Helping captive wildlife

Take a look inside the problem

From roadside zoos and elephant rides to posing with sloths and kangaroos, interactions with wild animals are both cruel and dangerous. Animals are often treated poorly, separated from their mothers at a young age, and kept in barren environments. These attractions bring people into close contact with unpredictable and highly stressed wild animals who can pose serious health risks to people.

Oscar Nkala

Baby elephants from Zimbabwe, later shipped to China.

Neverending abuse

Captive elephants are punished with bullhooks, carry excessive weight, suffer and often die from chronic arthritis and diseases, and receive inadequate care while being forced to perform.

Two young tigers held captive in a cage.

Captive Animals' Protection Society

Wild animals belong in the wild.

Captive animals' health suffers

Kept in an unhealthy environment and unable to express natural behaviors, wild animals in captivity suffer from boredom, physical ailments and lack of exercise, and often develop neurotic behaviors.

Two patrons hold a distressed sloth at Sloth Encounters

Humane World for Animals

Avoid participating in wildlife exploitation.

Exhibits continue to grow

Almost 1,000 exhibitors in the U.S. offer public interactions with wild animals. This number nearly doubled between 2019 and 2021.

Small monkey looking at the camera with sad expression through a chain link cage

Kathy Milani/Humane World for Animals

Animals are not for our entertainment.

Social media stars

At popular tourist destinations around the world, you can find vendors offering a photo with a wild animal for a few dollars. With the rise of social media, taking selfies with exploited wildlife has become a major problem.

Ian Michler

Breeders in the South African captive lion trade keep cubs in tiny enclosures.

Separated at birth

Lion cubs are bred in captivity to be used for cub petting and trophy hunting in South Africa. These cubs are separated from their mothers and forced to interact with tourists all day. Tourists are tricked into believing that they are helping lion conservation efforts when in fact they are taking part in an activity that harms lions and is solely for profit.

Fearsome facts

~10,000

zoos

operate around the world, according to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums

6,000+

lions

are suffering in captivity in South Africa for cub-petting and other exhibits

140

wild sloths

on average are imported into the U.S. every year to meet the demand for public encounters

Take Action

We bring a broad vision and deep expertise. Learn more about our work to help keep wild animals across the globe in the wild.

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A female volunteer feeds a shelter dog from her hand

Volunteer to rescue animals

Animal rescue volunteers work with our Animal Rescue Team to help save animals from cruelty and disasters. Apply now to get trained so we can count on you when disaster strikes.

Two sloths fighting in the presence of customers who purchased an encounter with sloths. One sloth suffered from a wound under his chin.

Pledge to protect captive wild animals

The misguided demand for interactions with wild animals is fueling an industry that decimates and harasses wildlife across the U.S. and around the world. Avoid attractions that offer close encounters with wild animals.

Other Actions You Can Take