![]() For his safety, he’s had to keep his location hidden until he leaves the country. “Many will die of stress, dehydration, or hunger en route.”Įxposing the brutal realities behind the wildlife tourism industry carries a degree of danger, and when documenting these stories, Gekoski keeps a low profile. “The collection process is brutal and normally involves killing the mother and taking the babies, which are then smuggled across international borders,” the photographer continues. While some of the animals at these attractions were bred in captivity, others were stolen from the wild. “So if you see elephants swaying or big cats pacing back and forth next time you’re at the zoo, bear in mind this is a sign of a distressed animal.” “This is a form of zoochosis where animals perform repetitive behaviors such as head bobbing or pacing,” he says. ![]() “Many spend the rest of their lives in woefully inappropriate enclosures, exploited as human playthings.”īeyond the physical marks of mistreatment, he commonly encountered stereotypic behavior, signs of stress, frustration, and deteriorating mental health. “They may be fed the wrong diets or not fed at all,” the photojournalist admits. “But in reality, most are exploitative money-making machines that profit from the suffering of animals.”Ĭorporal punishment and food deprivation are common among animals who are ridden by tourists or forced to perform for crowds. “Many zoos masquerade as centres for education or conservation,” Gekoski explains. At a zoo in the Czech Republic, lions were whipped and beaten during shows, then stuffed in overcrowded trailers. While documenting traveling circuses, Gekoski learned about dolphins placed on stretchers and covered in lubricant before being forced to perform in artificial salt water pools, laced with chlorine. At the Saigon Zoo in Vietnam, he met an emaciated sun bear who spent his days standing on his hind legs, begging for food from passersby. At Pata Zoo, he came face-to-face with Bua Noi, a gorilla who hadn’t set foot outside her filthy cage for decades.Īt Taman Safari in Java, Indonesia, he saw elephants punched in the trunk, only to realize later that the handlers were concealing sharp objects resembling nails, resulting in raw puncture wounds. At Phuket Zoo, he observed elephants chained up all night, developing foot infections after being forced to stand in their own urine. Also at Dam Sen Amusement Park, he saw macaques perform, terrified and wearing collars with painful spikes. Many of these unforgettable moments are part of his new book on the exploitation of wild animals around the world, titled ANIMOSITY. “I’ve seen the worst of the worst places that you can barely comprehend,” he tells me. I’d never seen an animal quite so emotionally broken.” In the years since, Gekoski has traveled to four continents documenting the wildlife tourism industry, bearing witness to the treatment of animals in zoos, amusement parks, circuses, and other tourist attractions. “People would pass by and knock on the glass or taunt him with food, whilst he cowered behind them. “He only had two cement boulders in that cell,” he remembers. © Aaron Gekoskiįour years ago, the photojournalist Aaron Gekoski encountered an orangutan living in a four-by-five meter concrete cell at Dam Sen Amusement Park in Vietnam. ![]() © Aaron Gekoski At Dam Sen Amusement Park, Vietnam, an orangutan languishes in a small cell, with only two boulders to keep him company. This image went viral and led to investigations and the zoo publicly defending their animal welfare record. ![]() © Aaron Gekoski A sun bear begs for food at an enclosure at Saigon Zoo, Vietnam. Macaques are often exploited for the Wildlife Tourism industry, due to being easy to train. By Ellyn Kail on JAt Dam Sen Amusement Park, Vietnam, macaques have been used in shows for years.
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