Costa Rica launches #StoptheSelfie

​worldanimalnews.com/costa-rica-launches-historic-stopanimalselfies-campaign-to-raise-awareness-end-the-cruelty-support-wildlife-conservation/

Costa Rica has launched the Stop the Selfie campaign to raise awareness for animal cruelty and wildlife conservation. The stop the selfie campaign aims to end wild animal selfies and raise awareness for the harm and negative effect this can have on both the wild animals and the people involved.

Costa Rica has about 5% of the world's biodiversity and sadly, these wild animal selfies are having a really negative effect on the wildlife there. These tourist selfies with wild animals disrupt the natural environment for these animals and can cause them immense stress and anxiety because of forced human interaction. All of this on top of the fact that these animals can also carry disease and pathogens that can transfer to humans making the situation especially dangerous for everyone involved. 

This usage of wild animals for touristy traps is nothing new and doesn't begin or end in Costa Rica. Wild animals are regularly plucked from the wild and forced into roadside petting zoos where tourists pay money to pet baby wild animals like tigers or lions. These animals live their entire lives as slaves until they are sold to game reserves to be hunted for trophy hunters. It's a sickening cycle of life for these animals. Much the same as the situation in Costa Rica, wild animals do not belong in our possession or do not belong being used as props for tourist selfies. 

On a positive note however, nearly 64% of the tourists in Costa Rica engage in ecotourism meaning they abstain from cruel wildlife selfies and other wildlife related tourist traps like these. That doesn't mean it's not happening however as it is reported that Costa Rica ranks 7th in regards to animal selfies and photographs severely impacting biodiversity. There is simply no justification for engaging with wild animals in this manner.

The Stop the Selfie campaign encourages people to engage in ecotourism and to share ethical photos and selfies of their travels through Costa Rica. This ambitious initiative will hopefully help to end the wildlife selfies in COsta Rica and spread awareness of the harm that they actually cause. 

Learn more about this initiative by visiting the link at the top of the page for the original story through World Animal News.

HAPPY VEG