Animal Sanctuary or Road Side Zoo?

Do the words ‘animal sanctuary’ invoke visions of helping bathe elephants and feed monkeys in a tropical setting?

Many people like not only to connect with nature, but also with the native animals when traveling. And that’s great! Unfortunately, good intentions might be unknowingly supporting nothing more than a road side zoo masquerading as an animal sanctuary. Wait, what?! Yes! And it can often be hard to tell the difference, unless you’ve done your research or know the right questions to ask these facilities before investing your time and/or money into visiting these places.

Road side zoos, or pseudo-sanctuaries, do not put emphasis on the animals’ needs. Behind closed doors and out of public view, animals might be forced to live in tiny and inadequate spaces, not be given enrichment activities in which to thrive, may have been obtained by illegal or unethical means, bred in house, be given poor or improper care, or the facility might not be accredited. Perhaps the facility lets tourists handle the animals at will. All of these are major red flags and are not what embody a true sanctuary for animals.

It’s a sad reality that these tourist traps exist and prey on people who’s intentions are only to do a good deed, while getting an experience of a life time. As vegans, we are ethically-minded and know that ignorance is not bliss when it comes to animals that are being used for nothing more than profit.

Vegan or not, people with a moral compass would rather support an animal sanctuary over a road side zoo.

If you let us be your travel guide, we ensure that the activities you pick are vegan based. We do the research and keep up with it, so that your animal sanctuary experience is genuine and that you are contributing to a good cause!