All wildlife Balinese tourism entertainment venues with captive elephants, tigers, dolphins or civet cats fail to meet the basic needs of wild animals in captivity, according to a new investigation undertaken by World Animal Protection.
Elephant rides, dolphin swims, orangutan selfies and other attractions such as circus-style shows are increasingly popular tourist activities for many travellers to the island. Some of the most disturbing findings of the animal welfare assessment conducted in November 2017 include:
• All dolphins were kept in severely inadequate conditions - one pool estimated to be 10 x 20m and 3m deep housed four bottlenose dolphins.
• Dolphins at one venue have had their teeth filed down or removed entirely to ensure they are unable to injure swimmers.
• All the elephant venues offered elephant rides, which involve cruel training and expose the animals to stressful situations.
• Nearly 15% of elephants displayed stereotypes - abnormal repetitive behaviours - including swaying and foot shuffling. Such behaviours indicate distress and suffering.
• All venues with orangutans offered selfie experiences, which put both humans and wild animals at risk.
Elaine McNee, Campaign Manager, World Animal Protection says, “The growing demand for harmful wildlife shows, encounters and selfies is a serious animal welfare issue in Bali and surrounding islands.
“Behind the scenes wild animals are being taken from their mothers as babies or bred in captivity to be kept in filthy, cramped conditions or repeatedly forced to interact with tourist for hours on end.
“World Animal Protection is urging New Zealand tourists to avoid these venues and boycott the travel companies that promote, sell and support them. If you can ride, hug or have a selfie with a wild animal, the chances are that animal has been subjected to cruelty.”
While wildlife tourism investigations in other regions were able to find non-exploitative venues with good welfare standards, the same can’t be said for the study of Bali, Lombok and Gili Trawangan.
“Individual tourists can be part of the solution by making ethical travel choices by avoiding these cruel venues and travel companies that promote, sell and support these venues. We are calling on all travel companies in New Zealand to audit their Bali offerings and ensure they are not supporting the venues mentioned in this report,” Elaine McNee continues.
To protect wild animals, World Animal Protection has worked with nearly 200 travel companies around the world to stop offering elephant rides and shows in travel packages. Among these are New Zealand operated YOU Travel and House of Travel.
“World Animal Protection applauds First Travel Group (YOU Travel) and House of Travel for signing up to help stop the use of wild animals used for tourist entertainment. As industry leaders, it sends a clear signal to other New Zealand travel operators that they can no longer ignore this wildlife in tourism issue; selling such cruelty can no longer be hidden. We therefore need more New Zealand travel groups and companies to come forward and be part of the solution or suffer increasing reputational risk,” says Elaine.