The Botho Perspective on Human and Animal Welfare

Abstract.

This paper is an exploration of the intersection between animals, tourists, and host communities. While the conservation of animals serves the dual purpose of preserving the species for future generations as well as giving tourists the opportunity to see them in the wild, it also has existential implications for local people who share the environment with these animals. This is not only with respect to the advantages of tourism but also in terms of the dangers, losses and disadvantages of living alongside these animals, including the presence of poachers. The paper highlights the dilemma that such an intersecting relationship presents for ordinary people in their attempt to balance conservation and animal-based tourism with their traditional interaction with animals, including their historical dependence on the animals for food. At the same time, the paper undertakes an overview of contemporary ethical arguments on animal welfare alongside contemporary ethical arguments on the existence and ethical use of animal-based tourist attractions. It approaches the relationship of animals, tourists, and host communities from the framework of Ubuntu/Botho, an African philosophy that is based on the maxim, “I am because we are,” and argues for accommodations that reflect the symbiotic relationship between the intersecting variables.