Take a stand against Selfish Selfies

Summer holidays are here, full of excitement, sun and fun… But sadly, not for the countless wild animals held captive to be used as ‘photo props’ – just so tourists can get the ‘perfect’ holiday snap. Having witnessed these ‘Selfish Selfies’ first-hand, Born Free’s 10-year-old Junior Ambassador, Leo encourages us all to consider wild animals and their welfare, even when we are in holiday mode.

Leo Sordello-Savale

“Last summer, my grandmother took me to a waterslides park. The waterslides were so fun! While we were queuing to go on one of the slides, a man suddenly appeared, with two blue macaws on his shoulders. He was asking if children wanted to have their photos taken with the birds. Many children tried to get as close to the birds as possible, wanting to hold them and pet them, under the blasting sun. This was the first time, I saw Selfish Selfies in action.

“Selfish selfies are when we use and abuse animals for our own photo opportunities. Many wild animals are used as props in Selfish Selfies. They are kept captive and this is wrong. The animals used for the selfies can even be taken from their family very young and kept in awful conditions.

“Many humans take part in these cruel selfies without thinking about how the animal feels. Our love of animals means that holding one, petting one and having a souvenir photo with one is very tempting. Many also want to do it to look cool on social media. And it’s not just captive wildlife. There are lots of videos on social media of people disturbing wild animals in their natural habitats, just to get close enough to take a selfie. This needs to stop!

“Please join the Born Free Selfish Selfies campaign to end this and stop animal cruelty. Remember, a photo is not worth a wild animal suffering, ever!”