WILDLIFE TOURISM

PRESENTATION BY LUBNA RASHID

 What is Wildlife Tourism?

 Wildlife Tourism refers to the observation and

interaction with local animal and plant life in their
natural habitats.

 It encompasses non-consumptive interactions, such

as observing and photographing animals.

 It also includes viewing of and interacting with

captive animals in zoos or wildlife parks, and can
also include animal-riding (e.g. elephant riding) and
consumptive activities such as fishing and hunting.
The importance of Wildlife Tourism

 THE World Wildlife Fund for Nature says that 20% of revenue
generated from tourism in developing countries is due to
ecotourism.

 It Educates Tourists, Spread Awareness, Promotes Local Animal

Rescue Efforts, Funds the Economy and Conservation Efforts

 Many places depend on wildlife for tourism, which makes up

over 10% of the world’s GDP.

 By traveling to and visiting animals’ natural habitats, tourists

can increase their awareness of the importance of conservation
and learn how they can make a difference.

 Creating jobs and increased opportunities for local

communities.
Negative Impacts of Wildlife Tourism
 DIRECT IMPACT.

 DISTURBING BREEDING PATTERNS.

 DISTURBING FEEDING PATTERN.

 DISRUPTION OF PARENT-OFFSPRING BOND.

 INCREASED MORTALITY, VANITY HUNTS, AND

POACHING.
 DIRECT IMPACT
When tourists activities occur during
sensitive times of the life cycle (e.g,
during nesting season), and when
they involve close approaches to
wildlife for the purpose of
identification or photography, the
potential for disturbance is high.
Disturbing Breeding Patterns
The pressures of tourists searching out wildlife to
photograph or hunt can adversely affect hunting
and feeding patterns, and the breeding success of
some species. Some may even have long-term
implications for behavioral and ecological
relationships. For example, an increase in boat
traffic has disturbed the feeding of giant otters in
Manú National Park, Peru.
Disruption of parent-offspring bonds

Wildlife tourism also causes disruption to

intra-specific relationships. Attendance by
female harp seals to their pups declined
when tourists were present and those
females remaining with their pups spent
significantly less time nursing and more time
watching the tourists. There is also a risk of
the young not being recognized, and being
more exposed to predator attacks.
POSITIVE IMPACTS
 Conservation breeding
 Financial donations
 Culls and Population
Maintenance
 Conservation
Hunting/Harvest
 Anti-poaching
Conservation Breeding
Many wildlife parks (e.g. David
Fleay Wildlife Park, Gold Coast,
Australia) and zoos breed rare and
endangered species as a part of
their activities, and release the
progeny when possible into
suitable habitat.
Financial donations
Some wildlife tourism contributes
monetary donations to conservation
efforts e.g. Dreamworld, Gold Coast,
has a display of Sumatran tigers, and
money from visitor donations and from
their 'tiger walk' goes to Sumatra to
assist in-situ conservation of wild tigers.
Conservation Hunting/Harvest
 "Well monitored trophy hunting is inherently
self-regulating, because modest off-take is
required to ensure high trophy quality and
thus marketability of the area and future
seasons".
 In South Africa there are approximately 5000
game ranches and 4000 mixed
livestock/game ranches with a population of
>1.7 million wild animals, presently 15-25%
of ranches are used for wildlife production
“If you can’t excite people about wildlife, how can you convince them to
love, cherish, and protect our wildlife andthe environment they live in?”
—Steve Irwin