This was brought to my attention by a friend and I have mixed feelings on the same.

Some new camps around Africa are using sheep skin, cow hide and other animal furs as carpets/rugs to make their properties look "unique." Is this acceptable in the up-market tourist community?

If it is tastefully done and not too "in-your-face" i think yes.

Not sure from which aspect you see it. Ethically? As a vegetarian?

I assume that sheep, goats and cows are killed for their meat, hence the hide are a "waste"-product. As such, might as well make use of it. Of course things change if it were the other way around or if wildlife hides were used which were killed only for their hide. I doubt however, that this is the case.

Explain more from which aspect it should or should not be acceptable in up-market lodges?

Well as a vegetarian, of course i do no tagree with the killingof any animals! Therefore even as a waste product, i am a little apprehensive. But then again, the tastes of the high spending tourist is also differnet from the regular toursit and so the camps go the extra mile to have the "wow" effect - each one in their own unique way.

So the question is more if it is appropriate to decorate an up-market camp with hides?

I say no but that is just my humble opinion. No, first of all because I believe that people go on safari to see wildlife. Cow and goat hides are domestic animals and something you find all over the world. I would rather decorate my lodge (wish I had one ) with local products that people relate to the place and the feeling of the "wild" land they are in. It is also a great opportunity for the camp to involve local communities. The floor can be decorated with local materials and products like sisal carpets, palmtree-mats, etc. made by the nearby community.

Are we talking about a permanent lodge or a camp? If permanent, local wood and stone can make a fantastic floor that doesn't need a goat hide for decoration.

Taz:

I have only seen it once, and I honestly did not like it. I visited a new camp under construction in Kimana. The Maasai that had built the cabins had plastered cow hides on the doors. It was so in your face that it turned me off.

Also, if the world is going to be against women for wearing fur coats, I think it would also be against hides as decorations.

If a family was freezing and had no blankets, I would not feel the least bit badly at a hide being used to keep them warm. The American Indians used hides of all kinds to build their teepees, clothe their families, cooked with the fat of the animals, etc. I think no-one would quibble over this type of necessity. But as strict decorations - we can do without it. Just my personal opinion.