Seeing animals when we travel is high on many people's must-do lists - but are we doing it responsibly? Responsible animal tourism is one of those areas I'm constantly learning more about: for example, I still remember the moment, perhaps six or seven years ago, when I first learnt about why we shouldn't ride elephants (and if you're not sure, listen on!). Animal tourism is definitely an area where as we learn more about it, we can do better, so I'm hoping this episode is as enlightening for you as it was for me to make it.

First up, I chat with Julia Salnicki, a zoologist who has spent many years living in Zimbabwe and Botswana doing research on painted dogs, spotted hyaenas and elephants. We talk about lion cubs, elephants and gorillas - some good and some bad stories!

Next, I talk to Ben Pearson of World Animal Protection, first asking him about a pet hate of mine - quokka selfies - and then asking him for some more guidelines on how we can be responsible travellers in relation to animals.

Finally, I speak with Louise Southerden about the specific case of riding with camels - as that seemed quite a grey area for me.

Links:
Julia Salnicki from Classic Safari Company - https://www.classicsafaricompany.com.au 
Ben Pearson from World Animal Protection - https://www.worldanimalprotection.org.au
Louise Southerden - No Impact Girl - http://www.noimpactgirl.com
Lou’s piece on camel riding at World Nomads - https://www.worldnomads.com/responsible-travel/make-a-difference/participation/camel-riding 
Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers
Show notes: https://notaballerina.com/199

Seeing animals when we travel is high on many people's must-do lists - but are we doing it responsibly? Responsible animal tourism is one of those areas I'm constantly learning more about: for example, I still remember the moment, perhaps six or seven years ago, when I first learnt about why we shouldn't ride elephants (and if you're not sure, listen on!).&nbsp;Animal tourism is definitely an area where as we learn more about it, we can do better, so I'm hoping this episode is as enlightening for you as it was for me to make it.
First up, I chat with Julia Salnicki, a zoologist who has spent many years living in Zimbabwe and Botswana doing research on painted dogs, spotted hyaenas and elephants. We talk about lion cubs, elephants and gorillas - some good and some bad stories!
Next, I talk to Ben Pearson of World Animal Protection, first asking him about a pet hate of mine - quokka selfies - and then asking him for some more guidelines on how we can be responsible travellers in relation to animals.
Finally, I speak with Louise Southerden about the specific case of riding with camels - as that seemed quite a grey area for me.
Links:
<ul>
<li>Julia Salnicki from Classic Safari Company - <a href="https://www.classicsafaricompany.com.au">https://www.classicsafaricompany.com.au</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Ben Pearson from World Animal Protection - <a href="https://www.worldanimalprotection.org.au">https://www.worldanimalprotection.org.au</a></li>
<li>Louise Southerden - No Impact Girl - <a href="http://www.noimpactgirl.com">http://www.noimpactgirl.com</a></li>
<li>Lou&rsquo;s piece on camel riding at World Nomads - <a href="https://www.worldnomads.com/responsible-travel/make-a-difference/participation/camel-riding">https://www.worldnomads.com/responsible-travel/make-a-difference/participation/camel-riding</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers -&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers">https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers</a></li>
<li>Show notes: <a href="http://notaballerina.com/199">https://notaballerina.com/199</a></li>
</ul>

The Thoughtful Travel Podcast with Amanda Kendle is a show for travel lovers. Each episode is packed with travel stories from fellow travel addicts on topics like using foreign languages, meeting the locals, getting lost and what we learn from our travels.

Tales from travel-lovers about why we travel and what we learn from it.

The Thoughtful Travel Podcast

The Thoughtful Travel Podcast with Amanda Kendle - established 2016 - is a weekly show which helps travellers think about how our travels can be good for us and good for the world. We talk about how to make ethical decisions on our trips, sustainable and regenerative tourism, bringing back what we learn from the people and cultures we meet to improve our lives back home, and share the most memorable stories from travelling: fun, scary, educational and more. Most episodes include extracts from conversations with three different guests, centred on a particular topic, but you'll also hear occasional deep dive interviews, recordings from the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club, and Amanda's own experiences from travelling past and present.

The Thoughtful Travel Podcast with Amanda Kendle - established 2016 - is a weekly show which helps travellers think about how our travels can be good for us and good for the world. We talk about how to make ethical decisions on our trips, sustainable and regenerative tourism, bringing back what we learn from the people and cultures we meet to improve our lives back home, and share the most memorable stories from travelling: fun, scary, educational and more. Most episodes include extracts from conversations with three different guests, centred on a particular topic, but you'll also hear occasional deep dive interviews, recordings from the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club, and Amanda's own experiences from travelling past and present.