It won’t surprise anyone to know that I’m not the sort of person who’d choose to go to tourist attractions that keep animals in captivity for human entertainment. But like many of us, when it comes to interacting with animals while on holiday, there are things I look back on that I would do differently now.

Tourist attractions such as dolphin parks and tiger temples exist only for commercial gain at the price of a lifetime of mental and often physical pain for those held captive – something most of us have come to understand and abhor. But there are some experiences that many animal lovers might not realise are harmful. Thousands of tourists visiting Asia, for example, have taken an elephant ride.

Many years ago, I did just that with my stepdaughter Megan, who was only a child. We rode elephant-back on safari to see tigers in their natural habitat. It was the only way to see them without being mauled, but in hindsight that was no justification.

I remember having a conversation with Megan and asking if we really wanted to do this. We discussed what the elephants might think about it. And I insisted we visit the place they were kept, rather than just jump on them at the side of the road. But today I would make a different decision based on ethics alone. The fact of the matter is that those elephants were probably working exclusively for our........

© The Guardian