Asia For Animals Coalition Members Call on TripAdvisor to remove cruel canned hunting from its site
The tourism giant continues to profit from animal suffering, in direct contravention of its own animal welfare policy.
Cikidang Plantation Estate, Resort Hotel, Golf & Country Club in Indonesia is a resort which offers bloodsports to it's visitors. Known as "canned hunting", these are experiences which leave animals no chance of escape, being as they are in a large, fenced in enclosure.
This destination is endorsed by the TripAdvisor website, meaning that TripAdvisor is profiting from this suffering.
This is a clear contradiction to the company's animal welfare policy which states that: "TripAdvisor and its subsidiaries will not sell tickets to any attraction that is found to be in breach of the TripAdvisor listing policy as it relates to the harming or killing of animals. "
This policy stipulates that TripAdvisor does not list attractions where the primary purpose of the business includes .... the harming or killing of any captive animal (such as bloodsport attractions)"
The Asia For Animals (AfA) coalition, of which Change For Animals Foundation is a member, has come together as a coalition and authored a letter addressed to senior policy markers at TripAdvisor to implore them to remove this 'attraction' from it's site as well as to review how they police and enforce their otherwise meaningless policy. This is not the first time we have had to highlight this failure to TripAdvisor.
Read our recent letter in full HERE. It is signed by 199 global expert animal welfare organisations and represents the feelings of the many thousands of supporters they represent around the world.
Two-Pronged Approach
We believe that animals need market leaders like TripAdvisor to stand up for them, and to educate tourists that it is not ok to exploit animals for entertainment. Other similar companies, as well as the tour operators themselves, will begin to see that animal exploitation does not equal profit, and eventually follow suit, leading to a much-needed long term sea-change.
Our friends at FLIGHT are with us on this issue, but focusing on a different approach - they are calling on local authorities to close this “resort” immediately. Recently they have been getting out in the streets and standing up for what they feel is right:
“Today, we held a demonstration in front of the Sukabumi Regent office, asking management to close the Cikidang Hunting Resort. We were met by the Head of the Office of National Unity and Community Protection, Sukabumi Regency, Mr Dodi. He promised to follow up on our demands" – Marison Guciano, FLIGHT founder.
“We are proud to support our local Indonesian partner group FLIGHT in their campaign calling on the authorities to close Cikidang Hunting Resort in Sukabumi. It’s a cruel place offering “canned hunting experiences” to tourists, with visitors being provided with weapons such as air rifles to shoot a variety of animals, including chickens, ducks, boars and goats, within an enclosed area. These animals live in a constant state of fear, being bred and kept with the sole purpose of providing paying visitors with an opportunity to “hunt” them within a restricted area, with no opportunity for the animals to hide or escape. This is a cruel activity and must end!” – Lola Webber, CFAF co-founder
