To end wild animal exploitation, we must focus on the root cause
To end the suffering of millions of wild animals used as entertainment, food, medicine, and pets, we’re uniting our focus to achieve greater impact.
The bigger picture of wildlife exploitation
The global wildlife trade – which makes using wild animals as entertainment, food, medicine, and pets possible – is cruel and is the reason why we are facing this pandemic.
Governments and decision-makers are waking up to the threat this trade poses. Now is the time to end the global wildlife trade – for wildlife, for us and for our planet.
Sign our petition now to encourage the Canadian government to support a global ban.
Focusing on the root cause: global wildlife trade
Previously, a large part of our wildlife work focused on ending animal cruelty in tourism. Over recent years, with your support, we have moved Instagram to add a content advisory page to educate users about the issues around wildlife selfies; we have moved elephant venues to become entirely elephant-friendly; we have moved major travel companies like Air Canada to stop selling tickets to cruel animal entertainment.
Since October 2019 we have been demanding Expedia Group stops profiting from cruel dolphin tourist attractions. But since the industry has come to a halt due to coronavirus, and companies like Expedia Group are barely operational, we have decided to suspend our campaign against Expedia Group to focus on ending the entire global wildlife trade.
Now is the time to unite all of our campaigns and push for a change larger than anything we’ve seen before.
A tourist poses with a captive dolphin
Still working with the travel industry
We’ll continue to work with the wider global tourism industry, including Expedia Group, to ensure they put animal welfare at the heart of their policies once the pandemic has passed.
We’ll call for an end to all captive animal experiences and will push and support the industry to focus on responsible wild experiences instead, where animal welfare is at the heart of the business.
As one of the hardest hit sectors, we will urge the whole travel industry to back the global wildlife trade ban, which would ensure fewer pandemics and make the sector more resilient.
We cannot go back to normal
Our demand for ‘once in a lifetime’ holiday experiences and dolphin selfies are driving both animal cruelty and the global trade in wild animals.
A tourist having her photo taken with a tiger at a cruel attraction
The multi-billion-dollar wildlife tourism industry profits from animal cruelty and endangers people by putting them in close contact with wild animals.
Wild animals are already suffering enormous cruelty in captive environments and when crises like COVID-19 occur their suffering can increase greatly – through neglect, abandonment and starvation.
We’re desperately urging tourists not to visit cruel wildlife attractions when they reopen after the coronavirus pandemic. Abusing wild animals for entertainment is not normal and we cannot return to it.
For the planet, for us and for animals. Join us in ending the global wildlife trade. Forever.
