Exhibition banned, but sales allowed? 'Loopholes' exploited by 'animal cafes'

New loopholes are allowing animal exhibition and experience facilities to circumvent strengthened animal welfare laws, with practices like unregulated animal encounters and "split" operations continuing. A new method involves classifying animals as "for sale" to avoid stricter regulations, according to a report by the animal welfare research group Aware.

The report, titled "2026 Survey on Zoo Experience Programs and Illegal Exhibition Facilities," surveyed 42 facilities, including 16 zoos, 9 unpermitted exhibition businesses, 12 traveling exhibition businesses, and 5 wildlife cafes. The investigation covered both permitted facilities and those operating under legal grace periods, as well as illegal exhibition and traveling businesses.

The "Act on the Management of Zoos and Aquariums," implemented in December 2023, enhanced welfare and environmental standards for exhibiting wild animals, requiring "zoo permits" for operation. It also prohibits activities like riding, touching, or feeding animals for entertainment. However, existing zoos and wildlife cafes were granted a grace period of five and four years, respectively, to comply. "Animal experiences" are permitted only under limited educational programs if facilities submit an "educational plan using owned animals."

Despite the two-year ban on animal encounters like riding and feeding, the report found that unregulated experiences persist in both unpermitted facilities and even in some legally permitted zoos. All 16 surveyed zoos sold food for feeding experiences, and most (15 out of 16) allowed "unregulated touching" without restrictions on location, time, or participant numbers, contradicting the Ministry of Environment's 2022 "Zoo Education and Experience Program Manual." Furthermore, zoos were operating experiences different from their submitted educational plans. Some facilities conducted inappropriate "ecological explanations," such as a zookeeper putting their head inside a crocodile's mouth or engaging in tug-of-war with a lion.

The investigation also uncovered businesses exhibiting wild animals without the required zoo permits. These operations, which should require a permit if they house 10 or more species or 50 individuals of wild animals or livestock, were operating illegally. While the group reported nine such businesses to local authorities, five were told they did not fall under the current permit requirements. These businesses were exhibiting animals like meerkats and chinchillas, offering feeding experiences with large parrots and allowing visitors to touch reptiles, all while claiming the animals were "for sale." "Split" operations were also observed, where different floors of a building were operated by separate entities, one exhibiting wild animals and another exhibiting livestock, to evade permit standards. Traveling animal exhibits, banned since 2023 under the "Act on the Protection and Management of Wildlife," were also found to be operating. Lee Hyung-ju, CEO of Aware, stated, "Unregulated animal experiences continue in permitted zoos and unpermitted exhibition facilities even after the law revision." He urged for legislative improvements to address deficiencies and for the government and local authorities to strengthen management and oversight.