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As the world continues to battle a global pandemic that originated from contact with a wild animal, it seems timely to contemplate humanity’s relationship to wild animals. So this week on Chickeeps, Evy speaks to longtime animal welfare activist and vegan, Katie Tostevin-Hobbs of World Animal Protection about what it means to create safe and respectful boundaries between people and wild animals. We discuss why it’s unethical to use animals in entertainment, what wild animals really shouldn’t be kept as pets, and also why some animal welfare organisations choose not to take a publicly vegan stance.

• Katie shares how a love for animals from a young age inspired her to devote her life to protecting them.
• How one man was left a wooly monkey in his inheritance and how it lead to the founding of a monkey sanctuary and protection for monkeys in the pet trade.
• What is meant by ‘wild animals in entertainment’ and does it always involve animal cruelty?
• Seeing the problem from all perspectives: Katie explains how the mahouts and exployees of elephant riding companies are victims to the system too, and what World Animal Protection do to help them find a new livelihood.
• How to open a dialogue with people who work in the animals in entertainment sector.
• What to do when you see a friend posting about swimming with dolphins?
• What’s the definition of a wild animal that shouldn’t be kept as a pet?
• What is the most ethical thing to do if you already have a wild animal as a pet?
• Katie explains the Promise4Wildlife and how important it is to shift public perception of wild animals in entertainment.
• Why Katie chooses to work in animal welfare, and the impact WAP has on animals in factory farming systems.
• Will World Animal Protection ever take a publicly vegan stance?

Links

Check out The Monkey Sanctuary that Katie worked at!

Check out the work of World Animal Protection.

Take World Animal Protection’s #Promise4Wildlife

World Animal Protection’s Elephant-friendly tourism guide.

World Animal Protection on COVID-19: ‘We must unite to end wild animal exploitation.’

Social Media

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Momoko Hill: @oh_momoko

Robbie Jarvis: @robbjarvis

Tylor Starr: @tylorstarr

Evanna Lynch: @msevylynch