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When wild animals become tourist attractions, their freedom is stolen, and their natural behaviours are supressed, leading to a life of captivity and misery.
Our world is a wonderous place that is full of life, but without wild animals creating those ecosystems and thriving in their natural environments, would that still be true?
Today, wild animals face so many threats including habitat destruction, urban sprawl, the global wildlife trade for frivolous things like pets and trinkets, and for use as tourist attractions.
At World Animal Protection, we believe that wildlife was meant to be wild and that it’s our shared responsibility to act.
Together, we can protect wild animals and keep them wild. One by one.
Seeing wild animals when you're travelling can be an exciting experience, but many captive wildlife venues exploit animals for tourist entertainment.
Knowing which venues are genuine sanctuaries and which you should avoid is not always straightforward. That’s why we developed our animal-friendly travel guide that includes quick tips and checklists that help you identify a genuine wildlife sanctuary that puts the animals' welfare first.
Each year, over 500,000 wild animals are trapped, confined and forced to live and behave unnaturally to entertain tourists. Sadly, many tourists who love animals may actually contribute to animal suffering because they are unaware of this hidden cruelty. Whether it’s riding an elephant, walking with lions, or swimming with dolphins – these might all seem like fun ways to interact with wild animals when on vacation. In reality, they cause intense suffering and pain for the animals involved.
Pledge to be an animal-friendly traveller and help end this cycle of cruelty.
Keeping wild animals captive, whether taken from the wild or bred in captivity, causes immense physical and mental suffering.
Former dolphin trainer reveals hidden cruelty behind the industry in our explosive documentary, ‘Fooled by a smile’. Both trainers and tourists are being actively misled by venues, who are willing to do or say anything to maximize profit from the cruelty of keeping these intelligent, social animals locked up.
This is not love. This is not conservation. This is not education.
84% of Canadians believe wild animals belong in the wild where they can live naturally.
Wild dolphins can travel up to 160 km every day, but even in the largest facilities, they have just 0.0001% of their natural habitat range.
More than 1.8 million wild animals were imported into Canada over a 7-year period (2014-2020), many without proper identification or permits.
Join us as we work to transform the lives of animals. By joining our community you’ll receive updates and resources that will help you make informed decisions when animals are involved. Sign up today!
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Our world is changing. The climate crisis means more wildfires, floods, and droughts that could destroy habitats, kill millions of animals, and displace millions of people. But with small actions today, we can make a difference together.
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We do everything we can to give animals a better life. With the best available science and our collaborative approach, that’s the promise we’ve kept for decades, but we can’t do it alone. Will you join us?
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Small changes to your diet can make a big impact. By simply making one day a week plant-based, you can make a difference for animals, your budget, your health, and the planet.