Travel agents offering wildlife tours in Bali despite criticisms from World Animal Protection

World Animal Protection/Andi Sucirta

Elephants are trained to do tricks to impress tourists in places such as Bali.

New Zealand travel agencies are selling tours for Indonesian wildlife attractions denounced by animal activists as cruel and abusive.

Flight Centre and Helloworld travel agencies visited this week were willing to sell wildlife tours despite the companies having pro animal welfare stances.

World Animal Protection (WAP) is calling on Kiwi travellers to boycott Indonesian wildlife tours and travel agencies that support them, following the release of its investigation report, Wildlife Abusement Parks, into 28 wildlife tourism venues in Bali, Lombok and Gili Trawangan.

No venue with captive elephants, tigers, dolphins or civet cats met basic animal welfare standards.

Animals were found to be restrained through chains or in cages, had limited interaction with other animals, and were exposed to stress, lack of veterinary care and inadequate nutrition.

The report found 1500 wild animals including elephants, dolphins and orangutans were being held captive so tourists could ride, swim, and take selfies with them.

Bali is a popular tourist destination for Kiwis with 86,000 visiting last year.

Kiwi Rochelle Groufsky visited Bali last year and said she was disappointed to see elephants chained up at the Mason Elephant Park & Lodge rather than roaming around.

"I understand they are big wild animals but I don't understand why people continue to ride them when they are not born to be a ridden animal," she said.

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WAP has a working relationship with House of Travel and YOU Travel to formulate tour policies.

This week Stuff reporters visited four Flight Centres and three Helloworld stores to see if wildlife attractions would be recommended by travel agents.

Two stores recommended wildlife tours, and five declined to sell them.

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Animal rights activist Richie Hardcore, pictured in Thailand, says unethical wildlife parks in Southeast Asia should be boycotted.

WAP senior campaign manager Ben Pearson said the results were disappointing and emphasised the importance of informed travel agents making a difference.

"WAP is urging New Zealand tourists to avoid these venues, and boycott the travel companies that promote, sell and support them. If you can ride, hug or have a selfie with a wild animal, the chances are that animal has been subjected to cruelty."

Animal rights activist Richie Hardcore joined the calls.

"If western tourists didn't go and pay money to enjoy those experiences where we know animals haven't been treated ethically then the market wouldn't be there," Hardcore said.

In Auckland, Flight Centre New Lynn staff recommended wildlife attractions immediately and suggested Bali Safari and Marine Park.

Helloworld New Lynn didn't express any concern for animal-related activities, recommending temples, beaches, elephants and monkeys as favoured tourist attractions.

Flight Centre and Helloworld stores in Ponsonby said they were unable to sell wildlife tours, but recommended the Sacred Monkey Forest in Ubud, Bali.

Helloworld Ponsonby said attractions involving elephants and cock-fighting were available, but would have to be booked in Bali.

In Christchurch, staff at Flight Centre and Helloworld said they didn't sell wildlife tours for ethical reasons.

Flight Centre general manager Sean Berenson said the company was committed to promoting and selling travel that respected animal welfare.

Flight Centre was a member of the United Nations Global Compact – an initiative which encouraged businesses to have sustainable and socially responsible policies.

"When it comes to animal cruelty we believe it's important to take a holistic view and to engage proactively with suppliers to seek better outcomes in the short-term, both for the animals and for the local communities," Berenson said.

Helloworld marketing general manager David Libeau said the company did not support or promote tours to wildlife parks.

Helloworld was in the process of reviewing its policies around ethical tourism.

Store compliance was expected on that policy and it was possible the New Lynn store, recently opened, wasn't present at meetings where it was discussed, he said.

"We will be in contact with Helloworld Lynnmall to discuss this issue with them. I would hope this is an isolated incident in our network which we will act on immediately to rectify."

- Sunday Star Times