Trapped for Entertainment

Wildlife tourism is often marketed as harmless fun or cultural experience. Photographed in various tourist locations across Thailand, this series documents the exploitation of primates under the guise of human entertainment.

Primates are intelligent and social animals naturally living in complex family groups. In many cases, they are taken from their mothers at an early age, often through illegal trade and kept in isolation. Trainers try to humanise these captive animals – dressing them up, making them perform through fear and punishment, turning them into props. What tourists perceive as entertainment is, in reality, a situation of suffering and deprivation for the animals involved.

Wildlife tourism thrives on ignorance and demand. Ending it requires more than exposing abuse – it demands a cultural shift in how we see animals and stronger protections against exploitation. Sanctuaries can offer safety, but often too late; years of captivity leave psychological damage that makes release impossible.

Dressed in boxing gloves, an orangutan raises his hand - not in victory, but on command. A symbol of strength, performed by one who never chose to fight. Trained to perform and stripped of his freedom, the picture of the orangutan in Safari World Bankgok shows the unequal power relationship between humans and animals used for entertainment.
A Chimpanzee reaches his hand out of his cage, Samutprakarn Crocodile Farm and Zoo, Thailand. Chimpanzees are highly intelligent and social animals living in complex communities in the wild. In captivity they are denied these basic freedoms, this lead to physical and mental health issues, including stress, aggression and self-harming behaviors.
An Orangutan on a swing is waiting for tourists to take selfies, Safari World Bangkok. Close contact with humans and wearing clothing can be extremely stressful for an orangutan. Both the orangutan and tourists are at risk of zoonotic diseases, because diseases that can jump between species.
Bua Noi, a female gorilla, lives in captivity in the Pata Zoo on the seventh floor of a Bangkok shopping mall since 1987. Her name, “Little Lotus,” stands in stark contrast to the barren concrete enclosure she calls home. In the wild, gorillas are social animals that live in family groups, forming complex bonds and thriving in rich, natural habitats. Bua Noi has never known this. Instead, she spends her days alone, without meaningful social interaction or environmental enrichment. For over 30 years isolated from nature and social relationships, Bua Noi has become a symbol of the conflict between human entertainment and animal welfare. Organizations and activists have campaigned for her relocation to a sanctuary. Despite these efforts, Pata Zoo has repeatedly resisted releasing her.
Orangutans perform a boxing show at Safari World Bangkok. Trainers humanised them in captivity – dressing them up, making them perform through fear and punishment, turning them into photo props.
An Orangutan in the Pata Zoo on the seventh floor of a Bangkok shopping mall. Stripped of his freedom, the picture of the orangutans locked in concrete cage shows the unequal power relationship between humans and animals used for entertainment.
A chained pig-tailed macaque on his cage during a break of a monkey show, Chang Puak Farm, Thailand. Pig-tailed macaques are often used for entertainment, because they are quick learners, which makes them easier to train for unnatural performances. The macaque looks overweight, because he is in captivity, doesn’t get enough exercise and is overfed without a balanced diet.
Orangutan with a farewell sign, Safari World Bangkok.
An Orangutan is sitting outside a boxing ring during a performance, Safari World Bangkok. Trainers humanised him in captivity – dressing him up, making him perform through fear and punishment, turning him into a photo prop.
© Sandra Hoyn