Coalition report raises welfare concerns at Bali wildlife venues

Bali — The Bali Wildlife Protection Coalition released a report on October 1, 2026, raising animal-welfare and visitor-safety concerns at wildlife tourism facilities in Bali.

Why it matters: Tourists choosing Bali wildlife venues are affected by reported conditions involving animal handling, enclosure quality and barriers separating animals from visitors.

The coalition said its investigations, conducted in 2017, 2023 and 2026, examined zoos, tourist attractions and venues presenting themselves as conservation facilities. The report covered facilities displaying elephants, dolphins, turtles, primates, birds, reptiles and bats.

According to The Jakarta Post, the coalition reported inadequate enclosures and conditions that restricted animals’ movement and natural behaviour. It also identified inadequate barriers at some facilities, allowing direct contact between animals and visitors and raising public-safety concerns.

The report said nocturnal species, including owls and bats, were displayed during daylight hours and repeatedly handled by visitors. Investigators also documented a tourist pouring a carbonated drink into a squirrel enclosure and another pulling an iguana by the tail.

The findings describe practices at facilities investigated by the coalition and do not establish that every wildlife attraction in Bali has the same conditions. Earlier research by World Animal Protection, published in 2018 and updated on its website, separately documented more than 1,500 captive wild animals at 26 wildlife venues across Bali, Lombok and Gili Trawangan.

That research reported limited space, restricted movement and visitor-animal interactions involving species including elephants, dolphins, orangutans, turtles and civets. It is separate from the coalition’s 2026 report.

Sources

• The Jakarta Post
• World Animal Protection