Animal Protection Policy FAQs

Protecting and respecting the natural world have always been hugely important to Explore. But the unusual events of 2020 gave us time and space to review and rewrite our animal protection policy as part of our commitment to ‘build back better’.
 
We haven’t published a policy before on our website although we have always had guidelines for our own use, and it has been a fascinating journey. I have poured over different existing policies, uncovering the nuances of each, read endless scholarly articles and discussed ideas with specialists. Ultimately I wanted to produce a robust policy that truly reflected the ethos and heart of Explore. I wanted to provide clear guidelines about what is acceptable on an Explore holiday and what is not, creating transparency and understanding. But it is also important for us to welcome feedback, training opportunities and mutual education with all our suppliers so that we can all make improvements as needed.

Whilst it's important to do all we can, as a business, to protect nature, its wildlife and the individual animal, we must also consider our ability to fulfil those ideals in reality. The policy not only defines Explore’s principles in relation to animal protection, but also how these are applied through our operations, in collaboration with our destination partners, and taking account of the different circumstances on the ground.  

We are in the most unique position for the first time in nearly forty years where we haven’t had groups travelling. In addition it has become obvious that we don’t only love our natural world, we need it. Now is the time to make improvements to our holidays, to our homes, to our lives, to ensure the future is cleaner, is kinder, and that the planet can continue to support us indefinitely.

COVID19 has highlighted the importance of animal and nature protection. If poorly managed, tourism tends to exploit nature, its wildlife, and its limited resources, resulting in biodiversity loss, Climate Change, and greater human-wildlife challenges. This includes heightened exposure to viral transference between animals and humans (Hockings M. et al. 2020). Environmental sustainability in tourism is therefore not only better for people, nature, and its wildlife, but integral to prevent future pandemics. It is vital at this point in time that all businesses, including Explore, ‘Build Back Better for Animals’ (ANIMONDIAL 2020). 

The process of writing a policy from scratch has been really rewarding. It has meant we will be making some changes to our itineraries but also has resulted in a much more transparent approach to animal experiences. We have a clearer set of guidelines and explanations behind each decision. This will help our product team when designing trips, our agents to understand our stance, our customer sales team to speak with our customers.
 
Examples of trip changes include our new no contact policy. Whilst we have always refrained from contact with wild animals, this is now a clear decision we have made and has been expanded out to include community (stray) animals also. We won’t be riding on mules or donkeys, and importantly we will commission an independent audit on our experiences so we can be sure that we’re visiting the best places possible. This is an ongoing process, and we’ll be working through our entire range of holidays in the coming weeks and months.
 
For many companies it might be that writing a new policy, or even just reviewing a current policy, adds a layer of understanding around the company when it is communicated, and that alone filters through to our daily lives and actions. The collective choices shapes much needed change.