Travellers can make travel agencies humane

I thank Ms Soh Gek Han for highlighting the sad plight of elephants (“Elephant riding is not tourism with a conscience”; April 6).

Elephants and other wildlife are also used in entertainment shows, in photo shoots, begging or just kept in captivity.

Their suffering has been documented by animal protection organisations around the world.

If we want to see wildlife, let us see them in the wild, with travel operators who ensure that their activities do not cause harm. Or we can see them in legitimate sanctuaries or rescue centres. The Elephant Nature Park in Thailand is an example of a humane, educational alternative.

Some enlightened travel agencies have stopped offering elephant rides in their tours. Intrepid Travel, for example, even supported animal welfare organisation World Animal Protection by conducting a three-year research project to assess captive elephants in Asia. This is inspiring corporate behaviour.

World Animal Protection’s senior veterinary adviser, Dr Jan Schmidt-Burbach, said: “Wild animals belong in the wild, not in entertainment. We welcome all progress within the tourism industry towards recognising this fact and taking action to prevent cruelty.”

I hope travel agencies in Singapore will also have the humanity to replace tour destinations or activities that cause suffering to animals with alternatives.

I hope customers encourage their travel agencies to do so.

We can also buy animal-free souvenirs when we travel. And may we take our compassion and wisdom along with us on our travels.