Let's filter cruelty out of wildlife photos, together
Sadly, many wild animals who people take selfies or photos with are subjected to cruelty - and it's not always easy to spot.
Most people who want to take photos with wildlife are animal lovers, but are unaware of the suffering these animals face.
When you capture a photo with a wild animal, it may seem like a harmless act. We’re widening the lens to reveal the cruelty.
Wild animals belong in the wild. When we take photos, watch them perform in unnatural environments, or get too close, they suffer. Let's give wild animals the care they deserve
The Five Freedoms
Wild animals are not domesticated like cats and dogs. If they do not live in the wild where they belong – or at least a genuine sanctuary – they’ll suffer.
The Five Freedoms define what animals under human care deserve. Wild animals should experience:
- Freedom from hunger or thirst
- Freedom from discomfort
- Freedom from pain, injury or disease
- Freedom to express normal behaviour
- Freedom from fear and distress
We move the world to protect wild animals
We are World Animal Protection. Through our Wildlife. Not entertainers campaign and our work in 14 offices around the globe, we’re changing the world for animals used to entertain tourists.
Currently around 550,000 wild animals are in captivity being used for entertainment, including elephants, tigers, sloths, dolphins, anacondas, and many more.
Most are forced to live in awful conditions which do not meet their basic needs. Many are made to perform, and brutally ‘trained’ so they become submissive enough to get close to people.
Tourists surround a pink river dolphin in the Amazon
Stay out of the picture
If you’re offered a photo opportunity with a wild animal, it’s highly likely the animal is experiencing fear and distress.
And when wild animals are forced to perform, the pain, injury and fear they experience for your entertainment is hard to imagine. Please consider the suffering they endure, and make the ethical, sustainable choice to stay away from cruel wildlife attractions.
We want tourists to enjoy seeing wild animals in the wild or the next best place – a sanctuary or rescue centre – which provides proper protection for animals who survive the cruelties of the tourism industry.
Remember: if you can hug, hold or ride a wild animal, it’s cruel.
Moving companies to protect animals
In 2015, 558,000 people signed our petition to TripAdvisor, urging it to stop selling and promoting tickets to cruel wildlife attractions. It worked, and it proves how powerful our collective voice can be at creating change.
180 travel companies around the world, including TUI and Contiki, are doing their bit for wildlife too. They've committed to not selling cruel elephant rides or shows to tourists.
Commit to cruelty-free selfies today
Since October 2017, more than 250,000 people have committed to keeping wildlife cruelty out of the picture, by not taking selfies or photographs that cause wild animals to suffer.
Join them, by signing up to our Wildlife Selfie Code now.
A tourist takes a selfie with a squirrel monkey in the Amazon
