Not all safaris are created equal. But all zoos harm animals. Let’s separate fact from fiction.
Are Safaris Ethical?
Most of us have seen it: the sad, crippling look that animals naturally wear who are locked behind bars at zoos and other places of animal exploitation. Some of us will move into adulthood, eyes closed, trying to justify our unsettling feelings that we experience when visiting these places in our childhoods. It’s clear for many that zoos are prisons for animals, stripping them of their wild nature and autonomy. But what about safaris? When it comes this activity, the lines are often blurred. Let’s break down what you need to know about safaris and zoos.
The Insidious History Of Safaris
I have to be honest with you – when I participated in my first and only safari experience, I had no idea that they had such a sinister history, or that they were closely linked to colonialism. For more on that history refer to Fulainivegan‘s post on safaris below.
GoAbroad explains that “While the world has become increasingly environmentally conscious and most humans would never support the idea of killing animals for sport, it can still be easy to fall into the trap of unethical safaris. Safari originated in colonial times, where shooting trophy animals, like lions and elephants, proved high social status. Today’s safari parks may have lost the guns, but often we show up in colonial-inspired khakis and disrupt wildlife with our intrusive presence, tracking down elephants, rhinos, and cheetahs for a good photo to show our friends at home.
When safaris support personal contact and disruption of the animals’ natural lifestyle, it’s never good for the animals. Other disadvantages of safari parks include habituation, which can cause wildlife to lose their natural instincts, and animals can even risk contracting human disease if people are able to pet, touch, and take selfies with them. The reality is, safaris house wild animals, and it will always be safer and healthier for them to live a natural lifestyle where they aren’t interrupted by humans.”
Are There Any Benefits To Safaris?
Safaris have a dark history and disrupt the natural life of wild animals who are forced to be viewed by humans. But is it all bad when it comes to safaris?
GoAbroad goes on to explain that “At the same time, when ethical safaris step in, they have the ability to protect species from poachers, protecting them from endangerment and extinction, while boosting the economy for local communities. There’s a fine line between ethical and unethical safaris, so it’s important to do your research to know how to identify those with the best intentions.”
How Do I Plan An Ethical Safari?
It can be a tricky thing to do, but GoAbroad has an incredible resource that offers 8 ways to make sure that you’re on an ethical safari adventure. When choosing a safari company to tour with, be sure that:
- The wild animals roam freely
- The park does not allow any type of hunging
- Human contact with wild animals is not allowed
- Park profits go to conservation of the land and wildlife protection
- The park does not allow the sale of any animal parts
While there is a more ethical way to go on safari, there is no ethical way to visit or support a zoo. Zoos do more harm than good for nonhuman animals and wildlife.
What’s Wrong With Zoos?
Here’s the thing about zoos that make them so horrifying: We’re visitors to these places, and most of the nonhuman animals that live there will be trapped and caged for the rest of their lives. Most places of animal exploitation hide behind promising words like “education”, “conservation“, and “research”. These places often include zoos, aquariums, and water jails such as SeaWorld.
Zoos Cause Psychological And Physical Harm
But the simple fact is that those animals are there because of our human fascination with them. Zoos either steal animals out of the wild and force them to live in unnatural settings, or they forcibly impregnate animals so that they have no choice but to experience pregnancy and give birth in confinement.
Animals kept in zoos are not able to carry out their natural behaviors or roam freely like they would in the wild, and within zoos, animals are often forced to be obedient through psychological and physical harm. Lastly, animals in zoos live much shorter an miserable lives that they would in the wild. A study shows that wild elephants in protected areas of Africa and Asia live more than twice as long as those in European zoos.
Zoos Do Not Exist For Conservation
When it comes to busting the myth that zoos exist for conservation purposes, World Animal Protection says: “Over the past fifty years, the world has decimated 68% of its wildlife population. There are an estimated 15,000 animal species currently listed as endangered or threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
If zoos were truly in existence for conservation purposes, one would expect this number to be considerably lower. Most animals held captive in zoos are not endangered or threatened in the wild. An evaluation of 13 of ‘the most progressive zoos‘ found that the zoos kept only 3.5% of all animal species assessed for inclusion on the IUCN Red List and kept nearly twice as many animal species of ‘least concern” (62%) as they kept animal species that are threatened (25%).
Even with some endangered species in their care, zoos don’t spend much time preparing animals for release in the wild. Captive-bred animals generally lack the survival skills necessary to be released into the wild and often have developed such severe zoochosis—psychological trauma brought on by captivity—that they would not survive.’
When it comes to other experiences such as petting zoos, rodeos, circuses, and trekking experiences (to name a few) it is clearer that they are purely here for human entertainment, and are of no benefit to the animals who are forced to participate in unnatural behaviors.
Why do we choose to continue supporting these exploitative and depressing places? The idea of visiting them has been normalized our whole lives. It’s up to us to undo what we’ve been fed and chew on something new.
Seeing Animals In Their Natural, Protected Home Is A Better Option
Although I was not educated before my first safari experience, when I look back on my wildlife safari while traveling through Rwanda and Uganda, I feel like we supported a park who operates ethically and has the best intentions for animals at heart.
Although leaving animals alone is the most ethical option, because of human interference with and destruction of nature, we must step up to protect the remaining animals that are here on Earth, so close to being wiped out as well. Visiting the Akagera National Park in Rwanda changed my life (no, seriously) and offered me an experience that I want to lock into my memory for the rest of my time on Earth.
My Visit To Akagera National Park & The Rhino Lodge
While in Rwanda we stayed at the Rhino Lodge, located right outside of the park, and went on a safari led by a local in his personal vehicle. Having no idea who we might see, I was in shock when I saw zebras (one of my favorite animals!), giraffes, elephants, baboons, crocodiles, and monkeys going about their way at the park. They sparked a bubbly and tingly feeling inside of me that I haven’t felt since childhood. These feeling never would have come through if we chose to support a place where animals are abused and exploited for profit.
Always Be Curious, Cautious, And Conscious When It Comes To Animal Experiences
When it comes to interacting with nonhuman animals, always abide by the following rules: Be curious, cautious and ethical when choosing what animal experiences you support while traveling and at home. Even national parks have been caught harming and killing animals, so ask around in your travel network while choosing where to go and really do your research.
Support Vegan Sanctuaries
If you can, always choose a vegan animal sanctuary over all other experiences. While vegan sanctuaries can look like normal farms to someone passing by, the makeup of the two are completely different. The core of animal farming is based on exploitation and profiting off of nonhuman animals while sanctuaries provide refuge, safety, and a forever home for nonhuman animals. Choosing the right activity, where everyone benefits as much as possible with the situation at hand, can easily morph into one of your most magical and fondest travel memories.
Want to see the wild animal magic that I’m talking about for yourself? Watch my safari YouTube video at the top of the page.
