With more than 90% of Thomas Cook customers concerned over animal cruelty, the popular holiday firm has made the decision to stop selling trips to animal parks that keep orcas.
Thomas Cook will stop selling tickets to SeaWorld in Florida and Loro Parque in Tenerife.
“This was not a decision we took lightly,” chief executive Peter Fankhauser said as he announced the new policy.
While Frankhauser did acknowledge that both parks had made some improvements to animal captivity, he has announced that “from next summer, we will no longer sell any animal attractions that keep orcas in captivity.”
Frankhauser explains that they have not only listened to customer feedback about the importance of “animal welfare,” but have also “actively engaged with a range of animal welfare specialists in the last 18 months and taken account of the scientific evidence they have provided.”
Keeping animals in captivity for human entertainment not only has harmful short term consequences, but als0 long lasting damaging effects. Animals in captivity face depression, sickness, abuse and loneliness. Killer wales live to over 60 years old in the wild, but often less than half that in captivity.
Following the release of a documentary on Netflix titled, ‘Blackfish‘ in 2013, worldwide criticism and concern for orcas kept in captivity has only intensified, and although Sea World has labelled the documentary as “manipulative” following a significant loss of customers, they have since reassured the public that they will no longer breed killer whales — yet still keep the whales they already have.
According to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation, at least 156 orcas have been taken into captivity from the wild since 1961. Sadly, 129 of these orcas are now dead. Parks such as sea life and Loro Parque use animals as human entertainment, unfortunately prioritizing company profit over animal welfare.
Frankhauser states, “I am clear about the kind of business that we want to be. That’s why we introduced our animal welfare policy 18 months ago, and that’s why we’ve taken this decision today.”
Thank you!
Captivity is prison for marine life. This injustice for a buck needs to be abolished.
they are making money at the expense of these animals. because of their tours these animals are kept in captivity. If they don,t learn boycott their tours so they suffer losses, to teach them a lesson
Stop bastard !!!!!!!!!!!
In this day and age..
I am happy to hear this ! Killer Whales and other other animals should always be free – they should not be used for humans entertainment.
Way to go, you are definitely showing a good example. Hope everybody else follows in your footsteps. Congratulations on making the right choice.
Happy to hear this. Animals are not trophies or meant to be for our entertainment.
Thank you Thomas Cook for doing the right thing. Hopefully others will follow. Release all the dolphins and orcas back into the sea or a sea sanctuary. The whole world is watching.
Please stop using animals for entertainment, its not natural, its cruel, you wouldn’t use the same treatment on an human, plus humans can say no an animal cant say no they are in pain, and suffering.
Thank u
This is fantastic news. Hopefully others will follow suit. Big thank you to Thomas Cook. SeaWorld should release all of their orcas and stop using them for money making. send them to a sea sanctuary. Or back to the ocean.
Thank goodness for companies like Thomas Cook.
Thank you Thomas Cook. There are many opportunities for travel companies to stand against animal exploitation. This is a good start.
This needs to stop shut them down it’s not fair to animal’s to be heald in captivity
Recommend to all your friends and relatives Thomas Cook as a animalfriendly agency.
Now we must send this to all other Travel Agencys ! And show, that premium class tourist agencys boycott Sea World.
This is wonderful news. Thank you.
THANKYOU
Good for them!! Wonderful!!!!
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! THIS IS VERY ENCOURAGING AND INSPIRING!!! I HOPE MORE PEOPLE AND COMPANIES WILL TAKE THE SAME STAND AND FOLLOW YOUR EXAMPLE.