# Ethical Wildlife Tourism in Indonesia

> For more responsible wildlife tourism in Indonesia, choose observation that gives animals space and ask operators to explain their welfare rules and conservation claims. Avoid performances, forced photo encounters and purchases of wild animals. A venue calling itself a sanctuary does not by itself establish good welfare.

**Updated:** 2026-10-05
**Published:** 2026-10-05
**By:** WARN Editorial Team

## At a glance
| Stat | Detail |
| --- | --- |
| Observe | Let animals choose distance |
| Ask | Check claims before booking |
| Verify | Who benefits from payment |
| Respect | Local rules and people |

## Questions to ask before booking an animal experience
| What is advertised | What to ask | WARN’s recommendation |
| --- | --- | --- |
| A wildlife selfie | Can the animal avoid people and leave the encounter? | Choose observation without handling |
| A sanctuary visit | Who oversees welfare and where are care and intake policies published? | Look for verifiable practice, not the name alone |
| A conservation contribution | Who receives it and what work does it pay for? | Choose clear terms and traceable reporting |
| A civet coffee tour | Are animals confined or used as props? | Choose coffee experiences without captive wildlife |
| A wild encounter | What rules prevent feeding, crowding and disturbance? | Use guides who explain and follow the rules |

## Plan around the animal’s experience
The most useful question is not how close a visitor can get, but what the activity requires of the animal. Does it have space to move away? Is the encounter organised around observation, or does it depend on restraint, repeated contact or a performance? Ask these questions before paying, while you can still choose a different activity.

ABTA publishes animal-welfare guidance for travel providers and visitors. Its guidelines identify practices such as forced photo encounters, distressing performances and human-initiated feeding of wild animals as unacceptable. The guidance is a useful reference, not proof that every tour carrying an attractive label has been independently inspected.

## A short booking checklist
Ask the operator for the activity rules in writing: what visitors may do, who supervises them and what happens if an animal chooses not to appear. Ask for the name of any conservation beneficiary and whether the payment includes a donation, a fee or both. A vague “portion of proceeds” is less useful than an explanation you can check.

If an operator promises guaranteed close contact, ask exactly how it achieves that. You can decline an activity when the answer is unclear. Look for a guide who discusses limits willingly rather than promising that every encounter is harmless.

## Macaques, performances and posed photographs
YIARI’s Si Monyet education work asks the public not to buy monkeys as pets or support topeng monyet performances. It describes how primates become objects of entertainment and trade. Read /rescue/macaque-rescue-indonesia/ to understand the difference between a public attraction, a welfare concern and specialist rehabilitation.

Use that context when deciding what to book and share. A restrained animal in a photograph is not evidence that it enjoys the encounter. Avoid presenting an animal used as a prop as “rescued” unless the responsible organisation can substantiate the story. Images can promote an activity even when no booking link is attached.

## Civet coffee and plantation visits
A 2016 welfare study assessed 48 captive palm civets at 16 Bali tourism plantations and documented inadequate conditions. That research establishes a concern in the sampled attractions at that time; it is not a current inspection of every coffee producer. See /rescue/kopi-luwak-civet-coffee-cruelty/ for the study and the distinction between wild-collected and captive production.

WARN recommends choosing coffee experiences without captive civets or animal-photo props. Ask about the itinerary before agreeing to a plantation stop, including stops added by a driver or tour company. A visit can still explore growing, roasting and tasting coffee without using a wild animal as its selling point.

## What does the word “sanctuary” establish?
Treat it as a claim to investigate. Ask why the animals are there, who is responsible for their care, what visitor access is allowed and how continuing care is funded. Request published policies and evidence of appropriate permissions rather than relying only on reviews or a promotional video.

ABTA’s published welfare requirements include access to appropriate veterinary expertise, suitable environments and accurate records. Visitors cannot conduct a complete welfare audit during a short visit, but they can look for specific, consistent answers. An organisation that restricts public access may be protecting animals’ needs rather than providing a worse visitor experience.

## Forest, coast and marine encounters
Find out which authority manages the place you will visit and follow its current access and wildlife-viewing rules. Ask about group size, supervision and how disturbance is avoided. Conditions and permissions can change, so a travel article should not override the site’s current guidance.

For orangutan context, read /wildlife-guides/orangutan/. For marine conservation, explore /appeals/sea-turtles/ and check its funding terms separately. A guided visit, a rescue-centre tour and a donation are different transactions; none automatically establishes that WARN supports the operator.

## Working animals are part of the decision too
In addition to wildlife attractions, an itinerary may involve horses or other working animals. Ask how the provider manages rest, veterinary care and fitness for the work. An appealing photograph or a low fare does not answer those questions. ABTA’s guidance includes specific requirements for working animals.

Read WARN’s /appeals/working-horses/ for the separate welfare issue and its stated funding purpose. If you cannot establish appropriate conditions for an activity, choose an alternative. Report a specific concern to a responsible local service or the tour company, without provoking a confrontation.

## Share useful evidence and support local choices
A useful review describes the date, activity and what you personally observed. Separate those observations from assumptions about an animal’s history or diagnosis. Keep private details and sensitive wildlife locations out of public posts, and use the relevant authority or provider’s reporting process for a specific concern.

You can also choose guides and businesses that explain their rules, pay for local expertise and support a clearly described conservation purpose. WARN does not certify attractions or publish a universal approved list. This guide is a decision aid, and /countries/indonesia/ connects it with specific welfare topics and current appeal statuses.

## What effective help looks like
This is an educational guide. Its subject and descriptions of other organisations do not establish a dedicated WARN programme. Review any linked appeal separately before deciding to give. WARN is developing support through eligible animal-welfare grants. A guide, photograph or source citation does not confirm a recipient, agreement or payment. A reconciled financial summary and individual grant records have not yet been published here. This is a reporting status, not a statement that income, expenditure or grants are zero. Contact WARN for information about your gift.

- Observe wildlife without paying for performances or forced contact.
- Ask for evidence behind welfare and conservation claims.
- Use dated first-hand observations when reporting a concern.
- Support a documented local need or an appeal whose terms you understand.

## FAQ
### How can I find an ethical animal sanctuary in Indonesia?
Check its care, intake and visitor policies, the responsible organisation, appropriate permissions and how claims are evidenced. A sanctuary name or a positive review alone is not certification. WARN does not certify attractions.

### Are wildlife selfies a good way to support rescue?
A paid photo does not establish a rescue contribution. WARN recommends observation without handling. Ask exactly who receives the fee and what the animal must do for the encounter.

### Should I visit a kopi luwak plantation?
Choose coffee activities without captive civets or animal-photo props. Ask what the visit includes before booking. Our civet-coffee guide explains the primary welfare study and the limits of product claims.

### Does WARN endorse the organisations or attractions mentioned?
Citing an organisation’s guidance does not create a partnership or certify an attraction. Follow original sources, current local rules and each fundraiser’s own terms.

### How can I check whether WARN has paid a grant?
Read /about/where-your-money-goes/#grant-register for published recipient, approval and payment records. A reconciled financial summary and individual grant records have not yet been published here. This is a reporting status, not a statement that income, expenditure or grants are zero. Contact WARN for information about your gift.

## Sources and evidence

- [ABTA: animal welfare in tourism](https://www.abta.com/sustainability/animal-welfare) — Purpose and scope of the travel industry’s voluntary guidance.
- [ABTA: basic requirements and unacceptable practices](https://www.abta.com/sustainability/animal-welfare/abta-animal-welfare-guidelines-basic-welfare-requirements-and) — Published criteria for captive attractions, wild encounters and working animals.
- [YIARI Si Monyet: macaques are not toys](https://monyet.yiari.or.id/monyet-bukan-mainan-saatnya-kita-suarakan-hak-hidup-macaca/) — Indonesian primate-welfare education; 18 February 2026.
- [Carder and colleagues: civet coffee tourism in Bali](https://doi.org/10.7120/09627286.25.2.199) — 2016 primary welfare research, not a current audit of every producer.

Explore Indonesia’s animal causes: https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/countries/indonesia/
Human-readable page: https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/rescue/ethical-wildlife-tourism-indonesia/