Andorra
Natural protected areas
Tourism is one of Andorra’s main sources of revenue and its beautiful landscapes are one of the country’s main attractions. It is also a popular destination for winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding, and this growing industry has recently started to “invade” important wildlife habitats. The country currently has three recognized natural protected areas: Sorteny Valley Nature Park, Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley, and Valls del Comapedrosa Nature Park. These spaces contain a vast amount of flora and fauna, including bears, wolves, foxes, and martens.
Birdwatching
Andorra is well known for birdwatching, although many of its native species are under threat from illegal hunting and urban development. This is the case for the bearded vulture, golden eagle, capercaillie, and peregrine falcon. Other endangered species include the common buzzard, sparrowhawk, goshawk, kestrel, ptarmigan, wood pigeon, Tengmalm’s owl, black woodpecker, green woodpecker, ring ouzel, and cirl bunting.
For more information: http://turismo-responsable.com/s64
Mushing
This may seem like a harmless activity at first glance, but mushing is yet another example of humans using animals for entertainment, and sometimes business, whether for giving rides to tourists or for racing. While it is often done responsibly, it can sometimes lead to cases of abuse, neglect, exploitation, and cruelty. Some of the centers offering this activity keep their animals in appalling conditions and animal protection organizations receive reports and complaints every year by people witnessing these acts.
For more information: http://turismo-responsable.com/s85
Zoos
Zoos are part of an industry in which millions of wild animals all over the world are literally put on display. In most cases, their living conditions are appalling. While the facilities might be nice to look at, few of them provide the animals with the conditions they need to carry out their most basic natural behaviors, whether physical, psychological, or social.
The animals suffer physically and psychologically due to overcrowding, lack of space, stimulation, privacy and shelter, extreme weather conditions, and visual and physical contact with humans. The animals’ enclosures generally lack the environmental enrichment which would allow the animals to entertain themselves and behave as they would in their natural habitat, which causes them even more frustration. Many end up showing unnatural behavioral patterns such as apathy, self-mutilation, excessive cleaning, eating disorders, and stereotypic behavior carried out repeatedly and for no apparent reason, such as swaying, compulsively walking from side to side, biting bars, etc.
Almost all zoos breed their animals to keep the business going (even species which are not endangered) and many others train some of their animals to perform circus acts which do nothing but ridicule them. Some zoos also allow and even encourage direct contact with the animals (feeding them or taking photographs with them) which is not only harmful to the animals but also dangerous for the people involved.
For more information: http://infozoos.org
Animal protection entities in Andorra
