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In the era of social networks, wildlife tourism has changed a lot because everyone wants to take souvenir photos to share on his account in real time. Kirsten Luce travelled across the world to investigate this animal tourism of today. Behind the scenes, she discovered the misery of animals hidden from the sight of travellers.

The documentary starts in the Amazon in 2018, where travel agencies encourage locals to keep wild animals in captivity for the sole pleasure of exotic selfie lovers. This, enclosed in makeshift cages, anteaters, sloths and other species are exhibited every day in front of the hordes of tourists.

Then, Kirsten Luce went to Thailand where the elephant is one of the favorite attractions. In this country, about 3,500 Asian elephants are kept in captivity in parks where the youngest perform tricks while the older ones carry tourists on their backs. But to make them docile and accept human contacts (to be allowed to go up, wash, guide, etc.), they are separated very young from their mothers and tamed by cruel methods.

Also in Thailand, zoos allow posing next to a drugged tiger who often has his claws torn apart. Felines are bred faster: babies are taken away very early from their mothers so that they are more docile and the mother can be quickly re-inseminated.

In Russia, even if the tradition of the bear dancing in the street for a few coins disappeared, there are still circuses where thousands of bears are trained to walk on two legs, chained to a wall standing up to develop the muscles of their hind legs. Particularly shocking, there is a circus trick featuring four polar bears whose species symbolizes on its own the preservation of wildlife.

Still in Russia, Kirsten Luce photographed travelling shows of marine mammals. Transported by truck from town to town, white whales and dolphins live confined in inflatable basins. And if an animal dies, it is easily replaced by another poaching victim from the Black Sea.

This report aims to raise public awareness of these abuses, to encourage us to think before participating in such activities or to publish pictures which are likely to encourage these abusive treatments of animals.