed to depart with their money often by using animals as baits.
Bullfighting and getting your picture taken with a dancing bear can be normal in a tourist resort.
As a tourist you can try to do your part to help better the conditions for animals:
- Visit only animal-friendly functions (avoid animal circuses)
- Never bring back home a live animal! One should always think carefully about getting a pet and never while on a holiday in an exotic place
- Even if you think it would be a good idea, do not let someone coax you into taking a picture that costs of you and an animal: the treatment of these animals outside the view of the tourists is often extremely cruel
- In a restaurant make sure you're not eating meat from an endangered species.
- Think carefully what the material is that your souvenirs are made from: never buy any souvenirs made from animal products!
- Many "fancy" foods are prepared at the expense of the animals well-being: e.g foie gras is a luxury-item which is manufactured in a way that causes the bird extreme suffering and pain
- On a diving-trip be careful not to touch the corals or shells - they damage very easily and the recovery can take decades. Sometimes the coral can not recover at all.
Sometimes acting immediately can help the animals in a significant way!
If you can't get any progress with the matter at the location, please contact SEY on your return as well as the embassy of the country you visited.
SEY is a member in the World Society for the Protection of Animals, WSPA, where you can also report the animal abuse problem immediately. WSPA works all over the world to make situation better for the animals. You can ask SEY to report what you have witnessed or make a report yourself on WSPAs page.
