Encountering animals on our travels is one of the most life-changing experiences we can have, but how can we do it in a more ethical and responsible way? Kristen Diederich is with me today to talk about ethical wildlife tourism and how to be more informed when choosing our animal experiences.

Kristen is the founder of Compassionate Travels, which focuses on crafting ethical, wildlife-centric adventures for responsible, values-driven travelers. As an animal rights advocate and well-traveled adventurer, she has first-hand experience on the scale of animal suffering in the tourism industry and the challenges of finding experiences that don’t contribute to it.

Kristen and I discuss the complex issues around common experiences like elephant riding, taking photos, feeding and touching, and even cultural experiences like dog sledding. She shares the concept of “welfare washing” and why even some of the most seemingly ethical sanctuaries or rescues are still causing harm. You’ll learn how to identify truly ethical sanctuaries and tour operators and gain an understanding of the broader impact of mass tourism on animal welfare.

How have your thoughts changed on animal tourism? I’d love to hear what you took away from this episode and hope you’ll share by sending me an audio message.

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Tune In To Learn:

What it was like writing her thesis on wildlife tourism while on the ground in Sri Lanka
How she found her way to this work and the difference between conservationists and animal rights activists
The common types of animal exploitation and the complicated issues around for-profit and cultural/historical use
Why terms like “sanctuary” and “rescue” can be misleading
How to identify ethical sanctuaries and tour operators
Why we need to consider the bigger picture when choosing to partake in animal tourism
Why farm visits and using domesticated animals for tourism can be a problem
What she enjoys about solo travel and advice for new digital nomads
And so much more

Resources:

Kristen's List of Certifications and Organizations You Can Trust:

Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries
Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (for primate facilities)
World Animal Protection’s list of companies that have taken a wildlife-friendly pledge
World Animal Protection’s list of elephant-friendly facilities
World Cetacean Alliance (for ethical whale and dolphin watching)
Wildlife Heritage Areas
Born Free
Wildlife SOS (India)
Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (Kenya)
WildAid

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