If animals are involved in the activities, the Five Freedoms of Animal Welfare must be respected:
- Be free from hunger and thirst: with access to fresh water and a nutritious diet.
- Be free from discomfort: providing a suitable environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area.
- Be free from pain, injury and disease: through prevention or rapid diagnosis of the same and subsequent effective treatment.
- Be free to express normal behavior: providing sufficient space, adequate facilities and, if possible, the company of animals of the animal's own species.
- Be free from fear and distress: ensuring the conditions and treatment that avoid physical and / or mental suffering.
Therefore, the following services are prohibited from publishing on the Civitatis platform:
- Activities that force wild animals* to be in forced physical contact with tourists. Example: elephant riding, swimming with dolphins in captivity, etc.
- Shows, including circuses, in which wild animals are forced to display behaviours that are unnatural to them, which ridicule and degrade them, e.g. imitating humans, playing football, painting, wearing costumes, etc.
- Activities where sedated animals are used. Example: photos with sedated tigers.
- Facilities that do not provide the appropriate environment, food and veterinary checks.
- Activities involving animal suffering and/or death for entertainment purposes, e.g. bullfighting.
- Hunting of animals by tourists, except for fishing for food.
Activities and facilities permitted on Civitatis:
- Safaris, watchings, snorkelling, scuba diving in natural or semi-natural environments (such as reserves) where wildlife can be observed and animals are free to approach tourists of their own free will or to move away from them.
- Sanctuaries, where wild animals are not forced to be in contact with tourists and, are not chained.
- Zoos and aquariums whose main objective is species conservation and education, which comply with the appropriate conditions established by the competent public and/or international bodies.
- Shows that are carried out for primarily educational purposes in which animals display behaviours that are natural to them. The structures must be members of WAZA or have a membership and/or accreditation from one of its regional associations.
- Exceptionally, performances involving animals may be admitted in sites that are not members of WAZA or its local associations, which pass a prior evaluation by our experts based on criteria of contribution to the conservation of the species, and the role that this activity can play for the livelihood of the local community and the dissemination of cultural heritage.
- Activities with domesticated animals*, such as horse, camel, donkey, husky sledging, etc., provided that the Five Freedoms are respected. Specific conditions for horse and donkey rides:
- For riding: one person per animal.
- For wagon rides: one person per wheel.
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*Distinguishing between wild, domesticated and tamed animals
To distinguish between wild and domesticated animals we refer to the National Geographic article "Domesticated animals, explained":
Domesticated animals are animals that have been selectively bred and genetically adapted over generations to live alongside humans. They are genetically distinct from their wild ancestors or cousins.
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Domestication is not the same as taming. A domesticated animal is genetically determined to be tolerant of humans. A wild animal, or a wild animal born in captivity, can be tamed - its behaviour can be conditioned to become accustomed to living alongside humans - but it is not truly domesticated and remains genetically wild.
List of domesticated animals
according to Zeder MA. 2008. "Domestication and early agriculture in the Mediterranean Basin: Origins, diffusion, and impact". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 105(33):11597-11604:
Dog, sheep, cat, goat, pig, cattle and cattle, chicken, guinea pig, zebu, llama and alpaca, donkey, horse, silkworm, camel, honey bee, yak, water buffalo, duck, reindeer, meliponini (stingless bee), turkey, creole duck, ostrich.
