World Environment Day: Wildlife and People in the Struggle for Survival and Sustainability

As people throughout the world have been forced to stay home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there are many lessons we’ve learned (and are still learning). One of them is that the destiny of people and nature go hand in hand, and we simply can’t ignore that fact. The celebration of the 2020 World Environment Day is a good moment to stop and reflect on some key aspects of the relationship between people and wildlife that have been highlighted by this global crisis.

Bat shaming

During the first weeks since news of the coronavirus emerged, several reports pointed to bats being the origin of this novel contagious disease. Led by misinformation and fear, many people throughout the world attacked bats to avoid the spread of COVID-19. However, as more research was conducted, scientists and conservation leaders warned that this link was not 100% proven and launched communication campaigns to remove the stigma on bats and highlight their important environmental benefits including pollination, seed dispersal, and pest and disease-vector control. Although COVID-19 has indeed been identified as a zoonotic disease - a human disease of animal origin - its exact animal source is yet not clear.

Nevertheless, zoonoses have been an increasing problem for many years. According to the UN Environment Programme, 75% of all emerging infectious diseases are transferred to people from wildlife. They include Ebola, avian influenza (or bird flu), H1N1 flu virus (or swine flu), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), Rift Valley fever, sudden acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), West Nile virus, and the Zika virus. Evidence shows that the emergence and re-emergence of zoonotic diseases are closely interlinked with the health of ecosystems, and their spread increases with the intensification of human activities surrounding and encroaching into natural habitats, enabling pathogens in wildlife reservoirs to spill over to livestock and humans.

Reclaiming lost habitat?

When the lockdown and isolation began across different countries, we were impressed to see how wildlife quickly appeared in cities and other places where they would previously not dare to go, because they had been occupied by humans. Dolphins in Turkey, boars in Israel, and pumas in Chile are examples of animals touring largely empty city streets, fascinating -and sometimes scaring- urban dwellers.

Explanations given by experts vary. Some claim that these species are once again roaming what used to be part of their original habitat, while others attribute this behavior to dire conditions in their natural environment, such as the megadrought in Chile, which would drive them to leave their comfort zone in search for food and water.

Wildlife abandoned by tourists

While some wildlife species have seized the opportunity to explore new horizons, others are not so lucky. Many zoos and other wildlife attractions across the globe have been hardly hit by the drop of tourism as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. I’ve written before about the risks of feeding wildlife and other impacts of wildlife tourism, including buying souvenirs made from endangered species and observing whales and dolphins. However, the crisis in the tourism industry caused by the spread of this new coronavirus brings this issue into the spotlight once again.

From the monkeys at the Prang Sam Yod temple in Thailand to Neumünster Zoo in Germany, animals in captivity are starving as a result of lower revenues from tourism, which affects the capacity of the facilities to provide food for them, and, in some cases such as the temple in Thailand, less tourists to bring snacks to feed them. In Chile, zoos are working together with authorities and reaching out to the community for help through the advanced sale of tickets for when the facilities are able to open once again.

The drop in tourism has also affected protected areas in many countries, where it has resulted in less stress to local wildlife, but at the same time has reduced the number of potential witnesses or casual guardians against criminal acts. With parks closed and law enforcement personnel diverted to other duties related to COVID-19, poachers have taken advantage of reduced human presence to increase their activities.

What can we do?

This is a huge question. In fact, during this worldwide health, economic, and environmental crisis there are many things society as a whole needs to reflect on if we want to be successful in the common struggle of humans and wildlife for survival and sustainability.

How can we avoid the outbreak of new zoonotic diseases? How can we halt and mitigate habitat fragmentation to allow healthy wildlife populations to flourish? How can we reduce poaching to save species from extinction? What will be the role of wildlife tourism when travel resumes? What should be the role of zoos and wildlife attractions? Should they still exist, or should they be eliminated, following the lead of countries such as Costa Rica? 

Nature is making a clear statement! As countries start to plan ways to build back once the COVID-19 pandemic is under control, getting nature at the heart of all decision making  must be our top priority. We need to act now to make the world a better place for people and for nature!

How to Take Care of Tourists and Wildlife during Whale Watching Trips

by Marcela Torres

I recently watched a beautiful and moving Argentinean-Spanish film called “El faro de las orcas” (The Lighthouse of the Whales), set in the coast of a small Patagonian village. Although it focuses on the story of a boy with autism, it also raises important concerns about encouraging tourists to get close to killer whales. Free killer whales don’t attack humans, experts say. However, others would argue that you can never be too careful.

Because of that, as I have mentioned before, several countries and organizations, including the InternationalWhaling Commission (IWC) and Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC), have issued guidelines for observing whales and dolphins, to prevent harming both marine mammals and humans. In Chile, the Government passed the regulation for marine wildlife observation, in 2011, and later published two best-practices manuals, one of them with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Argentina has regulated this activity as well.

Australia is certainly one of the leaders in the promotion of responsible tourism, particularly in marine habitats. In 2009, I had an unforgettable whale-watching experience on a ferry that took us from Sydney to the feeding site of a group of humpback whales.

It was a clear, sunny day and I can still feel the cold wind and the ocean water sprinkling all over me as the waves moved the ferry up and down. I was on the deck with other tourists who, like myself, were excited and yelled each time they spotted a tail, a fin or a head, triggering a frenzy to get a photo or video of these animals. The ferry crew kept us in line, however, with their staff on deck as well as with constant instructions and explanations provided through loudspeakers.

Educating and raising awareness is key for ensuring responsible tourism. For example, while we sailed towards the whales, we saw a short educational video about these animals and the rules for observing them. Many guidelines and regulations also demand companies to contribute to conserving and monitoring marine mammals, reporting any sightings to the corresponding authorities.

Besides keeping these guidelines in mind, there are two things you can do to ensure a safe and pleasant experience: Look for information about the species and their habitats before you encounter them; and check that you are traveling with a certified tour operator that is respectful of these animals and the regulations for approaching them.

Whales are amazing creatures! They have been around for more than 30 million years and fascinate people all over the world. But many of them are endangered and we must act responsibly when embarking on a whale-watching adventure.

Observing Whales and Dolphins

Whale watching at Francisco Coloane Marine Park.

© Feel Patagonia

By Marcela Torres

As the summer season approaches, the fascination for whales and dolphins attracts many tourists in search for a close encounter with this charismatic fauna. The activity has benefits and risks, however, and it is necessary to take some precautions to enjoy it responsibly.

Throughout Chile there are 18 dolphin species. The Chilean Dolphin (Cephalorhynchus eutropia) is found in shallow coastal waters, while the Bottle-Nosed Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is one of the most popular and easiest to see, particularly in the surroundings of the Damas and Choros islands in the North.

Whales can also be seen, mainly in southern Chile, where you can find Rorquals, Southern Right Whales, Sperm Whales and Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). This species, one of the most fascinating, has an important feeding site in the waters surrounding the Francisco Coloane Marine Park, in southern Chile.

To ensure that a cetacean observation experience is fun and safe both for the animals and tourists, the following measures need to be in place:

• Keep a minimum distance of 100 meters (328 feet) from the animal that is closest to the boat
• The speed of boats while approaching and leaving the area should be constant and not exceed 4 knots
• The time of observation for each boat should not be more than 30 minutes
• Don’t ask your guide to chase the dolphins or whales and don’t try to touch them
• When the observation is over, the departure from the site should be carried out slowly and in the opposite direction of the movement of the whales or dolphins

It is important to keep in mind that dolphins and whales at sea are wild animals and we should not modify their way of life or behavior. That’s why we need to avoid stroking them or establishing any sort of unnatural contact that may contribute to modifying their behavioral patterns, such as getting used to close interactions with humans.

If we follow these guidelines, we will probably live an unforgettable responsible tourism experience.

This entry was originally posted by the author on October 30, 2011.

Why we shouldn't feed wildlife

Young girl feeding a wild turkey at Daintree National Park, Australia.
© Marcela Torres

by Marcela Torres

I remember clearly in one of my trips to a national park while we paid the entrance the passengers of one of the vehicles that was waiting to go in started yelling that a fox had stolen a bag of food they had for their picnic. Understandably, they were very upset. But what made the fox commit this audacious act?

The fox that stole the food had probably been fed by tourists before and had learned that where there were tourists there was food. One of the principles of responsible tourism is to contribute to the conservation of the environment and one way of achieving this is to avoid feeding wildlife in the places you visit.

There are several problems that come from feeding wildlife, starting by the fact that animals become used to humans and to types of food that are not suitable for them. They then stop searching for food the natural way, in the case of this fox by hunting its preys, and they begin depending on visitors to protected areas.

This not only disturbs their feeding habits, but it also changes the relationships between predators and their prey and increases their vulnerability to other animals that are competitors or predators. At the same time, it affects the bonds between parents and their young and can contribute to spreading diseases for which they have no defenses.

There is also danger for tourists, since you never know how a hungry animal can behave and people may result with injuries from accidents. No matter how used the animal is to humans, you must never forget that it is still a wild animal guided by instincts.

It is important to have a responsible attitude during a visit to an area populated by wildlife, in order to avoid accidents for tourists and disturbing the behavior and natural cycles of animals. This way, the experience will be beneficial for all.

This entry was originally posted by the author on July 28, 2011.