World Wildlife Day is a United Nations international day dedicated to raising awareness of wildlife and their natural habitats. By educating more people about the needs of wildlife, we can better care for animals, both in the wild and those unfortunate enough to be in captivity.
Wildlife belongs in nature and deserves to live in their natural environment. World Wildlife Day is a reminder of that, and we believe that wildlife should have the right to live in the wild.
World Wildlife Day is a day to celebrate all the natural biodiversity that makes up the world around us. From the largest animal to the smallest plant, each species plays its part and contributes to the health of our planet.
What is World Wildlife Day?
World Wildlife Day is celebrated every year on 3 March.
March 3 was chosen because it is the date CITES was founded. CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) began in 1973 and this year marks its 50th year of operation.
Why celebrate World Wildlife Day?
Most animals in captivity have been taken from their natural habitats in the wild or kept in captivity, never knowing true freedom. There are hundreds of thousands of animals in captivity, in unnatural environments, and forced to perform for tourists.
These animals range from tigers and elephants performing tricks to donkeys and camels used as transport. The locations can range from theme parks to traveling zoos, and deceptive marketing can create the illusion of sustainability and ethical values. However, the reality is not pretty.
Harsh training methods are used to force animals to behave in certain ways. Animals are disciplined until the ‘correct’ behaviour is performed.
However, by sharing information and raising awareness, more people will be aware of the suffering that captive animals endure to sell tickets. Together, we can end the commercial exploitation of wildlife.
Join the fight against the exploitation and trade of wildlife.
Two elephants happily hug each other with their trunks
