Animals in the wild

"If you can ride it, hug it or have a selfie with the wild animal, the chances are it’s a cruel venue. Don’t go."

We work around the globe to protect and save wild animals–and to keep wild animals in the wild, where they belong.

Stopping the suffering of wild animals

From the seas to the deserts, wild animals face the ongoing threat of cruelty and abuse. Bears are captured and forced to fight dogs. Wild animals are traded as exotic pets. But long-lasting, genuine change is possible, so we move governments and communities worldwide to protect wild animals–and by supporting our campaigns, you can help to keep wild animals safe and wild.

Tigerpark i Thailand, hvor turister kan få taget billeder med tigrene

 

Our Work

Elephant walking uphill with people on its back at Amer Fort, India - World Animal Protection
Elephants at Amer Fort in Rajasthan, India, are often controlled with bullhooks which cause wounds and scarring. They carry heavy seats for tourists to sit on, which aggravates injuries and causes them severe muscle strain. Yet they are forced to give rides hour after hour. Day after day. For years and years.
 Bjørne-hundekamp i Pakistan
We work to stop bears being cruelly exploited in bear-baiting – an inhumane bloodsport where bears, unable to defend themselves, battle against trained dogs for entertainment. In rural Pakistan, large crowds gather to watch bears battle groups of trained dogs. The bears are captured and forced to endure immense pain even before they fight, with their canine teeth broken, muzzles painfully pierced with nose rings and claws often removed.
Bear dancing in Pakistan
We helped to end bear dancing in India–an age-old tradition cruelly exploiting bears for entertainment; with cubs poached from the wild and trained to ‘dance’ for tourists on the streets of India. In the past, sloth bears were illegally targeted by poachers in India and taken as cubs from their mothers. If cubs survived the stress and neglect, they were sold to Kalandars, traditional bear owners, to endure a lifetime of physical and mental suffering as dancing bears.
Hundreds of thousands of wild animals across the world are taken away from natural habitats, forced into captivity and subjected to abuse, both mentally and physically, in the name of entertainment and profit. Sadly, many tourists who love animals may actually contribute to animal suffering because they are unaware of this hidden cruelty.
Sonepur , Sec 40, Animals in the wild
Elephants are protected under law in India, but a loophole in the law is being used to exploit these elephants. Do you want to protect these elephants? We recommend and urge that the exemption to live elephants given in Section 40 of the Wildlife Protection Act be withdrawn and all live elephant trade be stopped immediately. This will help stop the illegal trade of wild elephants.
Tiger
Our team of experts spend so much time writing valuable blog posts. They pour their heart, soul and knowledge to present the best facts with the readers. Check out our blog section and know more about wildlife.

Elephant Rides at Amer Fort

Elephant at Amer Fort, India - World Animal Protection - Wildlife. Not entertainers

Our Global Campaigns

550,000 wild animals are suffering miserably at tourist attractions in Asia and across the world. Elephants are used for rides, tigers for selfies, lions for ‘walking with lions’ experiences, monkeys for shows – and many more. For most of these animals, the trauma begins shortly after birth when they’re stolen from their mothers.
elephant
Every day, thousands of wild animals are poached, farmed or sold into the global multi-billion-dollar trade – for food, pets, traditional medicine and entertainment. Horrific conditions cause unimaginable suffering for every single animal involved. They also create a hotbed of zoonotic disease, leading to outbreaks like SARS and now COVID-19.
Elephants performing
We need your help to stop the cruelty at the world’s cruellest wildlife tourist attractions. There is much more you can do to protect wild animals from the cruelty of tourist entertainment by taking action on your own holidays. Be an animal-friendly tourist. A large number of tourists are unaware of the cruelty inflicted on the wild animals in tourist entertainment venues.