Blog Archives

Top 10 Ethical Wildlife Experiences For Your Gap Year Bucket List.

Posted on February 3, 2020 by Bemused Backpacker — 17 Comments

Many people who dream of traveling the world have a bucket list, and wildlife experiences are quite often right at the very top. The big problem is ensuring that you aren’t contributing to the widespread abuse of animals in the tourism industry and that you are instead observing animals in an ethical and sustainable way to ensure that travel and tourism has a positive impact on wildlife. Here are the top 10 ethical wildlife activities you can safely add to your bucket list right now.

Tagged with: bucket list, does wildlife tourism harm animals, how to interact with wildlife on your gap year, illegal wildlife trade, responsible wildlife tourism, safari, travel, volunteering with wildlife, wildlife, wildlife conservation, wildlife exploitation, wildlife exploitation in tourism, wildlife tourism, wildlife volunteer work abroad, zoo
Posted in Responsible Travel

Why Tourism Is Essential For Improving Animal Care In Wildlife Travel.

Posted on September 16, 2019 by Bemused Backpacker — 14 Comments

Wildlife tourism can do a lot of good, but it can do a lot of harm too. The good news is that tourism can ensure the good and stop the harm, and travelers can play an integral role in helping all…

Tagged with: animal care gap year, Animal conservation, animal exploitation, animal Rights, animal sanctuaries, animal tourism, animals in captivity, does wildlife tourism harm animals, how to interact with wildlife on your gap year, responsible wildlife tourism, wildlife conservation, wildlife exploitation, wildlife exploitation in tourism, wildlife rehabilitation centres, wildlife tourism, wildlife tourism in Thailand, zoo
Posted in Responsible Travel

Improving Animal Welfare In The Travel Industry With Global Spirit.

Posted on August 9, 2019 by Bemused Backpacker — 42 Comments

I have been writing about ethical and responsible wildlife tourism for many years now to raise awareness about the many conservation issues involved in the industry and to help travellers avoid unethical and abusive wildlife tourism operators. But it is time to take that next step and not just write about the issues, but to actually help to make a physical change in the industry too. This is why Bemused Backpacker is proud to announce our new service, the Wildlife Tourism Consultation and Audit, in partnership with Global Spirit!

Tagged with: Animal conservation, animal exploitation, animal Rights, animal sanctuaries, animals in captivity, animals in tourism, Global Spirit, wildlife conservation, wildlife exploitation, wildlife exploitation in tourism, wildlife tourism
Posted in Responsible Travel

Bemused Backpacker Is Proud To Announce Our Partnership With Global Spirit.

Posted on October 10, 2018 by Bemused Backpacker — 12 Comments

Bemused Backpacker is proud to announce our new partnership with Global Spirit, the animals in tourism specialists!

Tagged with: best practices for animal tourism, Global Spirit, wildlife conservation, wildlife conservation in tourism, wildlife exploitation, wildlife exploitation in tourism, wildlife rehabilitation centres, wildlife tourism
Posted in Responsible Travel, Travel Talk

Are Camel Safaris Responsible Or Ethical?

Posted on November 20, 2017 by Bemused Backpacker — 32 Comments

Camel treks and safaris are a popular tourist activity around the world, but is camel riding ethical or responsible? Is Camel trekking harmful to the animals and should travellers and backpackers be riding a camel at all on their gap years? It is time to ask if we can’t find a better, more ethical and responsible camel trekking practice, should we stop riding camels altogether?

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Posted in Responsible Travel

5 Wildlife Activities You Need To Remove From Your Bucket List Right Now.

Posted on July 10, 2017 by Bemused Backpacker — 12 Comments

Many people who dream of traveling the world have a bucket list. That vague catalogue of things that they dream of accomplishing before they die, but some of the more popular bucket list items often include interacting with wildlife and many of these have dark consequences that most people don’t even think about. Here are the top 10 wildlife activities you should scrap from your bucket list right now.

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Posted in Responsible Travel

Tripadvisor Is Finally Stopping Ticket Sales To Irresponsible Wildlife Attractions. But Is It Enough?

Posted on October 12, 2016 by Bemused Backpacker — 27 Comments

Tripadvisor has finally announced that it is to end its practice of selling tickets to cruel and unethical wildlife attractions, but is it too little too late? And is it enough?

Tagged with: animal exploitation, animal tourism, is Tripadvisor trustworthy, responsible tourism, Tripadvisor, Tripadvisor animal atrractions, Tripadvisor ending wildlife tourism bookings, Tripadvisor supporting unethical wildlife attractions, wildlife conservation, wildlife exploitation, wildlife exploitation in tourism, wildlife tourism
Posted in Responsible Travel, Travel Talk

The Good And The Bad Of Elephant Tourism In Sri Lanka.

Posted on September 12, 2016 by Bemused Backpacker — 60 Comments

Elephant Safaris are a major part of Sri Lanka’s eco tourism industry, but are they all as responsible as they claim to be?

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Posted in Responsible Travel

The Horrible Truth About Animal Sanctuaries.

Posted on August 1, 2016 by Bemused Backpacker — 20 Comments

Animal and wildlife sanctuaries are a huge part of the gap year industry now, and there are a lot of great sanctuaries that do so much good for wildlife care and conservation, but not all of these sanctuaries are what they seem and many often do far more harm than good. Read on and learn the real truth behind many of these so called sanctuaries.

Tagged with: animal care gap year, animal sanctuaries, animal sanctuary jobs abroad, animal sanctuary volunteer abroad, backpacking, gap year, how to not harm wildlife on your gap year, responsible travel, unethical animal sanctuaries gap year, volunteer at an animalsanctuary, when voluntourism harms wildlife, wildlife conservation, wildlife exploitation, wildlife exploitation in tourism, wildlife rehabilitation centres, wildlife tourism
Posted in Responsible Travel

Thailand’s Cruel Tiger Temple Finally Shut Down.

Posted on May 31, 2016 by Bemused Backpacker — 32 Comments

After years of false starts, impotent warnings and failed attempts, the Thai authorities have finally grown a backbone and confiscated all of the tigers in the infamous tiger temple, essentially shutting it down, and it is about damn time.