When going on safari a trip will usually be arranged through a tour operator with a safari company that will operate within one of Africa’s national parks. The animals although being described as ‘living in the wild’ are kept and looked after to a certain extent. This for some people causes a bit of a moral dilemma as for us a safari can be an amazing once in a lifetime experience but is it the best thing for the animals.
The money generated by safari trips is used to help maintain the national parks and without this money the animal’s habitat could suffer as it wouldn’t necessarily be preserved for them and therefore could cause certain species to become endangered.
Safari can also help raise awareness about the animals, particularly those that are endangered species and can help to educate people on what can be done to protect these animals and help encourage their survival.
The one downside is that the animals are forced into situations where they are in fairly close proximity to humans and this can desensitise the animals to the dangers some humans pose to them such as poachers.
It’s not totally black and white but if you wish to do a safari its worth bearing the facts in mind and researching an ethical safari company that focuses on the wellbeing of the animals and not just the safari experience for us.