special report
“ABTA HAS DONE WONDERS AT LEADING THE INDUSTRY WITH ITS ANIMAL WELFARE GUIDANCE MANUALS”
that tourists are paying to see, as well as, in some instances, directly funding conservation. Consequently, the travel industry is increasingly
playing an active role in protecting the welfare of not just animals in the wild, but also, importantly, of animals in captive environments and animals used for work, which holidaymakers oſten come into close contact with. ABTA, in partnership with the Born Free Foundation, has led the way in drawing up detailed guidelines for tour operators that have helped to transform local practices.
AFRICAN LIONS Over the last 20 years, Africa has lost more than 43% of its lions — there are as few as 20,000 animals leſt in the wild. Lions have disappeared from a dozen or more African countries in recent years and now occupy as litle as 8% of their historic range, according to the IUCN. As the Born Free Foundation puts it: “The
lion’s hunting grounds have been converted to agricultural land, and farmers use poisons, rifles and snares to remove predators from their land. Prey species have been depleted, populations have become fragmented, and in some countries it’s still legal to shoot lions for ‘sport’.” Again, topsy-turvy economic forces are at
play. In South Africa, lions are now being bred in captive conditions for the lucrative game hunting industry. The South African government is considering a proposal for a quota of 800 lion skeletons, derived from captive bred lions, which could be exported for commercial use. Lion bones are in demand in some Asian countries, typically as a replacement for tiger bone in traditional medicines and tonics.. A six-day so-called safari, commonly aimed
at the US market, can cost £12,000, but there’s further money to be made by atracting UK tourists to breeding farms to walk with lions or for cub peting; such visitors oſten have litle understanding of w hat they’re helping to fund. Sarah Dyer, UK representative of the Campaign
Against Canned Hunting, explains that with around 440,000 UK tourists arriving in South Africa on an annual basis, it’s not surprising that many get lured onto the farms. She says it’s vital that tour operators ensure such activities aren’t on tourist itineraries. “ABTA has done wonders at leading the industry with its animal welfare guidance manuals, which give best practice for its members to follow.” Since they were launched in 2013, in close
collaboration with the Born Free Foundation, ABTA’s guidelines have helped tour operators to rethink many of the tours on offer within their holiday packages. This puts financial pressure on those running unacceptable atractions. The manuals, which are available free to ABTA members, cover a wide range of topics, from the treatment of elephants and dolphins in captive environments to guidelines for wildlife viewing.
ELEPHANT SANCTUARY The fate of elephants in Southeast Asia is another good example of how a changing economy can impact on local wildlife, in much the same way as South Africa’s lions. Commercial logging is gradually being outlawed throughout the region, partly for conservation and partly to alleviate flooding. But, this means that redundant working elephants are concentrated in camps or ‘sanctuaries’ where they can earn an income for their owners by providing entertainment for tourists. Theoretically, the camps are designed to
ensure the welfare of the elephants, but in practice this oſten involves cruel exploitation: for instance, baby elephants can be tortured into submission by the use of bullhooks. There are also concerns that elephants are being captured from the wild and put into the camps because there aren’t enough to satisfy tourist demand. Many operators now work to strict guidelines to ensure that the genuine welfare of elephants is a top priority.
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ABTA Magazine | June 2017
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