Sign up to the Wildlife Selfie Code

Most tourists who take photos with wildlife love animals. During once-in-a-lifetime trips to destinations like the Amazon, it’s understandable that they’d want to take a snap with a sloth for Facebook, or post a picture with a pink river dolphin on Instagram.

But if they knew about the suffering these animals endure for this type of photo opportunity, they’d put their phones and cameras away.

Amongst the 34 billion images posted by millions of people on Instagram, our initial investigation showed there were tens of thousands of selfies on Instagram taken with wild animals. These photos capture a moment of shareable joy for people, but for many of them, the animals’ stress and suffering are left out of the frame.

Many people envy friends who post selfies of themselves hugging or holding wild animals, which sadly encourages more people to take their own photos. This continues the ongoing suffering and cruelty for wildlife.

Right now, as the tourism industry suffers a downturn due to the coronavirus pandemic, the wildlife selfie madness has come to a halt and many animals are at risk of going hungry. And thousands more risk being forgotten about and left to suffer in cruel captivity.

But, with ongoing help from supporters like you, we’re working to ensure animals in tourism venues remain fed and cared for during this current crisis.

Tourist taking photo of tiger

Help filter cruelty out of selfies

Don’t be part of this ugly picture.

Sign our Wildlife Selfie Code now, and help filter cruelty out of selfies.

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Don’t take a wildlife selfie if it means holding an animal, hugging or restraining them, baiting them with food or putting yourself in a situation where the wild animal could harm you. You can be assured that those wildlife selfies caused tremendous suffering to the animal.

Do take a wildlife selfie if the animal is free to move, not captive, in their natural home, and you’re a safe distance from them. It’s easy, you just need to adjust the lens.

Amongst the 34 billion images posted by millions of people on Instagram, our initial investigation showed there were tens of thousands of cruel selfies on Instagram taken with wild animals. Sadly, sharing cruel wildlife selfies on social media encourages more people to take their own photos. This continues the ongoing suffering and cruelty towards wildlife. Don’t be part of this ugly picture.

Together we moved Instagram

In December 2017, our Wildlife Selfie Code campaign was so successful that it influenced Instagram, one of the biggest social media sites, to educate its users around the suffering wildlife selfies can cause to animals.

With over 250,000 sign ups to our Wildlife Selfie Code, this moved Instagram to launch a new 'content advisory page', to educate users about the issues these photos cause for wild animals. Now, when any of Instagram’s 800 million users search hashtags like #koalaselfie and #slothselfie, which could be associated with harmful interactions with animals, they are warned about the dangers of this trend.

Together we have moved Instagram. Together we’re filtering cruelty out of more pictures every day.

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