Ethics of going on safari

[VeganMonkey]

I'm not even sure I should be considering this at all but hear me out. It's my 30th this year and I want to go on a really special holiday - preferably one that involves animals. I've heard stories of safaris where several vehicles just chase one animal and that sounds crappy for all concerened but surely there are some safaris where you don't feel like you're exploiting the animals/ the environment? Obviously they can't be without any impact at all, and I know that many of the more 'eco' options are way beyond our price range although they sound amazing. A lot of the areas are referred to as 'game reserves' - is this a generic term or are there some safaris where half the guests are photographing the animals while the other half are shooting them?!
I tried googling vegan or even vegetarian safari and can't really find anything. I would have thought at least one company would offer a 100% veggie catered safari (looking at animals all day and then eating some in the evening is too perverse!)
So basically my questions are: Do people think a safari can ever be vegan in it's widest sense? If not, does anyone have any specific ideas for a similar kind of holiday? Has anyone been on an organised holiday where all the food served was vegan?
Thanks!

[Blue moon]

You should be able to find out which are for hunting, only some are. Don't know if there's much you can do about the several vehicles following one animal thing, that's down to various tours operating in the same reserve, but there are limits I think to how may are allowed in to a reserve at any point. The safari operators have to buy entry permits/licences whatever, so better to give that money indirectly to non-hunting reserves.

Don't hope for vegan food though, take plenty of transportable snack food to keep you giong! I've never heard of a veggie only one, most will cater for vegetarians but it's mostly omni.

Also to bear in mind, photography is the new hunting, the more profit etc made from that, the more loudly people say they won't spend their tourist bucks where there is hunting, all helps get rid of hunting completely. Yes tourism hurts the ecolodgy and local culture etc, but it also helps in many ways! Reserves are huge, the animals aren't hounded, they're just so hard to find in vast areas that if one jeep stops any others passing will go over to see what they're looking at - usually a disappearing backside!

[harpy]

You may find more by looking for "green" safaris. This page is out of date but may give some pointers: http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2000/jun/24/ecotourism.wildlifeholidays

ETA VegiVentures do holidays with vegan food but not safaris AFAIK - still they might be worth contacting to see if they have any ideas.

[VeganMonkey]

Thanks for the advice Blue Moon - I"ll definately need to check there's no hunting involved on the reserve, although I suspected as you said that regular tourism has mostly taken over from that. I guess I should just find a few companies and check them out. It's a pity there's not much veggie catering but yes, we'll make sure we're well prepared!
And thanks for the tips Harpy - I'll check out VegiVentures. I'm so suprised there aren't more companies like that. I did also find a website called Responsible Travel which lists various accomodation which caters for vegans. There's a beautiful looking place in Bali (an 'eco lodge') where you go on a tour and help collect ingredients from the rainforest for your meals (tropical fruit, vanilla, coffee etc). There are monkeys and birds everywhere - I'm very tempted by that!
It's good that neither of you said 'safari, what are thinking? You're supposed to be a vegan!' - that reassures me a little!
If anyone else has a good experience of beening on safari or alternatively has had a holiday which catered specifically for vegans please share :)

[harpy]

It's good that neither of you said 'safari, what are thinking? You're supposed to be a vegan!'

I'm not well informed about safaris but if I understand correctly they are on nature reserves where the animals live in a fairly natural manner, so the usual objections to zoos etc don't apply AFAICS. I also believe that some of the money from the safaris goes towards running the reserves?

I think my main reservation (so to speak) would be about the travel involved contributing to the destruction of the habitats I was going to see, so I would want to be convinced that the benefits outweighed the costs from that point of view. Similar doubts apply to any travel, not just safaris, of course.

[Blue moon]

Also worth remembering, there is often a direct choice for local people, of making money from paoching etc or wildlife tourism. Directly or indirectly your tourist money helps keep reserves open, and shows people there's more money to be had from protecting animals than poaching/hunting/destroying the land to farm on.

[Mahk]

If you go on safari I think you should shoot as many animals as possible and hopefully at close range...with a good camera.:)

[VeganMonkey]

If you go on safari I think you should shoot as many animals as possible and hopefully at close range...with a good camera.:)

!!!:p