Six tips to engage with wildlife safely and respectfully
If you’re one of the growing group of travellers who are keen to experience, observe or photograph wildlife in its natural habit on a holiday, here’s some useful advice from Hans Lagerweij, Safer Tourism Foundation trustee and CEO of Alabatross Expeditions.
Wildlife photography is growing in popularity - learn how to be safe and respectful
Wildlife experiences can be as diverse as going on a safari in Africa, a diving holiday in Egypt, an Arctic expedition trip to watch polar bears, or visiting the beautiful National Parks of North America.
Unfortunately, every year people are wounded or even killed by wildlife. And because of human interaction and negligence, wildlife is also being killed in alarming numbers. Thankfully, these situations are easily preventable.
First, the good news. Unlike Hollywood movies might suggest, there are not many animals that are naturally aggressive towards humans. Observing wildlife can be a safe activity if done well. However, even the smaller animals, can be potentially dangerous to humans. Stressed or threatened animals can be unpredictable, and hostile.
Here are some ways to observe wildlife safely.
1. Don’t touch
This is probably the most obvious one, but in my travel experiences I have observed people trying to touch wildlife too many times; turtles during a dive, or a racoon in a National Park. It should be simple; wild animals are not pets, so keep a respectable distance. Stressed animals might attack you, and even a bite or a scratch from a small animal could result in a nasty and potentially dangerous infection.
2. No feeding
Who isn’t inclined to throw a peanut to a sweet looking squirrel? However, this is not healthy behaviour. The animal can get too familiar with humans and they will relate us to food. Every year in North America, bears need to be killed for safety reasons. And this happens because they become too familiar with humans and food.
3. Be silent
Noises can stress or spook animals, so try to be quiet, no matter how excited you are while observing them. Please, also don’t honk your car horn if an animal is crossing the road!
4. Watch your steps and wear appropriate footwear
During a jungle walk in Costa Rica, my son warned me that I was almost standing on a snake. Fortunately, I love snakes, and most of them are harmless. But it reminded me of the importance of watching your step, and not to get distracted while taking pictures. For these type of nature walks, it is highly recommended to wear proper walking boots and trousers not shorts, as extra protection for potential bites.
5. Invest in a zoom lens
One of the main reasons travellers often get far too close to a wild animal, is because they are trying to take the best possible picture. If you are interested in and serious about wildlife photography, I highly recommend investing in a good zoom lens, so you can take great pictures from a safe distance.
6. Protect against the biggest killers
My last, but perhaps most important tip is to protect yourself well against the animal that causes the most deaths amongst humans on the globe. No, it’s not sharks, lions, snakes, alligators or polar bears. It’s the humble mosquito. Mosquitos can spread many diseases such as Malaria, Dengue, The Zika virus, to name a few. So please use mosquito repellents and dress appropriately to protect yourself against these small, annoying and deceptively innocious killers.
Hans Lagerweij is Trustee of the Safer Tourism Foundation and CEO of Albatross Expeditions, and a passionate traveler himself. He has travelled to over 70 countries in his life, including expeditions to the Galapagos, Amazon, Antarctica, Svalbard/Spitsbergen and to the 90° North Pole.