Developed by the World Animal Protection (WAP), the code has brought animal lovers’ attention to the fact that many animals have been taken from the wild so tourists can take selfies to post on social media. In Thailand, there have been recent controversies over animal selfies, in particular after tourists were seen posing with a tiger that was restrained and repeatedly prodded with a stick to make it roar. The code advises people to take photos with wild animals only when the animals are in their natural habitat and
free to move around. For their own safety, tourists are also advised to keep a safe distance from the animals. The code also tells tourists to not take wildlife selfies when animals are being held, hugged or restrained.
