National Geographic Traveller has rated Libearty as one of the best ethical wildlife attractions which allow animals to live as naturally as possible and invite visitors to watch, but not touch. This rating was done on the basis of research of the WildCRU (part of the Zoology Department at Oxford University).
The Libearty bear sanctuary in Romania is rated as number 1 in the list, followed by the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF), Kélonia Marine Turtle Observatory, in Réunion, and the Elephant Nature Park, in Thailand.
According to WildCRU, only 25% of the world’s wildlife attractions provide a high standard of care for their animals and up to 95% of the 560,000 wild animals kept in captivity suffer some form of cruelty — usually away from public view.
As a rule of thumb, any wildlife attraction that offers hands-on interactive experiences and shows — think turtle-handling, lion cub-cuddling, elephant rides, tiger selfies and circus tricks performed by orcas, monkeys or bears — is likely to be harming the animals in its care. Look out instead for those that allow animals to live as naturally as possible and invite visitors to watch, but not touch.
