Local Company Wins First-Ever PETA Animal-Friendly African Safari Award

For Immediate Release:
January 5, 2023

Contact:
Nicole Meyer 202-483-7382

New Year’s is the peak time to book for the 2023 African safari season, and PETA has named locally based travel company Alluring Africa one of the recipients of its inaugural Animal-Friendly African Safaris Award for offering wildlife viewing on protected reserves or in national parks and, among other considerations, maintaining a respectful distance from wild animals and guiding small groups at specific times of the day in order to minimize stress to the animals. All the winning companies offer exclusively vegan menus, cruelty-free toiletries and linens, and zero exposure to trophy hunting, amenities today’s socially conscious and conscientious traveler is often searching for.

“Alluring Africa is a winner because it offers cruelty-free adventures that respect animals enough to let them live in peace and makes sure guests’ food and toiletry options are also animal-friendly,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA urges travelers to do their research and choose safaris that respect animals and never allow harmful, hands-on encounters.”

Alluring Africa has partnered with Vegans, Baby CEO and founder Diana Edelman, who has designed a luxury itinerary that introduces guests to diverse vegan cuisine and conservation-focused experiences. One of the company’s safari camps operates on the 320,000-acre Selinda Reserve—a former hunting reserve—which boasts a flourishing wildlife population. The area is home to large groups of lions, hyenas, leopards, and cheetahs, and guests stay at a safe distance to observe the animals as they enjoy life in their natural home.

A survey shows that a quarter of safari guests are now either vegetarian or vegan, and safaris that allow the observation of animals in their natural habitat—instead of forced interactions—are on the rise. Meanwhile, trophy hunters, who spend $50,000 or more to travel to Africa to kill native wildlife, are being left in the dust, as more people prefer to “shoot” animals with cameras, not guns.

The other winners of PETA’s Animal-Friendly African Safaris Award are World Vegan Travel, Kings Camp, Vegan Safari Africa, and Air Safaris 269. Each company will receive a framed certificate from PETA.

Dry winter months (generally June through September) are ideal for going on African safaris. It’s recommended that people book these trips about six months to a year in advance.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.