Exciting animal protection projects and tips for everyone who wants to get active!

by Kimberly Shirey, on

Birds and Bees

Who doesn’t love summer – vivid colors and the calming sound of bees humming everywhere. What we think of as a given, could be gone very quickly. More than half of all birds in Europe are on the red list for endangered species. But not only the bird extinction is alarming. Especially the death of bees poses a great threat and change to us. According to the EU-environmental bureau, about 84 percent of plants, needed for food supplies, depend on the pollination performed by bees. These are only two examples of many animals and insects that are severely endangered. As a society, it is our duty to work against this ongoing process and even small steps make for a great beginning.

Animal protection in the Cardamom Mountains

The 4 Rivers Floating Lodge, amidst the Cardamom Mountains in Cambodia, stands up for animal protection. In cooperation with the “Wildlife Alliance” the hotel tries to protect the species-rich region of Southeast Asia from logging, mining and industrial development. The region around the Cardamom Mountain is said to be a habitat for thousands of animals and plants that might not exist, if the development of several industries would take place here. Furthermore, also the locals changed their mindset drastically: People that used to hunt and kill specific animals are now working as local rangers and guides and protect their former prize.

Home for cats and dogs on Koh Samui

For more than ten years now the Tongsai Bay has supported the Dogs & Cats Rescue Koh Samui (DCRS), a voluntary organization founded by Brigitte Gomm. The shelter has been able to offer a home to over 400 cats and dogs with the number increasing continuously due to the no-killing-policy and rare placement rates. The animals are very important to the staff at Tongsai Bay as well as to the founders of the shelter. The shelter is financed solely through donations and offers guests the opportunity to sponsor an animal. With the amount of 20 Euros per month, visitors are able to support the animal protection project and will also be recognized on the shelter’s website. The DCRS is also open to volunteers helping out for a few hours, a day or several weeks.

Small steps: cosmetics without testing animals

Whether it’s projects our hotels support or larger projects that thrive with organizations like the WWF®, both are remarkable. They offer an opportunity to help for everyone that is interested in animal protection. Even in everyday life the protection of animals is incorporable in little projects. Here, the cosmetic industry is a large factor. In this industry it is common to test products on animals before they are ready to be sold. Even though animal testing has been forbidden in the EU in 2013, loopholes still remain. The animal welfare organization PETA® states: „When a company does not follow specific guidelines for their ingredients, you can assume that the substances used have been tested on animals.“ Have an eye out for certain labels that support cruelty free cosmetics, for example the label “Leaping bunny” or “PETA cruelty free” oblige to neither test their products on animals nor to outsource this process. Supporting cruelty free cosmetics presents a small but effective way to stand up for animal rights.