The first one of five groups of captive wildlife activities to AVOID, as highlighted by the SATSA guidelines, is supporting facilities which keep and/or profit from performing animals.
Why avoid activities with performing animals?
- The animals don’t have freedom of choice
- There is unnecessary hands-on training and handling involved
- The animals are forced to exhibit unnatural behaviour
- It serves no educational value
- It serves no conservation value.
In order to perform in a public show or display, the animal would have undergone some form of training, often involving corporal punishment, tethering and/or food deprivation.
Performing animals may include: elephants, predators, primates, cetaceans (aquatic mammals such as dolphins and whales), birds and reptiles.