An article by Neil D’Cruze, Huffington Post.

Last Saturday people all over the world celebrated World Animal Day, a time for remembering and paying tribute to animals, the vital role that they play in our day to day lives, and the people who care and respect for them.

World Animal Protection chose this as the ideal day to launch its new long term campaign about Wildlife in entertainment. The sad reality is that people’s passion for wild animals causes untold hidden suffering to the animals involved every single day, all over the world.

More often than not, tourists are entirely unaware of the cruelty that goes on behind the scenes. So to help you to be a responsible, wild animal friendly tourist, here is a list of some of the cruellest types of attractions, to be avoided at all costs:

1. Riding Elephants

Elephant calves are taken from their mothers at an early age and both physical and psychological pain is typically used to ‘break their spirit’. Elephants have been known to develop post-traumatic stress disorders, similar to the condition seen in humans as a result.

2. Walking with Lions

Attractions offering the opportunity to ‘walk with lions’ require a continual stream of cubs in order to operate. When they are too large to ‘safely’ walk with tourists their future is placed in jeopardy as they are too ‘tame’ to be effectively released back to the wild.

3. Taking Tiger ‘Selfies’

Captive tigers used as ‘photographic props’ are typically kept on leads and punished in order to train and control them. Many will endure stressful procedures such as having their claws and canines removed in order to prevent them from mauling unsuspecting tourists.

4. Performing Dolphins

Wild dolphins are often chased by high-speed boats before being hauled onboard or caught in nets. For many, the associated stress is too much for them to take and they will never reach their intended destination. Those that do, face a lifetime of suffering in captivity.

5. Dancing Monkeys

When young macaques are not being trained or being used in street performances they are often kept chained in small barren cages or outside on short chains. As the macaque grows the chain can become embedded into the skin leading to painful infections and disease.

6. Snake Charming

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