Between Botswana ending its five-year ban on elephant hunting and giraffes being considered for the endangered species list, there’s good reason to be concerned about wildlife conservation in the face of climate change, poaching and overpopulation.
Yet there are conservation success stories to tout, too – and eco-conscious wildlife tourism certainly plays a part.
Natural Habitat Adventures is a global leader in responsible nature travel and the conservation travel partner of World Wildlife Fund. It takes travelers to destinations where some threatened and endangered wildlife species are actually doing better in recent years.
According to the United Nations, travelers are a driving force for positive change when it comes to sustaining biodiversity. The revenue from tourists’ park fees, permits and donations made in-destination contributes to greater conservation achievements.
The increased appreciation for nature that comes with seeing a gorilla or a tiger in person also has an impact in circles of social influence.
Simply put, the more visitors that wildlife attracts, the more incentive governments and private enterprise have to protect them.
Here are five species that are steadily making a comeback, thanks in part to ecotourism.
Jump To:
1. Bengal Tigers of South Asia
You will find the endangered Bengal tiger in pockets of India, Nepal and other Asian countries.
While its habitat continues to decrease, the tiger population (currently around 3,900) has been rising since 2010.
This is thanks to vigorous protection within India’s tiger reserves, intensive anti-poaching programs, and coordinated efforts between governments, NGOs and local communities to build habitat corridors and reduce human-tiger conflict.
Recently, Nepal has nearly doubled its big cat population. It reported an estimated 235 wild tigers in 2018, up from 121 in 2009.
Conservation efforts bolstered by a rising demand for tiger tracking on safari have also inspired a pledge called the Global Tiger Recovery Program. The Program would see participating countries double the world’s wild tiger numbers by 2022.
Search for the elusive predator for yourself on Natural Habitat’s 12-day Grand India Wildlife Adventure. Or, visit one of the world’s best place to view tigers: Ranthambore National Park. Here, you can take Natural Habitat’s most tiger-intensive safari: the 7-day India Tiger Quest, guided by conservation-focused Expedition Leaders.
2. Mountain Gorillas in Uganda and Rwanda
Last year marked 40 years since famed researcher Dr. Dian Fossey predicted the extinction of mountain gorillas by the year 2000, due to habitat destruction, disease and civil unrest.
While those threats are still very much a reality today, Fossey left a lasting legacy for protection. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) reported in 2018 that gorilla numbers have increased to nearly 1,004 from 680 in 2008. This has changed their “critically endangered” status to “endangered.”
With gorilla trekking becoming more popular among travelers, tourism boards and government organizations are also increasing the price of the permits required to see gorillas. This is in the interest of bolstering preservation efforts.
Natural Habitat’s naturalist Expedition Leaders are trained by WWF scientists. They have two options to take travelers to witness these incredible creatures:
- a 10-day Great Uganda Gorilla Safari, and
- a 13-day Ultimate Gorilla Safari that includes both Uganda and Rwanda.
3. Jaguars in Brazil’s Pantanal
Despite being listed as “Near Threatened” by the IUCN due to habitat loss, decrease in wild prey, and conflict with cattle ranchers, jaguars are being seen with increasing frequency in Brazil’s 42-million-acre Pantanal.
The Pantanal is the world’s largest tropical wetland. And, it happens to be a popular tourism destination with more wildlife density than the Amazon.
In 2017, a university study found that jaguar ecotourism represented a gross annual income of USD $6.8 million across the Pantanal. And, that it can be a conservation tool to incentivize more harmonious cohabitation between farmers and the big cat.
Similarly, the Caiman Ecological Refuge, a private reserve included in Natural Habitat’s 11-day Jaguars & Wildlife of Brazil’s Pantanal trip, has dedicated 10 percent of its 130,000-acre property to conservation.
The jaguar population in the area has rebounded so much that guests of the refuge are almost guaranteed to see them on safari.
4. China’s Giant Pandas
Found only in small pockets of bamboo forest across southwestern China, giant pandas have been experiencing habitat loss due to China’s ever-growing human population for decades.
However, the IUCN still reclassified them from “endangered” to “vulnerable” in 2016, following major conservation strides.
Captive breeding and community-based conservation programs are working with local people to use ecotourism as a source of revenue. These programs are helping the panda’s numbers continue to rise.
In 2018, Chinese officials announced that the wild panda population had increased nearly 60 percent (from 1,114 to 1,864) in only a decade. The wild panda habitat has also nearly doubled in 10 years.
You can view pandas and visit wild panda habitat on Natural Habitat’s 12-day The Wild Side of China: A Nature Odyssey. Or, capture close-up images while visiting panda research bases on the 12-day Wild Side of China Photo Adventure.
5. Patagonia’s Pumas
An ecology study in Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park indicated a rise in Patagonia’s puma numbers due to an increase in government protection. However, high levels of poaching and conflict with sheep ranchers who live just outside the park mean its numbers are now believed to be in decline.
However, there is hope that travelers could make it possible for ranchers and pumas to coexist in this region. Tourism revenue raised from visitors looking to track pumas throughout the park could potentially compensate ranchers for any loss of livestock.
In the meantime, puma sightings are indeed increasing in Chile. So much so that Natural Habitat has added a third day in Torres del Paine National Park to its Peaks, Lakes & Glaciers of Patagonia adventure!
The adventure takes guests into puma hunting grounds with help from a local guide.
Sounds like eco-friendly travel is making a huge difference! Which of these
eco-conscious wildlife trips do you want to go on the most? Let us know in the comments below!
This article originally appeared on Natural Habitat Adventures and had been reposted here with permission. For more information about Natural Habitat Adventures, visit www.nathab.com.
It’s good to see such a positive impact from eco-tourism! The gorilla safari with WWF scientist sounds incredible – I think I’ll have to add that to the bucket list. Cheers!
YESSS! I would absolutely LOVE to do that as well!