On the occasion of World Environment Day, on 5th June, 2024, World Animal Protection is calling for responsible treatment of all animals, in the wild and in farms, so that their welfare and the protection of environment can be properly undertaken. Elephants in Haathi Gaon in Jaipur Credit: Shubhobroto Ghosh Recent research undertaken by World Animal Protection shows an estimated 5.5 billion wild animals being kept in cruel conditions on commercial wildlife farms around the world.
Researchers have found an astonishing lack of transparency and inadequate monitoring across the global multi-billion-dollar industry, where sentient animals are treated as mere components in a cruel production line. Shockingly, some captive wildlife populations are now larger than those living free. Factory farming entails environmental damage Credit: World Animal Protection Case studies in the report detail some of the industries where urgent action is needed - including: Bear farming in China - Some 20,000 bears are farmed for their bile on dozens of farms to satiate the demand of the bear bile industry in the country.
Elephant breeding in Thailand - The majority of nearly 3,000 elephants in the country are bred in captivity and used in 246 venues for tourism. Between 2010 and 2020, the number of elephant venues increased by a staggering 134 per cent. Lion and other big cat farming in South Africa - Approximately 8,000 big cats are bred at 366 known facilities in the country and used for multiple p.
