Animal tourism

When I was a child I loved elephants and wanted nothing more than to ride an elephant one day. Now that I’m an adult I much more aware of the cruelty surrounding animal tourism. Though I’m going to admit now, I have participated in it. A few years ago I went to Indonesia with a friend who really wanted to go to an animal safari. I wasn’t particularly interested but with her insistence I came along. Below is a photo of me holding a baby orangutan.

I wonder how old he was before being taken from his mother?

It pops up in the news often, recently a man was killed by a 'tame' elephant. Thanks to the internet people are becoming wiser on the topic. Why is it so terrible? Because of the torture and stress these animals have to endure daily in order to entertain the masses. Animals are being taken from their mothers at a young age and forced to perform, give rides to people and are sometimes sedated in order for us to have our photos taken with them. The statistics are shocking too, there are more tigers in captivity than in the wild.

This is another case of supply and demand, if we stop supporting these injustices towards animals then it will happen less. No sentient being deserves this treatment. The same goes for circuses and places like Seaworld. I have vowed to never to support these kinds of trades again, and I hope you can too. Places like Indonesia and Thailand are still amazing without needing to ride an elephant or take a photo with a drugged up tiger. Enjoy the amazing food, traditional performances and beautiful scenery! 

Sea turtle with a straw in it's nose?

So you may have seen the video of a sea turtle that has gone viral recently, if you haven't then warning, it's a little bit difficult to watch. While nobody knows for sure how it got in the turtles nose what is clear is the cause, disposable plastic straws.

                                         Marine trash often looks like food (image © blckbaronstock)

We've all used them since we were children, but these small devices not only are not that helpful (drink from the cup) but create large amounts of trash each year that end up in our waterways. So what can we do? One Dutch teen has developed an eco-friendly ocean cleaning device, but to prevent future incidents like this one we could try to stop using disposable plastic straws and instead try paper, glass or stainless steel straws (or nothing at all!).

What is foie gras?

So I came across some local protesting the other day regarding a restaurant in London which serves foie gras. I had some basic knowledge of the topic but upon reading more into it I was horrified. That the practice of force feeding ducks and geese until their livers expand and kept in small cages is still done in 2015 is outrageous. This is a tame version of the actual cruelty that these animals face. The production of foie gras is banned in the UK, Australia and other countries but not the sale of it and there are groups protesting outside certain restaurants in London. 

ducks and geese are being tortured  to make foie gras  (image © deathbycannon-stock)

What can be done to stop this? This website has a few suggestions, but also, publicly complaining on companies social media websites is another way to get their attention (I have left negative reviews for restaurants on various platforms) .  The most important thing is to not support the industry by buying the product. If you believe the production of foie gras is wrong, let any business in your area how you feel about it in whatever (legal) method you wish.

Extinction

In recent news, another species of animal, eastern puma, has moved from the endangered list to the extinct one. Though technically it went extinct in the 1930's, it's still a saddening thought. It's hard to say how many species are going extinct each year, but we do know there is a biodiversity crisis.

The critically endangered Sumatran elephant

We've also seen public displays of governments trying to stop the illegal ivory trade but I wonder, will this really put a stop to it? Not buying any products made from an animal is one way to start. Another is considering where a product came from, what forest was destroyed to bring you this cheap item?

Think before you purchase, the little things count.

What's wrong with eating dog meat?

A lot of people have been getting quite upset about the recent stories of dog meat festivals in China. This sounds horrific, but my question is, what's wrong with eating dog meat?

You might think that sounds cruel but bare with me. I'm a vegetarian who is transitioning to become a full vegan, so I am against eating any meat. But when i see articles like this i think, how is this different to beef, pork or chicken? Because dogs are smart? Because eating beef is normal? Well I hate to break it to you but there is strong evidence that suggests cows, pigs and chickens are all smart too. And the only reason eating these meats is 'normal' is because we decided it to be.

veal  (image © mt-stock)

If you have a problem with eating dog, consider not eating other meats or animal products too because it's not much different. With so many good replacement options these days I wonder how people can claim to love animals but still eat them?