Thread by @AviFlyGirl

It is time we celebrate nature! It is time to get new generations interested in preserving nature. Countries can profit from preserving forests by weaving conservation into the tourism industry.

audubon.org/news/go-discov…

I recently saw a regional site take criticism for charging tourists to tour their big cat rescue facilities, claiming it was a zoo. I beg to differ. Many of the cats were raised in captivity, mistreated, & now have a 2nd chance. The $ from tourism feeds & shelters these animals.

The countries who are now looking at ecotourism as an industry, aim to keep animals in their natural habitats, preserve habitats, foster scientific study, & educate the public on the need to preserve our forests & animal/plant species.

Hopefully the future will bring a renewed interest in conservation, a desire to let wild animals be wild, and we will see fewer zoos & wild animal rescue centers, because people will not feel the need to try to make pets out of these animals or make them perform in circuses.

I have toured animal rescue centers which house animals that are wounded and can no longer survive in the wild. The money they take in from tourists feeds, provides medical care, and houses these animals.

The BCR in Tampa, Florida is one such organization. They take in animals that cannot survive in the wild, due to captivity by humans, abuse in circuses, etc. Sometimes wounds are not physical, but stem from human captivity and abuse.

My hope is that some day such organizations will not be needed, because people will learn to respect other lifeforms on this planet. But until then, organizations like BCR are essential in educating the public, while providing care for these creatures.
bigcatrescue.org/contact-bcr/?a…