Animals are undeniably adorable, and it's understandable that one would want to capture such a special moment as an encounter with a quokka. After all, quokkas are always smiling and are visibly happy to take a selfie (or ten) with us, with you, and with the other 500 people in the queue. And besides, can you really say you've been to Australia if you come home without a photo with them? Yes, you can — and you should. As unique and unforgettable as contact with a wild animal may be, it's important to make sure you do it the right way.

Read also:

• Elephant massacre in Botswana: bodies of 87 pachyderms found
• Prepare to live in a world without lemurs
• Singapore sets grim record for pangolin scales seized: over 28 tonnes

The growing demand for photos could cost an entire species its life

"The growing demand for photographs with animals poses a very serious problem for species conservation. Our study conducted in Latin America found that more than 20 per cent of the animals photographed are at risk of extinction and more than 60 per cent are protected by international laws," said Neil D'Cruze of World Animal Protection (Wap), an international NGO dedicated to protecting animal welfare. Indeed, among the ten most photographed species of all time are elephants, lions and tigers — all animals listed on the Cites register of species to be protected. And more: koalas, dolphins, sloths and primates of every kind. Those who offer these activities are certainly not concerned with protecting their animals, which, behind the scenes, are mistreated, beaten and chained. Not to mention the psychological trauma that interaction with a human being can cause.

When common sense goes out the window

Wap found that 94 per cent of tour operators in Manaus, Brazil, offer the opportunity to interact directly with sloths. A full 77 per cent even encourage physical contact, offering to hold them, stroke them and take selfies with them. In fact, 70 per cent of photographs featuring sloths on Instagram, the photo-sharing social network, show people kissing and hugging these animals. A situation that may appear endearing, but which conceals a tragic reality.

Sloths, contrary to what one sees on Instagram, are by nature solitary animals that should not be approached by humans and need to rest for the majority of the day. The study's report states that "there are good reasons to believe that sloths used for tourist photos do not survive more than six months," compared with the average twelve years they would live in the wild.

Nor are there any shortage of instances in which tourists have taken selfies that proved fatal. The most well-known is certainly the case of the baby dolphin killed in Argentina in 2016 by a group of people who wanted to take a photograph with it. Innocent intentions had a tragic outcome when the animal was removed from the water, causing it to die of dehydration.

How did things come to this?

The absurdity is that selfies with wild animals became popular precisely in the attempt to protect them. Initially, stars and influencers used their platforms to raise awareness of endangered species, but they "ended up normalising contact with animals," argues Cassandra Koenen, a Wap spokesperson. Photos, stripped of the context in which they were taken, helped spread the idea that these animals are happy to be touched all day long. And unscrupulous tour operators saw fit to profit from it.

Read also:

• The enslavement of Asian elephants in the name of tourism
• Koalas are functionally extinct
• Wales bans the use of wild animals in circuses

The same thing happened in the case of biologists and researchers who posted photographs of themselves interacting with specimens they were treating. Social media wrongly contributed to censoring the years of study these people had to undertake before they could even approach the animals.

It should be noted, however, that Instagram is trying to reverse course. It has introduced a screen that appears when users search for hashtags relating to selfies with wild animals, along with an in-depth page featuring links to NGOs that work to protect these species.

"We invite you to pay attention to the way you interact with wild animals and to ask yourself whether an animal has been smuggled, captured by poachers or mistreated for tourist purposes. For example, do not trust anyone who offers you the opportunity to take photographs with wild animals for payment, as this type of photo and video could put endangered animals at risk." © 2019 Instagram, Inc

What can be done?

Get informed, get informed, and then get informed some more. It's worth remembering that quokkas and sloths smile even when they are stressed, so one shouldn't be misled by behaviours that at first glance might seem human. Learning to take photographs the right way not only gives you a lovely memento of a holiday, but allows you to educate those around you about the risks of harmful practices. Wap has published a guide of good practices to follow when dealing with protected species. For example, photographs — and even selfies — taken from a distance, without flash, harm no one, provided there is no direct interaction with the animal, which must always be free to move around in its natural habitat. As Wap has long maintained, "we all have the power to change the future of these animals."