Roadside zoos may lure travellers with promises of close encounters and adorable animals, but behind the façade lies a grim truth. These unregulated attractions exploit wildlife for profit, confining animals to cramped, barren enclosures that fail to meet their basic needs. Masked as educational or conservation efforts, they perpetuate cruelty through forced breeding, neglectful care, and misleading narratives. From baby animals traumatically separated from their mothers to adults enduring lifetimes of deprivation, these facilities highlight the urgent need for ethical tourism that prioritises animal welfare over entertainment