Why we're asking you to 'Report It!'
Social media has enabled people to share about the things that matter to them and, with so many of us passionate about animals, it is wonderful to see a lot of animal content.
However there is a darker side, in which both domestic animals and wildlife are being exploited.
Sometimes this cruelty hides under a false guise of fun or cuteness and sadly even of faked rescues and ‘sanctuary’ care. Animal lovers may engage with this content, not realising the cruelty behind it, and inadvertently boost its harmful effects.
The imagery we see matters – viewing imagery of chimpanzees and other primates in human surroundings can normalise harmful captivity. It reduces public perceptions about the endangered status of these species in the wild and the urgent need for conservation efforts.
We also know that when we see chimpanzees and other primates portrayed in clothes and taking part in human activities for entertainment, they are suffering. What’s more, there’s a real likelihood that they have come from the wild and been trafficked into their current situation.
Our ForeverWild campaign raises awareness about the importance of positive imagery of chimpanzees and other great apes. We explain the complex issue of chimpanzee trafficking and how what might at first seem cute imagery of baby chimpanzees can actually represent the ruthless killing of chimpanzee mothers and cruel exploitation of their infants.
With social media content being freely shared and reaching huge and varied audiences, it is far too easy and relatively risk-free for anyone including traffickers to create and share content about primates and other animals which receives a lot of attention. They make money from animal suffering and boost demand for trafficking and other harms, even facilitating trade online. But engaging with this content in any way can mean more cruelty for the animals involved and damages the wild communities they are taken from too.
That’s why we’ve joined Asia for Animal’s Social Media Animal Cruelty Coalition.
And why we’re taking part in Report It! Week.
Report It! Week
23-30 May 2025
Report It! Week is a week-long global digital movement led by the members of the Social Media Animal Cruelty Coalition (SMACC), calling on social media users across the globe—from animal protection workers and social media staff to everyday social media users—to take a stand against online animal cruelty
We can all do our bit by understanding that this content is animal cruelty, plain and simple. We must avoid any sort of engagement with this content, which will only boost its reach, and instead report it to the platforms who host it, as well as to SMACC.
We hope you’ll join us this Report It! Week and help us spread awareness and change behaviours.
