Upset by Photos with cubs About This Page:

[katsunderthestars]

Please don’t take pictures with baby animals or any animals during your travels!
I just returned last week from a Western Caribbean cruise on the Fantasy. I was pretty upset by something I saw at Costa Maya. There was a tent at the port where a man was selling pictures with baby leopard cubs for $25 each. It was called “Cubs Paradise 4 Help” and they claimed to give the proceeds to a Wildlife refuge in Mexico City. I could tell right away something was fishy about it. People were paying to get a picture of holding the animals while they cried & struggled. The man was handling the cubs very angrily and roughly by the scruff when they wouldn’t get in the right position for the photo. They were just being passed from visitor to visitor in the heat. When I returned home, I immediately searched the internet and sure enough, there is no such refuge that the proceeds goes to.
What I found out was awful… It turns out these babies are taken from their mother very early and routinely drugged in order to make them more docile. They sometimes have their mouths wired shut or their claws and teeth removed. And worse, when they grow too large, they are either killed or sold to a filthy roadside zoo or circus to live out their lives in tiny cages.
These photo ops are immoral, not only because they are wild animals, but they are also dangerous to travelers. Wild animals carry E. coli which can infect passengers and crew. Not to mention, they are wild animals that can attack.
I know it’s hard to resist… I wanted nothing more than to hold them, but please don’t do it. And if you see other people waiting in line to do it, please tell them the truth. Because it is a third world country, there are no laws against this and so the only way these criminals will go away is if they don’t make money from it.
If you're interested in more info:
Photo Props

[NarnianDVCmember]

That is so very sad, thanks for the warning

[cdnmickeyfan]

That is awful. I am constantly appalled at these people that take advantage of others whether human or animal for their own gain. Makes me sick!!! Thanks for making people aware of this!!!

[lauriep]

Thank you for posting this. I can't think of any circumstance that would make it ok to use baby wild animals in this manner.

[tinkerbell1012]

I'll stay away from this, thank you for posting.

[Claireanddylan]

Thanks for posting. Dreadfully sad. Guy needs crucifying!

[DisneyOrBustColorado]

Thank you for the information. I would probably have felt sorry for them on my own, but I have logged your comments into my brain & will never pay to have photos taken with animals while on vacation.

I feel sorry for the horses that I see with the carts in Cozumel & I even feel sorry for many, many animals that are used for entertainment in our own country. I am not a tree huger, a vegan or a vegetarian. We in fact have tons of our own animals both livestock & pets. Any animals in our care are treated with love & respect.

[Pax]

Originally Posted by NarnianDVCmember

That is so very sad, thanks for the warning

It's really, really shameful that people can be so uncaring to another living creature.

[num1DVCfan]

That is heartbreaking. Thank you for sharing the information.

[patclairesmom]

Thanks for posting this. How horrible and sad that people treat animals this way.

[Super Star Mom]

Maybe Disney should talk about those kinds of scams when they have the port info sessions. I hope more people read this post and ignore the horrible scam artists.

[dwonderz]

I am always shocked by people who think it's okay to treat animals like that.

[dutchdisneyfamily]

That is so sad! Thanks for the info.

[katsunderthestars]

Originally Posted by Super Star Mom

Maybe Disney should talk about those kinds of scams when they have the port info sessions. I hope more people read this post and ignore the horrible scam artists.

I emailed DCL to suggest exactly this and got the response that I half expected...

"Please be assured that, as a company, we genuinely care about the
treatment of animals. However, we hope you understand that the company
you mentioned in your email is not owned or operated by Disney Cruise
Line and we do not promote or support its activities."

I do understand that DCL doesn't own or operate this company, but I do think they could warn people away from certain scams at various ports, especially ones that are right there as you get off the boat...

[CinderAbby]

I do understand that DCL doesn't own or operate this company, but I do think they could warn people away from certain scams at various ports, especially ones that are right there as you get off the boat...

I don't know law but I would think from a legal standpoint, Disney (or any other cruise line) can't get involved otherwise they could end up with some sort of lawsuit on their hands. No one (or company) is going to purposely put themselves in that kind of position. And IMO that's exactly what Disney would end up doing if they tried to tell people to avoid those businesses. All they can really do is what they already are - say they don't promote or support it.