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| Talk for the animals | |
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| Topic Started: Jul 30 2006, 11:41 AM (55 Views) | |
| Deleted User | Jul 30 2006, 11:41 AM Post #1 |
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Talk for the animals By Steven Fosbery IN the mid-1990s, visitors to Greece and Turkey began objecting to Gypsies parading dancing bears in tourist areas. Some others said nothing but stopped giving money. Others complained about the cruel practice, first to tour companies, then to animal welfare groups and finally to the two governments, which had been unwilling to act until they understood the potential damage to their image. Today, there are no dancing bears in Greece and Turkey. Seventy were confiscated and placed in special sanctuaries, one in each country, and their handlers trained for new employment. The focus is now India, where it has been estimated there are 2000 dancing bears. As in Greece and Turkey, the campaign involves the World Society for the Protection of Animals, which has a membership of close to 700 animal welfare groups in 142 countries. WSPA's Jordan Burke says the example of the dancing bears shows tourists can play a part in breaking the cycle of animal cruelty. "There are many countries where the exploitation of animals is common. The compassionate traveller can make a difference." Burke says it's as simple as not buying a painted turtle shell or posing for a photo with an orang-utan. "We are constantly receiving complaints from travellers angered by acts of animal cruelty," he says. One was from a tourist upset by the poor condition of emus used for rides at a zoo in central Thailand. Another came after a couple visited an Indonesian resort where elephants were treated poorly. "Some (elephants) were used for rides, while others were chained in extreme heat for the entire day without shelter or water," he says. "A third came after a tour of a crocodile farm in Malaysia where a secondary attraction was a bear that performed tricks. The bear was kept in a tiny, exposed enclosure that was lower than the level of the croc swamp, so when it rained, as it often does, the cage flooded. The cage floor was mud most of the time." The rest of the article is here: http://www.news.com.au/travel/story/0,,192...0-27983,00.html |
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| Deleted User | Jul 30 2006, 11:42 AM Post #2 |
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ANIMAL ANTICS Tips for the compassionate traveller * Don't accept culture as an excuse for cruelty. Bullfights, cockfights and the use of animals in religious or other festivals all can be considered part of the local culture or tradition, but culture is no excuse for cruelty. * Don't be tempted to try the local cuisine if it includes wild animals. * View wildlife where it belongs: in the wild. Many zoos and marine parks keep animals in poor conditions, with their basic needs denied. * Never purchase souvenirs made from animals. Not only have animals paid for that souvenir with their lives, but Australia's strict customs laws prohibit bringing animal products home. * Never pay to have your picture taken posing with a wild animal. Many of these animals have been taken from the wild and their mothers killed. They are commonly drugged so they don't misbehave. * If travelling with a group, check that the itinerary doesn't include activities that exploit animals. If it does, lodge a complaint with your travel agent or tour operator, who may be unaware of the cruelty involved with such activities. * Don't attend animal performances. Animals forced to entertain tourists often endure enormous stress and pain. It is not natural for a wild animal to ride a bike or jump through a hoop and it is inappropriate to dress wild animals in children's clothing or make them dance. * Report an incident of cruelty to local police, local tourist offices, a local animal welfare society or your tour operator. It is vital to lodge your protests locally in the first instance. If possible, record what you have seen: photographs and video footage are invaluable evidence, but never pay to take them. Source: World Society for the Protection of Animals. More: www.wspa.org.au |
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| Kiwi | Jul 30 2006, 11:53 AM Post #3 |
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Admin
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Hooray :action: Talk for the animals indeed! We are to protect them so we should be talking for them. At the moment we are campaigning here to stop collar attachments on dogs that give them an electric shock if they bark. How cruel can people get? |
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8:06 AM Jul 12