Wildlife Tourism

Wildlife tourism is a good way to get to experience nature without going to zoos. It offers a more immersible experience with nature and it's a chance to watch all sorts of local fauna and flora as well as observe behaviours that you might not observe in the wild. On the other hand it's a wild card, never knowing if you are going to get what you want and when you want it. Due to it being summer time and prime vacation time I want to talk to you about whether or not you should practise wildlife tourism.

First things first wildlife tourism supports the animals in their natural habitats. As in any other industry, animals that attract tourists build an industry around them. Hotels and shops are built to cater for the tourists as well as make a profit from them(which doesn't mean it's bad. It is a business, it needs to make profit). These hotels,hostels, wildlife tour guides and all the relevant businesses that build up from wildlife tourism all depend on tourists being present in the area, spending time in the area and more importantly spending money. By visiting these areas not only do you get to visit scenery and watch animals but you are also supporting local businesses. These businesses in turn might advocate for conservation or against plans that could potentially ruin their business. For example: With recent events regarding the wolf removal from the endangered species list and the opening of hunting seasons a lot of people are worried about their business. They are worried that if too many wolves are seen shot, trapped or dead that the public will refrain from visiting and not only that, if wolf numbers decline and the visibility of animals is decreased then the public will probably shift their attention to a place where visibility is still high and hence local businesses will suffer.

Secondly it's an experience that is multi layered. What I mean is that it's not just a trip to the zoo, look at the animals and go. Odds are that when you go on vacation you visit a place with a specific purpose in mind. Whether that is to spot a rare bird, catch a glimpse of a bear or tick off the Big Five, anyone that goes off to visit a country for wildlife will have something they would like to see. However as I said above you won't see just that. By taking a Jeep for a safari to go watch lions you also appreciate the local fauna and flora and something else might catch your interest while you are there. In these areas, smaller animals and interesting plants are often neglected in favour of large mammals that are often rarer to watch. However on the ride/hike there and on the waiting time for the animals to show up, nature will intrigue you or your family. A small rustle in the bushes, a raptor flying up high or small mammal peaking or running away from you are experiences you won't get anywhere else. For that experience alone wildlife tourism is worth it. If you went tiger watching but your eye caught a glimpse of a beautiful bird, you might ask your guide about it and find out that the bird is rare and endangered. Bits and pieces of knowledge will flow through you and at the end, what first started as a tiger watch became an overall appreciation for the habitat and the residents there. This is what I enjoy about wildlife tourism. You learn and appreciate the habitat and observe different animals apart from the ones you came to see and learn more about them.

It's not a guaranteed experience however. Depending on where you are going, what you want to watch and the time of the year you have to understand that animals can be elusive. Just because you are visiting a National Park or a Reserve does not mean you will actually see the animals you want to see. Usually the locals tend to know what you want and hence will take you to the favourable spots that you can find the animals you seek. However depending on a lot of factors you might spend your holiday not even catching a glimpse of the animal you wish to see. So my advise will be to do some research first. Find all the hotspots, best seasons to visit and good rated guides for hire. All of these will increase your chance of seeing what you visited to see. However it is better off that you don't raise your expectations too high. Pick a location you can visit but don't spend all your time chasing the animal around. Plan your holiday to include other activities. Try and combine a few animals in one trip. If they are in the same environment you are likely to encounter animals that you might have missed before. One example is people visiting Yellowstone National Park. People who go wolf watching have often glimpsed on grizzlies, mountain lions,mouse, elk and all the fauna of Yellowstone in search for wolves. In a twist you might not see wolves until you decide to go watch grizzles and wolves might appear. It is a natural habitat, nothing sets up scenes for you and a lot of the encounters with wild animals often happen when no one is expecting it. So prepare a series of outings, do your research and hopefully you will see what you went there to see.

It takes time. Wildlife holidays have to have a long span. You can visit a reserve in three days for example, however you might want to maximise the experience due to the elusive nature of animals. Usually , depending on the visibility of animals, a wildlife holiday lasts about two weeks to a month unless you happen to be a local in which case you can arrange for a weekend and always return whenever you can. But for people who travel halfway through the globe to see animals then maximizing your trip is important to getting the experience you would like. In addition to that it is really rare that animals will appear on the spot you are watching on the clock. You will probably have to wait some time and be patient in order for you to see animals.

It takes effort. There will be a lot of moving around either with a car or hiking. People who have been on such trips will often tell you that when an animal is spotted it goes on the radio and you have to dash around to go see it. More often than not, wild animals are seen in the early morning or the late afternoon and even at night time so be be prepared to lose sleep and be exhausted by the end of the trip.

There are currently very few studies to see how wildlife tourism actually affects wild animals. Do they become habituated to humans? Do boats, even when they keep their distance, stress animals out? Although most tourists will try to minimize their impact on the habitat they are visiting, we are learning new things about how nature works every day. It could be very likely that at one point on we find that the whales we have been watching all these years are more and more stressed due to our activities. Some forms of wildlife tourism such as dolphin swimming or fish feeding have been under criticism by scientists by causing disturbance and/or habituating animals to human presence which could create problems. In fact some shark attacks on divers are thought to have occurred by sharks who have been fed by previous diving groups and hence became used to human contact and presence.

Overall however a wildlife holiday is a great experience. Not only does it support local businesses and a sector of the tourism that could advocate for conservation but it also provides experiences often lost while gazing at animals at the zoo. It makes you appreciate a habitat and teaches you things you never knew. So long as you respect the habitat and the animals living there you should enjoy them as much as possible and learn everything you can.

Species of the week:Ribbon Eel

Species of the week:
Ribbon Eel(Rhinomuraena quaesita)

1. The Ribbon can be found in the Indo-pacific Ocean
2. It is highly sought after in aquariums due to it's beautiful colors and it's face.
3. Males are blue with yellow dorsal fins while females are yellow with white dorsal fins and a black anal fin.
4. It can grow up to 1m.
5. It can live up to 20 years old
6. Ribbon eels can change their sex during their lifetime to balance out the male-female ration in the population of the region.
7. Ribbon eels are carnivores and are ambush predators. They hide in rocks and sand,striking when fish or shrimp swim by.
8. Ribbon eels are not territorial and will often share caves.
9. They can be found in lagoons or seaward reefs.
10. Their leaflike nostril flaps sense underwater vibrations.

Species of the Week: Cyprus Wheater

Species of the Week:
Cyprus Wheatear(Denathe cypriaca):

1) This bird is 14-15 cm longs.

2)It is an insectivorous bird.

3)It only breeds in the island of Cyprus.

4)Their favorite habitat is woodland with some open ground and high vegetation.

5) A Cyprus Wheater's call sounds like a short sequence of buzzing insects.

6)It lays about 3-4 eggs with a 13 day incubation period and 13-15 days of nesting period.

7)Cyprus Wheatear lacks distinct sexual dimorphism with females being duller than males.

8)It's a migratory bird, prefering southern Sudan and Ethiopia when wintering

9)It is listed in IUCN as "Least Concern"but the status could change to Vulnerable due to habitat destruction, unique breeding location and threats of trapping.

10)It uses perch-pounce and aerail sallying as feeding tacticts.

Species of the Week:Eurasian Lynx

Species of the Week:
Eurasian Lynx(Lynx lynx):

1)It is found in  Europe,Siberia, East and South Asia.

2)It is distinctive from other cats due to it's short tail and long legs.

3) Despite it being listed as "Least Concern"in the IUCN there have been efforts to reintroduce the lynx in areas of Europe and there are other areas where the lynx is protected.

4)Their mating season is from January to April.

5)Gestation lasts from 67 to 74 days and one to four kittens may be born.

6)Their hunting territory is from 40 to 250 km².

7)Their prey ranges from small to large mammals and birds. Usually smaller mammals are preferred when wolves and other larger predators are around.

8) Eurasian Lynx is a very elusive animal that is rarely seen due to its silent walking, keen senses and the fact that it actively avoids humans.

9)The longest  a lynx has lived in twenty one years in captivity. The maximum age in the wild is unknown due to their elusive nature however lynx reach sexual maturity around the age of two or three so it is estimated that they live around ten to fifteen years.

10)The Lynx Trust UK has submitted a proposal for the lynx reintroduction to Scotland earlier this year. Should the reintroduction be green-lit the United Kingdom will have lynx roaming the wilderness after around 750 years.

Supporting the right people

Advocating for conservation is not an easy job. Everyone can tell you that. In fact studying any conservation biology modules or degrees can be downright depressing. Sometimes it feels like for every good thing that happens, three more bad things occur. It feels bleak, grim and sometimes soul crushing. But these people give their everything for every inch of ground gained against those who don't care about the environment. Is it always the case though? Be careful which organizations you support, where you work or volunteer and where your funding goes. Today I will tell you why you should be careful.

Firstly conservation organizations have goals in mind. Without goals there is no point in having them around, and although it might seem that they are working for the greater good of the environment some of these organizations have secret agendas that they pursue. For example, apart from some extreme organizations, an organizations won't call itself “the organization for killing wolves and slaughtering cougars and bears”. Instead it will choose to call it itself “the balanced nature organization”and advocate for predator culls and eradication claiming that the predator population is harming the rest of the ecosystem. Most organization like that often are under disguise and their motives should be questioned.

Although most of these “organizations” have been subjected to scrutiny and may have had their real motives known to the world, there are still those who might mislead people into supporting them. If possible take some time and do some research before choosing to support a local conservation organization.

In addition to motives, actions speak louder. Before choosing to volunteer or donate money to a conservation organization observe them a bit. How active are they? Have their actions had some sort of impact? Have the money you are giving them produced some result? Usually donations are in packs of a monthly or yearly donation. Do you feel that the money you are giving them produce an equivalent amount of work? Remember you are donating an organization who coincides with your ideals or does work that you believe is right. If an organization has 10 000 members that donate around $30 a year but the organization does nothing but organize a fund raiser and is not even present in the conservation front line then maybe its time to change your donations. Be careful though. Your organization may not win the battles it is fighting. It is often the problem with conservation, that people are fighting a losing battle but every inch saved is a small victory. Sometimes grand victories will be won but more often than not conservation is about a collection of small victories that matter. So if your preferred organization is out there everyday, attending conferences, participating in research, fighting legislation and getting involved but the government refuses to listen to them then it might not have been their actions that prompt the government to ignore them. Internet is your best ally at this point. Use a search engine and find out what your organization has been up to and what have they done in the past. Here are few bullet points that in my opinion can give you a broader perspective about the groups that you support:

• How long have they been set up? Through age you know that there will be a record of the group's actions
• How often are they mentioned? With age comes exposure. The younger the group the less exposure will be around. If an organization is young but is mentioned in news articles constantly it means they are driven which is usually good. If they are an old organization and not mentioned then that they might not be as driven.
• Observe the website. The news section, the networking and the design usually points to a well structured organization.
• Ask around. Don't be afraid to email them asking for actions taken and why you should support them. If they are driven or care they will reply to you with information. Further more look around in different forums and read what other people say.

In regards to volunteering, then things are often easier to distinguish. By entering an organization you join a circle. That circle may be small and limited to your coworkers but you learn things. While you are there you will hear conversations, you will hear viewpoints and if you don't agree with what they are saying then get out. If you support any sort of organization with your time and effort and don't feel good doing it then there is hardly any point of volunteering there. Be careful of what you support as well while volunteering there. Know your organizations objectives, ideas and viewpoints and covey them whenever you can. If you think you are doing doesn't agree with you then stop volunteering there.

Finally use your judgment. You have done some pocking around and read about the organization. Now it's time to use your judgment. Apply it to what you learned. If in the end you think that the organization is worth it then support them in any way you can. If you can't volunteer in the field and don't have money to donate but want to help, email them. They might direct you in some ways that you can help. It might seem like nothing to you but liking&sharing on Facebook, setting up a website, monitoring websites or inputting numbers on a spreadsheet might help an organization a long way. Don't be afraid to offer your services no matter what they might be.

Species of the Week: Killer whale

Species of the Week:
Killer Whale or known as Orca(Orcinus orca)

1) Despite popular belief killer whales are not actually whales but belong to the dolphin family and more specifically the oceanic dolphin family.

2) Killer whales have a highly complex social system that is governed by a matriarch. First is the tight knit matriline group which is the matriarch and her offspring.  Then around 1-5 matrilines form a pod which although forages together, pods may break up for certain time periods up to months.  Finally are the clans which is a collection of pods which share the same vocalization, ranges and some older ancestors.

3) There are four types of killer whales:

• Type A: Usually found in the Antarctic, these orcas feed mostly on cetaceans( whales and dolphins) and have a large black and white pattern.
• Type B: They are called the ice pack orca. They feed on seals in the Antarctic and their eye patch is usually large with a two tone grey scale color.
• Type C:  They are called "Ross Sea killer whales". They are the smallest of the orcas and they feed on fish.
• Type D:Transient animals that are usually found in Alaska. They are similar looking to Type A and they feed on all sorts of marine mammals. They are however genetically distinct than  Type A.

4) The average life span of a female is about 50 years while the average life span of a male is around 35 years.

5)Gestation period lasts for 15 to 18 months but the calf usually stays with its mother until the age of two.

6)Different killer whales in different regions have developed their own unique ways of hunting. For example the killer whales in New Zealand have developed the use of bubbles to turn stingrays upside down and eat them while killer whales in the Antarctic have developed the use of waves to knock seals of the ice. One group even found out that turning a shark upside down immobilizes it and hence they hunt for sharks.

7)A common occurrence is to see killer whales "play"with their food. Although it seems cruel, this "playing"is often the way to pass on knowledge of hunting to the calves.

8)Apart from captivity, there has been only one documented attack of a killer whale on a human where the orca attacked the diver thinking he was a seal but let him go immediately.

9) Captivity is a major issue at the present moment. It is believed that orcas become neurotic, sociopathic and extremely aggressive when put in a limited space. Not only that but they contract diseases from mosquitoes, bird defecating in the pool and from infected injuries which are often self harm.

10)They can be found all across the globe, mostly around colder waters with a preference to coastal areas rather then the open ocean.

Species of the week:Griffon Vulture

Species of the week:
Griffon Vulture(Gyps fulvus)

1) The Griffon Vulture is considered an Old World Vulture. That means it can only be found in Europe,Africa and Asia

2)Its wingspan is 2.4-2.8 meters.

3)41 years is the longest lifespan recorded for this vulture. It was recorded in captivity

4)Bonding between male and female is often life long.

5) They nest in colonies up in rocky cliffs. A colony can consist of up to 150 pairs but usually the pairs found in each colony are about 20.

6)The vulture is mostly a scavenger, feeding off dead mammals with preference to large mammals

7)A single egg is usually laid, with about 50-52 days of incubation and the hatchling lives with its parents for three months before it leaves the nest.

8)The species can be found in a variety of ranges and habitats but they usually prefer areas of high altitude  They will avoid forest areas or areas with water bodies such as lakes, wetlands and marine coastal areas.

9)Spain alone supports about three quarters of the Griffon Vulture population in Europe.

10) Despite it being listed as "Least Concern"in the IUCN, the population in certain countries is struggling. A prime example is Cyprus where only 10 birds exist in the wild. Efforts from NGO and government agencies launched a relocation program in which birds from Crete were flown over to add to the Cyprus population.