You’ll help solve a public safety problem as well. Get a spot in the program today! There, you’ll care for indigenous wildlife that have been forced from their natural habitat, orphaned, or injured. The shelter houses gibbons, langurs, lorises, bears, otters, wild cats, and other amazing animals. That includes feeding, cleaning pens, and doing light farm construction. Journey to the Amazon and help with wildlife rehabilitation and reforestation. So, you can be sure you’re doing good for wildlife. At the wildlife rescue center, you’ll assist with rehabilitation and release efforts for animals that have been injured or fallen ill. The National Wildlife Federation has summarized main threats to wildlife: Whether it’s deforestation from commercial logging or more drought from changing precipitation patterns, animals face a variety of threats. Their wildlife volunteer projects take you to exotic, off-the-beaten-path destinations where you can perform crucial research and preserve the local environment. Reserve your place at the dog and cat shelter in Guatemala! Non-consumptive wildlife tourism is an important part of our industry that represents a wide variety of activities, from photographic safaris in national parks and reserves, to boat-based whale watching, and visiting captive wildlife facilities, such as zoos, sanctuaries, rehabilitation centres, and breeding farms.. The organizations and projects below can provide an amazing experience and the chance to leave a lasting, positive impact. However, not all wildlife experiences involve animals in the wild. Researchers analyzed wildlife attractions across five categories: Among all the wildlife attractions, only wildlife sanctuaries earn positive scores for animal welfare and conservation. Whether the criticism was deserved or not, stories like Kim Kardashian’s should serve as positive learning moments. Maximo Nivel is committed to promoting animal rights in Latin America. poaching, illegal pet trading, trophy hunting, etc. You’ll stay in a bungalow with other volunteers during the program. Non-captive wildlife tourism allows visitors to actively achieve rather than passively receive wildlife sightings … Make the trip to Antigua, a UNESCO World Heritage City known for its Spanish colonial buildings. For instance, through Global Vision International (GVI), a leader in ethical volunteer abroad adventures, you can join a wildlife research project in Kruger National Park. Then join this unique farm animal volunteer program in Cusco. A leading organization in study abroad and educational travel in the region, Maximo Nivel began in 2003 and is an internationally accredited organization. If you continue browsing the site, you agree to the use of cookies on this website. You’ll take daily trips into the forest, carrying out surveys on birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. Very often the infrastructure is built without any sustainable development plan or environment protection policies. In May of this year, National Geographic released an article titled “Suffering unseen: The dark truth behind wildlife tourism” reporting the results of an investigation into the ‘dismal lives’ lead by captive animals used for wildlife tourism encounters. Here is a compilation of essays on ‘Wildlife Tourism’ for class 9, 10, 11 and 12. You’ll get to witness magnificent creatures, like sharks and lions, in their natural habitats. elephant back riding, encounters with big cats 2. Check out two of their best animal volunteer programs below! 1. Other duties include beach cleanups and wildlife tourism education, where you’ll teach about the issues great white sharks face. When you serve as a wildlife conservation volunteer, you’ll engage in ethical animal interactions (i.e. It is sometimes employed to help species that are being threatened by human activities such as habitat loss, … If you want to volunteer with animals abroad, Projects Abroad deserves your consideration. It can generate financial support for conservation efforts, provide an alternative income for ex-poachers, and bring … As Global Vision International, an award-winning volunteer abroad organization that tackles wildlife and environmental issues, states, research volunteers play a vital role in the “success and long-term sustainability” of wildlife conservation programs. You’ll stay in a self-sustained beach camp on gorgeous Nosy Be island. Love alpacas? Captive wildlife tourism often requires the removal of wild animals from their natural habitats, or separation from their families at an early age if captive-bred. As Maximo Nivel, a leading volunteer abroad organization in Latin America, describes, in many countries, “a lack of education and understanding of animals and their unique needs” has left side streets filled with “abandoned dogs and cats.” Moreover, “exotic species are sometimes illegally captured and kept as pets,” and farm animals get neglected because farmers lack resources to care for them. We use your LinkedIn profile and activity data to personalize ads and to show you more relevant ads. Fronteering operates programs across the world, in countries like the United States, Brazil, and Indonesia. Perhaps you’ve read about Kim Kardashian riding on an elephant in Indonesia. observing and monitoring). The information used in this report was gathered in two ways: 1. So, you can be sure you’re doing good for wildlife. If you want to volunteer with animals at rescue, care, and adoption centers, they have high-quality projects in exciting destinations (see below!). As a volunteer for big cats in South Africa, you can see lions, cheetahs, and leopards in their natural habitat, and you can improve conservation strategies to ensure they can thrive in the wild. Ethical animal interactions and wildlife volunteer projects exist. Tourists, eager to make memories while traveling abroad, don’t consider the possibility of animal cruelty. If you want to volunteer with animals in Latin America, look no further than Maximo Nivel. Enter your email address to get travel recommendations and be the first to know about our $500-$1,000 travel scholarships! Many of these animals, especially those that have experienced cruelty in the wildlife tourism and illegal pet trade industries, have become seriously hurt and ill. Indonesia’s forests are home to wonderful biodiversity, but animals face rapid deforestation and environmental degradation from rubber and palm oil plantations. A cheetah running in the grassland… A grizzly bear fishing for salmon… A lion roaring at night…. And they were recognized as the 2018 Top Volunteer Abroad Organization by GoAbroad. Your work won’t involve physical interactions with the animals, but you will create environmental enrichments, prepare and distribute food, clean enclosures, and maintain forest areas. So, even though you’ll actively avoid wildlife tourism activities like petting a tiger and riding on an elephant, you still have plenty of options. Sanctuaries - whose main purpose is to help and protect wild animals 3. They should motivate us to learn more about the realities of wildlife tourism, and understand why elephant rides can damage the species. The training methods used to force the animals to perform are cruel and abusive, using punishment and fear. The commercial and socio-cultural advantages of the Experiential Economy, Wan... Expo 2020 Taking Responsibility for Environmental Impacts - Water and Energy, Taking Responsibility for Environmental Impacts - Water and Energy, Taking Responsibility for Environmental Impacts, Inge Huijbrechts The Hospitality Sector the next 25 years, No public clipboards found for this slide, The good, the bad and the ugly of captive wildlife tourism. Such places protect animals from activities like illegal poaching and pet trading. Their animal care and wildlife volunteer programs strive to protect and heal those creatures that have suffered from abuse, neglect, illegal trading, and other forms of animal cruelty. If you want to ethically interact with animals abroad, focus on helping animals in need get back on their feet (or wings!). Feeding of wildlife by tourists and tourism operators. Sign up as a wildlife rehab volunteer in Peru here! If you want to volunteer with animals abroad, this program gives you an ethical, fun way to do so. If you want to help animals survive and thrive, contribute to wildlife conservation efforts as a research volunteer. Price: from $210 per week ($1,014 for two weeks; $2,514 for 12 weeks). the abuses of the wildlife tourism industry, mangrove conservation for biodiversity preservation, assistance with release back into the wild, provide medical attention to injured animals, engage in cross-cultural exchange with staff and visitors, gather environmental and socio-economic data to develop community-based conservation strategies, participate in creating solutions for humans and elephants to peacefully coexist. In this guide, we’ll discuss the dark side of wildlife tourism and explain the right way to interact with animals. Now, we know why wildlife tourism is so popular: Animals amaze us! In this program, your work goes a long way in protecting life in the Amazon rainforest. This is compared to the captive lion breeding industry which supports little more than 1000 jobs. Then head to Kenya, where you’ll work with conservation experts at Soysambu Conservancy, an entity in charge of protecting and conserving local flora and fauna and wildlife. In the following sections, we detail the different ways you can ethically interact and volunteer with animals abroad. You’ll get to study lemur behavior! According to the World Travel & Tourism Council, over R400bn is generated by South Africa’s travel and tourism industry. Love Volunteers offers plenty of ethical ways to interact with animals abroad, from patrolling African game reserves to monitoring Asian elephants to protecting giant sea turtles. The industry’s economy depends largely on people believing that the animals they’re paying to watch or ride or feed are having fun too.”. From Vietnam to Ghana to Mexico, animal volunteers can make a significant impact by joining an animal rescue and care project, like the ones below. Their Lion Sanctuary project near Cape Town has earned international praise for exceptional care of captive-born lions. Price: from $70 per week ($279 for 2 weeks; $829 for 12 weeks). But the economics of wildlife encounters create problems. The alpacas and llamas are ethically raised, and your job as a volunteer will be to care for them. You can change your ad preferences anytime. Just look for organizations that focus on ethical animal volunteer work. Price: from $218 per week ($729 for two weeks; $3,489 for 16 weeks). Across the world, animal rights and animal ethics still have a long way to go, and that’s causing widespread homelessness and cruelty. What’s needed is more education and awareness, and a better understanding of what wildlife tourism should look like. Price: from $477 per week ($1,380 for 2 weeks; $5,720 for 12 weeks). , with a rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars across nearly 350 reviews. Click here to volunteer with great white sharks in South Africa! Founded in 2009, Love Volunteers prioritizes intercultural exchange and serving local communities in a way that truly benefits them. Hands-on experiences with exotic animals are thriving, boosted by social media. Keeping wildlife in captivity for entertainment offers no genuine benefit to conservation. Price: $2,970 for 1 week; $4,260 for 4 weeks. You’ll assist with daily diving operations designed to monitor and collect data on great white sharks. Now customize the name of a clipboard to store your clips. If you want to do animal volunteer work abroad in the heart of the Amazon, look no further. As Wildlife Alliance have demonstrated in Chi Phat, a community based tourism project in Cambodia that is helping protect the precious Cardamom Mountains, tourism can benefit wildlife. The reality is: Wildlife tourism is a complex industry. If you want to volunteer with animals abroad, Projects Abroad deserves your consideration. Click here to volunteer with great white sharks in South Africa! If you continue browsing the site, you agree to the use of cookies on this website. When you look up reviews, read the bad ones to see what they say. There, you’ll work with wildlife research experts. And pictures on social media only add to the confusion of what’s acceptable. It is a known driver of legal and illegal wildlife trade. New areas of land need to be cleared for new hotels and roads. Historically, it was a given that since these animals are dead, they’re easier to eat or make into something expensive. Consider this statistic: Wildlife tourism accounts for between 20-40% of global tourism. You’ll also map vegetation, analyze levels of human disturbance, and participate in educational outreach campaigns. They’ve placed more than 17,000 volunteers in projects since beginning in 2006. Ready to go? Furthermore, the situation often gets worse than just not enough space. Animals lose their natural habitat and have to move to a n… The goal is to collect data so that we can protect endangered animals and help them thrive. These activities hurt and stress the animals, and can cause long-term trauma. As researchers noted, increased demand, a focus on profits, and travelers’ lack of awareness all contribute to the growing animal welfare problem in the tourism industry. Price: from $314 per week ($645 for 1 week; $1,255 for 4 weeks). Learn more. When you volunteer with the stray animals, you’ll offer much-needed human company, provide food, groom the cats and dogs, and assist with veterinary care. Unacceptable practices involving free-roaming wild animals. The mark of a good holiday Types of Captive Wildlife Attractions Oxford University’s Wildcru Research Unit puts captive wildlife attractions into 4 categories: 1. In the Caribbean, it is estimated that at least 30 such exhibits exist, with approximately 240 dolphins being used for such attractions. Plenty of great organizations support projects throughout the globe (see below). Sadly, black caimans, along with other Amazon giants, deal with threats to their existence on a daily basis, from poaching to habitat loss to pollution. Even more concerning, animal cruelty can be tough to spot. See our User Agreement and Privacy Policy. These sorts of wildlife encounters make you stop, and appreciate the impressive beauty and dignity of animals and nature. Any development requires some interference with nature.