Eminently EveA controversial topic, nonetheless immensely important for us to discuss, especially as #ConservingByTouring travellers.
What is “animal interaction”?
In this context, animal interaction is when humans visit a game park, nature reserve or animal home and engage with wild animals in ways which under normal circumstances in the wild would not happen. This interaction is added as one of the activities that one can partake in at this particular place and in most cases it attracts a separate charge. Any animal species can be “used” for this activity and that includes antelopes, giraffes, zebras, rhinos, elephants, lions etc. The forms of interactions range from feeding the animals, patting, riding them and anything & everything in-between.
How did the “animal interaction” activity start
This form of close interaction with wild animals started when different groups of people felt the need to take care of animals in more intimate ways. In some cases the animals would have been badly injured and in other cases the animal would have been orphaned. In the wild, such vulnerable animals have close to zero chances of survival. This is because if the animal is injured, it is no longer able to hunt or escape predators. Orphaned animals especially those orphaned before they are weaned, also die from hunger and/or get predated upon. The need by humans to intervene and assist the injured animal was at times due to the continuous existence of that species worldwide (or in the specific reserve) being under threat. Therefore, to ensure continuity of the species, the need to intervene arose. The second reason for human’s intervention was also out of empathy and therefore wanting to ease the pain the injured or orphaned animal would be going through. The places where these vulnerable animals were cared for were usually called rehabilitation facilities, meaning that after the animals had recovered, the process of rewilding them would then start and they (the animals) would be encouraged to return progressively into the wild.
How then did the “animal interaction” become monetized
Treating the injuries and coming up with formula milk or other food for the animals required a reliable and continuous source of funding. While so many people were moved to want to donate, the donor community became saturated as more and more wildlife organizations started to be formed. These organizations taking care of the wild animals now had to come up with novel ways to raise funds otherwise the initiative could not be sustained. Programmes which allowed people to visit these places and have hands on experience taking care of these animals, be it in feeding, cleaning their sleeping areas etc were therefore formed. In order for one to participate or volunteer, they would pay a certain amount of money to these non profit organizations which meant that all the funds would go back into the project, ensuring its smooth running.
How did things go wrong
Things started taking a turn when some individuals saw this solely as a profitable business opportunity. To date;
a) animals are essentially getting kidnapped from the wild, disturbing the family units especially of animals that are family oriented like lions, giraffes, elephants etc. just so they are a part of this “animal interaction” activity,or to stock overseas zoos or parks.
b) new born animals are sometimes forcefully taken from their mothers again just so a game park can claim to be taking care of orphaned animals. Meanwhile, they are actually taking these new born animals because they are relatively “easier” to transport and manipulate/abuse into behaving a certain way towards humans.
c) animals such as lions and elephants are often tortured, spending days without food or water as part of their training in preparation of this “animal interaction” activity. What happens however is that, as the animals grow older, the natural instinct of protecting themselves with the mighty power they have will kick in and that is when you start hearing stories of things going wrong during these so called “animal interactions”; i.e. someone ending up on a death bed or actually dead. The animal then usually also ends up getting killed simply for being its natural self.
d) some animals are beaten to death or just outright killed if they do not conform, simply because the owner of the park would be feeling that continuing to feed the animal that is not going to bring in money through the “animal interaction” is a waste of money to him/herself.
Way forward
As responsible travellers who participate in the conservation of wildlife through touring, we need to pay more attention to the places that are offering these “animal interaction” activities. Below are some pointers to consider:
1. The place has to have a good reputation – this can be checked via reviews on their Facebook page and Google. If their review section is hidden you may want to take that as a red flag.
2. They have to have a clear rehabilitation system – i.e. not seeing the same animals each time you visit because they are being put back into the wild after rehabilitation. Of course some animals may not be in a state where they can be put back into the wild e.g. if they were captive bred or have permanent disabilities. Such animals will then be used for educational purposes. However, even in those cases, the owners of the rehabilitation facility will pay so much attention to the animal that if it is not in the mood to be interacting, it will be left alone and not whipped or otherwise coerced into interacting.
3. There has to be a clear and verifiable story about the specific animal – i.e. why it is not in the wild and what the plan is to return it back into the wild (if feasible)and also the estimated timeline of that happening if relevant. Do ask for pictures or internet links (social media or website) that clearly support the background story of that animal
4. If an animal looks underweight or stressed do ask questions – a lot of the times it can be due to ill treatment and lack of food for the animals.
5. BE CONTENT WITH SEEING ANIMALS IN THEIR WILD STATE – part of the problem is with ourselves of course, when we keep on wanting more and not being content with observing animals in their natural state. Most of this we do for social media pictures unfortunately and showing off to family and friends.
Considering that accidents happen so often, including fatal ones, during these “interactions”, especially in areas where the animals are exposed to abuse, is it really worth it?? You may also want to ask yourself if there is any conservation driven reason or any logical reason (even non conservation) when it comes to some activities such as “walks with lions”?. I believe that we owe it to our wildlife to take better care of it without trying to manipulate it. And for our children & grand children to learn about the real wild animals and not the tame ones we are wanting to recreate.
Remember to always have a little intimacy in your life & as always I’m talking about intimacy with nature.
