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RE: Travel with me #65 : Adventure to the Safari World in Bangkok!

in #travel8 years ago

It is a shame that you are promoting and posing with these wild animals, as they are drugged so they can be exploited to earn money from tourists. In 2004 a guy I know, Edwin Wiek (a well known wildlife activist in Thailand) exposed the possession of more than 70 smuggled orangutans by the Safari World zoo, who were used in kickboxing acts.
Encourage responsible tourism and DO NOT visit animal attractions in Thailand!

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I have no idea they were abused. I guess taking them from the wild and keeping them in Zoo's is denying them their natural habitat. But then taking a contrary position to this, every animal held in captivity should deserve the same liberty.

Unfortunately Safari World is not just a zoo as it claims. They exploit animals for profit and have been caught previously in possession of endangered species. As of last week I am reliably informed they are still abusing orangutans by holding orangutan kickboxing shows where the animals are terribly mistreated. They drug these big cats so they can make money from tourists that want photographs with them. Unfortunately by having your photo taken you are only encouraging the continuing exploitation of these animals. Sorry to say.
When they were exposed by Edwin in 2004, they typically did not change their ways but sued him, trying to get him to shut up. The activists even encountered resistance from the local authorities as influential people own these attractions and have sway with the government.
The recent scandal about the Tiger Temple (Google for more information) re-affirms that animal tourism should be avoided in Thailand, as there is widespread abuse and harm to animals happening, and exploitation of endangered species for profit.

This is Edwin's website: https://www.wfft.org/