Animal suffering underpins many wildlife encounters around the world. Social media is driving new demand from people who love animals and want to ride elephants, watch dolphin shows, and pose with tigers. Influencers—who post photos from exotic locations for their legions of Instagram followers—are drawing more and more tourists to these encounters. But most travelers don’t know that their interactions often involve animal abuse.
In a sweeping investigation of this global industry, writer Natasha Daly and photographer Kirsten Luce went behind the scenes of wildlife tourism in Thailand, Russia, the Amazon, and the United States, revealing the quiet agony many animals endure in the name of entertainment.
Artist Bios
-
Kirsten Luce
Kirsten Luce is a photojournalist based in New York City. She studied art, anthropology, and journalism at the University of Georgia, in the United States, and the Universidad de Colima, in Mexico. Her work has been published by National Geographic, The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, New York Magazine, Bloomberg Businessweek, TIME, Harper’s Magazine, The Marshall Project, ProPublica, and others.
Luce received the Getty Images David Laidler Memorial Award Grant for Editorial Photography in 2016, and was named a finalist for a National Magazine Award in 2015. Her photography has been exhibited at the U.S. Senate, the National Gallery of Canada, Visa pour l’Image in France, and several other festivals and galleries.
Organizations
-
National Geographic
Representing one of the largest brands on social media with over 801 million followers and a billion impressions each month, National Geographic Content’s award-winning and critically acclaimed storytelling inspires fans of all ages to connect with, explore, and care about the world through factual storytelling. National Geographic Content, part of a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and the National Geographic Society, reaches up to 402 million households in at least 170 countries and 30 languages across the global National Geographic channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO), National Geographic Documentary Films, and streaming services Disney+ and Hulu, in addition to being a global digital, social, and print publisher. Its diverse content includes Oscar- and BAFTA Award-winning film Free Solo; Oscar-nominated films Sugarcane, Fire of Love, Bobi Wine: The People’s President, and The Cave; Emmy Award-winning franchises Race Against Time and Secrets of; Emmy Award-winning series Animals Up Close and Trafficked With Mariana van Zeller; and Emmy-nominated series A Real Bug’s Life and Tucci in Italy, in addition to multiple National Magazine Awards, Pulitzer Prize finalists, and Webby wins. Visit nationalgeographic.com and natgeotv.com or explore Instagram, Threads, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, and Reddit.
The Dark Truth Behind Wildlife Tourism
Featuring: Kirsten Luce
Curated by: Kathy Moran
Locations
View Location Details Download a detailed map of this location Brooklyn Bridge Park – Emily Warren Roebling Plaza1 Water St
Brooklyn, NY 11201
This location is part of Brooklyn Bridge Park
Explore other locations and exhibitions nearby
