Buzz
Tourism offers numerous advantages, such as generating employment opportunities for local populations, safeguarding cultural traditions at risk of disappearing, nurturing a sense of identity and pride within communities, and financially supporting the conservation of natural environments. However, the actions of ignorant and cruel tourists are a dark side of this industry.
10. A Vulnerable Baby Dolphin
Taking selfies with wild animals can be viewed as a form of animal cruelty. While it’s often seen as harmless, there are certain situations where taking selfies can be deadly for the animals involved.
In February 2016, a baby dolphin tragically died after being pulled from the water and passed around a crowd eager to touch and take selfies with it. This occurred in the beach resort town of Santa Teresita, Argentina. The dolphin was part of the endangered La Plata species, also known as Franciscana, which is only found in Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina. These dolphins are unique in that they are the only river dolphins that can survive in saltwater. As of now, only 30,000 of these dolphins remain.
A video surfaced showing a man pulling the helpless dolphin from the water and circulating it among a crowd of curious tourists. After having their moment with the animal, the group abandoned it to die in the mud. Unfortunately, the video shows no sign of anyone attempting to help the animal or return it to the water.
9. A Whale Shark
Whale sharks are renowned for their calm and friendly nature. They are so peaceful that they’ve earned the title of the “gentle giants of the ocean.” Unfortunately, some individuals take advantage of their docile behavior.
In the video, two men are seen laughing as they surf on the back of a whale shark. They were holding onto a rope that was tied to a moving boat while engaging in this cruel activity. One of the tourists eventually decided he’d had enough and climbed back onto the boat. However, the other continued for another round, with his friends cheering and laughing as he used the helpless whale shark as a surfboard.
Whale sharks are an endangered species. For years, they have faced dangers from hunters, fishing nets, boat propellers, and now, reckless tourists.
8. A Baby Bison
A baby bison had to be put down due to the thoughtless actions of two tourists. This incident took place in Yellowstone National Park in May 2016. During their visit, a father and son spotted a baby bison that “appeared to be cold.” Believing they were saving the animal, they decided to place it into their Toyota Sequoia.
A fellow tourist warned them about their actions, but the father and son ignored the advice. Instead, they drove to a ranger station in the northeast section of the park. There, they spoke to a park official, explaining that they were “genuinely concerned that the calf was freezing and dying,” and that they needed to intervene to save its life.
Unfortunately, what seemed like a compassionate act ended up causing harm to the bison. Due to human interference, the mother rejected her baby. Despite multiple attempts by park rangers to reunite the calf with its herd, they were unsuccessful.
Ultimately, the bison had to be euthanized after it began posing a threat to tourists by approaching them along the roadside. This incident serves as a valuable reminder that good intentions don’t always lead to the right outcomes.
7. Two Lions
Over time, China has earned a reputation for having abusive zoos. Thankfully, the government has begun to implement measures to tackle this growing issue. However, they have overlooked the fact that visitors also contribute to this abuse.
In January 2013, visitors at Hangzhou Zoo subjected two lions to abuse by throwing snowballs at them. The incident began with one tourist, and without zoo staff present, others joined in. While snowballs may not cause harm to large animals like lions, these creatures deserve respect “and they should be treated fairly.”
6. Another Whale Shark
The two unidentified tourists mentioned earlier are not the only ones who attempted to use the back of a whale shark as a surfboard. A girl named Carinn Lestolis, aged 18 at the time, also stood on the back of a 3-meter (10 ft) whale shark. This incident occurred in 2012 in Boljoon, a small town in Cebu, Philippines.
The unfortunate whale shark became trapped in the fishing nets of Pablo Trapero, a local fisherman. Trapero decided to drag the nets 100 meters (330 ft) from the shore to free the animal. After two hours, he and his neighbors managed to untangle the whale shark from the nets. However, by then, a crowd had already gathered around the distressed animal.
She claimed she didn’t know it was wrong, stating, “We didn’t know it’s wrong to touch them. All we know was that they shouldn’t be harmed.” According to her, she spent two minutes on the whale shark’s back just to snap a picture. As a result of this incident, the local government of Boljoon implemented measures to prevent similar abuse in the future. Offenders will face fines and imprisonment.
5. A Swan
The baby dolphin from Argentina isn’t the only animal that’s been exploited by selfie-obsessed tourists. In early 2016, a swan from Macedonia became another victim when it was pulled out of the water to be used as a prop for selfies.
The incident involved a Bulgarian tourist visiting Macedonia’s Lake Ohrid. A local named Nake Batev was present at the lake when this unfortunate event took place. According to him, the woman was “roughly handling the bird” and “calling for her friends to take a picture.” Batev also captured photos of the situation and scolded the tourist, yelling at her to release the animal. The woman finally let the distressed swan go and left with her friends.
As for the fate of the swan, there are conflicting reports. The Macedonian International News Agency claims the animal died due to the Bulgarian tourist’s rough treatment. However, Batev insists that the “swan actually swam away.” Regardless, incidents like this should never happen again. People must stop putting animals' lives in danger just for a “perfect selfie.”
4. Another Dolphin
In 2013, a group of tourists in Sanya, southern China, sparked outrage among Chinese netizens when photos surfaced of a dying dolphin being mistreated. The dolphin, which had injuries on its tail, appeared to have collided with a fishing boat.
The dolphin was still alive when a group of tourists found it on the beach. Rather than helping the animal, they proceeded to abuse it and take photos with it. One image even shows a tourist flexing his muscles while touching the suffering dolphin. By the time rescuers arrived, it had already passed away.
The photos, which quickly spread on Weibo, ignited fury across China. One netizen referred to the tourists as a “group of animals,” while another expressed, “China is now full of people lacking moral values, ignorance, and decaying civility.” However, some argued that the responses of many Chinese netizens were exaggerated in relation to the incident.
3. Fatso The Crocodile
Among all the animals on this list, Fatso’s story stands out as the most unusual. Rather than enduring the cruel treatment of thoughtless tourists, Fatso exacted his own revenge when he bit a drunken man in 2010, on behalf of all abused wild and captive animals.
In Broome, Australia, a man named Michael Newman found himself in trouble after being kicked out of a bar. He thought it would be a great idea to scale an enclosure and try riding a saltwater crocodile. Unfortunately for him, the enclosure contained Fatso, a massive 5-meter (16 ft) long crocodile. Fatso didn’t take kindly to Newman’s foolishness and responded by tearing chunks of flesh from his right leg.
Newman was fortunate that Fatso wasn’t particularly active that evening due to the cold weather. The crocodile was sluggish, and Newman narrowly escaped a fatal encounter. If it had been warmer and Fatso more alert, Newman would not have survived. Saltwater crocodiles are notorious for not releasing their grip once they’ve locked on.
2. Sambo The Elephant
Elephants are a common sight in Cambodia, with some even working in the tourism industry. For over a decade, a female elephant named Sambo transported tourists around the ancient Angkor Wat in Siem Reap. She began her work with the Angkor Elephant Company in 2001. Tragically, in 2016, Sambo's service ended when she collapsed while carrying tourists through the majestic city of Angkor.
Experts believe that Sambo, aged 40 to 45, succumbed to heat and exhaustion. On the day of her death, she was ferrying a pair of tourists to Bayon Temple. She collapsed on her second round of the journey. Later, it was determined that a heart attack caused her death.
Sambo's untimely passing sparked a petition to end elephant riding in Angkor. The petition, posted on Change.org, garnered 10,000 signatures. Animal rights activists are hoping that Sambo's death will put a stop to the cruel practice of elephant riding, which benefits only a select few in the tourism industry.
1. Two Peacocks
In February 2016, two peacocks tragically died after being mishandled by a group of Chinese tourists at the Yunnan Wild Animal Park in Kunming, a city located in southwestern China.
Zoo officials believe the peacocks died from shock. A group of tourists attempted to take pictures with the birds, but in the process, they began to abuse them, handling them roughly and plucking out their feathers.
According to zoo staff, such an appalling incident had never occurred before, and visitors are regularly reminded not to touch the animals. However, it raises the question of where the staff was during this tragic event. It seems that, whenever tourists engage in animal abuse at China’s zoos, the staff is mysteriously absent.
Yunnan Wild Animal Park is a vast 187-hectare zoo housing over 10,000 wild animals across 200 different species, including pandas, elephants, and lions.
