Animal Welfare

Responsible travel practices

We endeavour to instil this passion in our guests, encouraging you to carry this ethos forward into every journey you take with us. More than just a holiday, it becomes a way of travelling, leaving a positive impact long after you return home.

How can you play your part?

• Enhance your knowledge: Before your journey, we encourage guests to learn about the local wildlife and cultural practices of the region. Understanding the environment helps us to foster a greater appreciation for responsible tourism through travel.

• Keep your distance: when encountering wildlife, respect their space and keep your distance. Observing animals in their natural habitat is a privilege; maintaining a safe distance is crucial for their well-being and yours. Animals are not props, so remember not to break boundaries to get the perfect photo!

• Keep your food to yourself: It is imperative not to feed wild animals or birds – this can teach them to get dangerously close to humans and harms their ability to find food naturally, which can have a huge impact on their wellbeing and wider ecosystem. Also, remember not to feed domestic animals without express permission from their owner/carer.

• Avoid Animal Exploitation: we discourage activities that involve direct interaction with wild animals or those that support entertainment at their expense, such as animal shows or performances.

• Riding animals: only ride domesticated animals such as horses or donkeys when the animal looks well cared for. Don’t ride wild animals, such as elephants and ostriches – they’ve often been subjected to severe cruelty to make them subservient. We also strongly advise against riding camels (due to camel welfare being unregulated and often poor).
• Can you tell the difference between a healthy and an unhealthy equine? Familiarise yourself with The Brooke’s Happy Horses Holiday Code, which offers 10 tips on helping to prevent animal suffering.

• Horse-drawn carriage rides: We strongly advise against taking horse-drawn carriage rides in cities or booking rides through street vendors. Horses used for carriage rides are often forced to work long hours and are exposed to extreme temperatures, poor nutrition, traffic hazards, and other welfare concerns.

• Keep fish wet: if taking part in fishing activities, please follow the ‘Keep Fish Wet’ Tips to ensure fish can continue to thrive when caught and released, or do not suffer if caught for consumption.

• Choose activities wisely: If you’re booking an additional activity independently from Scott Dunn, opt for wildlife experiences that promote conservation and ethical treatment of animals. Avoid places that offer non-domestic animal ‘performances’ - the techniques used to train animals to perform are usually very harmful to their welfare.

• Watch what you eat: avoid eating meat from endangered or wild animals. While it’s often framed as a cultural experience, tourism-driven demand makes it even more unsustainable and damaging to local ecosystems.

• Shop responsibly: do not buy souvenirs that are made from wildlife products or other threatened natural materials, including but not limited to turtle shells, feathers, exotic skins, horns, teeth and ivory. Many of these products support unsustainable practices such as poaching and are illegal under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

• Report concerns: if you witness any practices that seem harmful to animals during your travels, please report your concerns to your Scott Dunn representative. We take these matters seriously and will address them appropriately.

By adhering to these guidelines, we aim to foster a culture of respect for animals and their habitats, ensuring that our travel experiences contribute positively to local communities and ecosystems. Together, we can create unforgettable journeys that celebrate the beauty of our planet while safeguarding its incredible animals.

Thank you for joining us in our commitment to animal welfare as we explore the world together. Safe travels!