It’s easy for well-meaning tourists to hear the word ‘sanctuary’ and assume that they’re supporting a legitimate operation that prioritizes animal welfare. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple.
What does a best-selling science fiction author have to do with endangered animals? Quite a lot, actually.
Zoos have been around for a really long time. However, this arrangement hasn’t always worked out so well for the animals. Recently there has been an increasing amount of controversy over the existence of zoos and the role they play in our modern society.
Should you feel guilty about taking a picture with a sloth? Is going for a horseback ride along the beach a bad thing? The answer is ‘maybe.’ The truth is that animal tourism can be greatly beneficial for the animals involved, but it can also be just as detrimental.