In reporting on the extent of animal encounters in the tourism industry and in talking to animal rights groups, I quickly realized that in all my travels around the world I have engaged in many of the animal experiences that animal welfare custodians advise against.
Riding elephants in Thailand? Yep, been there. Swimming with dolphins? Uh-huh. Releasing baby turtles into the ocean? That was me. Buying a piece of jewelry made from bone that the vendor swore came from a camel that died of natural causes? You get the idea. I'm not proud of having done so, but like so many travelers, I did. And I often thoroughly enjoyed the experience. There, I wrote it.
I bring this up because probably like most people, I cringe at the thought of anyone harming or mistreating animals in any way. But when I engaged in most of the animal encounters I have participated in, naively it didn't really occur to me to refrain. I often travel on group itineraries, and we would just show up at a supposed elephant sanctuary or some other animal venue, and like my fellow companions, I would be so awed at seeing and interacting with animals up close that I would not stop to think about the way those animals are treated. It was a classic ignorance-is-bliss approach.
But after reporting the adjoining story, I will take a closer, more critical look at those encounters and seriously question whether I want to be involved with them going forward. I'm guessing a lot of travelers find themselves in a similar position as awareness about animals rights issue in the tourism realm continues to make headlines.
So, what is the tipping point? How do people convert from being OK with animal activities (and even really excited about, like I have been) to wanting to abstain? Well, that is a very personal journey that even the most active animal rights groups cannot force upon any of us. It's the same journey everyone has to take about so many ethical questions, ranging from the products we buy to the companies and organizations we support.
For me, I'm honestly not sure what I will do the next time I am offered a chance to participate in an animal experience. But whatever I decide, I will put a great deal more thought, research and analysis into it than I did before. I think I at least owe the animals that much.