World Wildlife Day is on March 3rd, but our wildlife needs help now. You have the power to save animals, protect wildlife, and make a change. Learn how.
Every year on March 3 we acknowledge World Wildlife Day as a global opportunity to celebrate and raise awareness of our world’s wild flora and fauna. But we think the best way to support wildlife is to take actions that will ensure our plants and animals can still be appreciated for generations to come. It’s easy to celebrate World Wildlife Day with World Animal Protection — check out these 5 ways you can save animals and protect wildlife today.
1. #StopTheSelfies
The rise of the selfie photograph has led to new abuses in animal tourism. Especially in places like the Amazon, which is famous for its diverse wildlife, the number of tourists who want to take pictures with its fascinating animals is rising fast. Sloths, tigers, and countless other creatures are taken from their natural habitats, held in captivity, and subjected to stressful environments in service of this dangerous new trend in the tourism industry.
Take Action: You can save animals from this mistreatment by committing to our Wildlife Selfie Code and making sure that all of your wildlife selfies are cruelty-free.
2. Say no to exotic pets
One great way to acknowledge World Wildlife Day is to take a stand against the exotic pet trade. Parrots, otters, monkeys, tortoises…there are many beautiful animals that may seem like they’d make fun and loving household pets, but the truth is that no wild animal can have its needs entirely met when kept as a pet.
Take Action: Don’t be fooled by cuddly appearances — wildlife belongs in the wild. Help us end the cruelty of captivity by signing our Exotic Pet Pledge and supporting the Captive Primate Safety Act.
3. Avoid cruel animal attractions
Trips and vacations present exciting opportunities for planning unusual excursions and seeing local wildlife. But what you may not know is that the animals posing or performing for you are facing a lifetime of suffering, just for your entertainment. We’ve taken a stand against the exploitation of wildlife by companies like TripAdvisor or Expedia that sell tickets to cruel animal attractions — will you stand with us?
Take Action: Join the Wildlife. Not Entertainers. movement and pledge to avoid cruel animal animal experiences on your vacations and in your daily life.
4. Be an animal-friendly tourist
Not only can you be a better friend to wildlife by avoiding cruel animal attractions and shows, you can also change your behaviors and the wildlife encounters you choose to participate in. Beyond selfies and photographs, you can help save animals in captivity from petting, riding, or other distressing physical interactions with people. Among wildlife, elephants in particular suffer for the sake of giving rides to tourists.
Take Action: Use our elephant-friendly tourist guide to learn how to look out for signs of elephant mistreatment, and sign our pledge to commit to these elephant-safe practices as a tourist.
5. Help us rescue wild animals in need
Not only do we want to stop these occurrences of wildlife abuse in the future, we also want to save animals that are already facing exploitation and captivity for the sake of human entertainment and gain. We work tirelessly to protect animals in the wild, but we can’t achieve change without your help.
Take Action: Donate today to save animals from captivity, end cruel animal trades and attractions, and honor wildlife for World Wildlife Day.
Don’t just stop with these ideas on how to save animals — share these challenges with your friends and family and explore other ways to take action with World Animal Protection.