Aggressive tourism a problem for wildlife

[Pheroze]

As we have all been saying...

The Cheetahs Made a Kill. Then the Safari Trucks Swarmed In.

A video showing dozens of vehicles moving in on a pair of big cats in a Kenyan game reserve highlights how “aggressive tourism” can put endangered animals at even greater risk.

www-nytimes-com.cdn.ampproject.org

 

[BRICKBURN]

 

[baxterb]

Yup.

 

[Sue Tidwell]

As we have all been saying...

The Cheetahs Made a Kill. Then the Safari Trucks Swarmed In.

A video showing dozens of vehicles moving in on a pair of big cats in a Kenyan game reserve highlights how “aggressive tourism” can put endangered animals at even greater risk.

www-nytimes-com.cdn.ampproject.org

This is totally disgusting.

 

[Ridge Runner]

As we have all been saying...

The Cheetahs Made a Kill. Then the Safari Trucks Swarmed In.

A video showing dozens of vehicles moving in on a pair of big cats in a Kenyan game reserve highlights how “aggressive tourism” can put endangered animals at even greater risk.

www-nytimes-com.cdn.ampproject.org

Absolutely disgusting!

So: most, some, a few: these kind of a$$inine tourists and photo safaris tourists outfitters, who don't or do very little to contribute to conservation efforts for all wildlife, who don't approve of hunters, hunting, and the massive amount [we] contribute to conservation efforts of all wildlife, thinks this is okay or appropriate behavior to basically "crowd" animals to photograph (and/or watch/view) and other stupid sh:t as we have seen on social media sites, msm news, and posted on this site.

I don't have a problem with photo safaris or outfitters that exclusively or in addition to hunting safaris providing they operate in a respectful manner. Example being: restricting a (as in one, maybe, but no more than, two) vehicle(s) at one time to operate on a {relative term} schedule, and on a regular/ routine trail/ path/ (dirt/earthen) roadway that is less destructive to wildlife habitat and less intrusive to the natural behavior of wildlife.

I saw the videos referenced by the OP. The video referring to the wildebeest and zebra at the river crossing was a caos of vehicles filled with tourists rushing to get as close to the river crossing as they could, interfering so much so with the animals normal river crossing that the animals had to divert to a more dangerous part of the river bank and a deeper part of the croc infested area of the river to cross the waterway. The video showed animals having either a broken or badly injured leg after it had crossed the river and animals laying near the water too injured to make the crossing after falling or rolling down the steep river bank. The video also showed animals that had died trying to get down that same area of the near vertical river bank because tourist filled vehicles prevented them from going further down the river to find a better/easier crossing point.

 

[VertigoBE]

Disgusting. I had seen it a while ago already, thanks for sharing again. more people need to see this.

 

[spike.t]

Been like that in Kenya for quite a while....in South luangwa NP here on night drives guides found out that leopards learnt to take the animals when in the spot light beam as were dazzled....so it became something they used to give the tourists an opportunity to see a leopard "hunt"....they would stop put the light on an impala for example and wait for the leopard....think they eventually got told to stop as it got around to what was happening....all leads to bigger tips and happy photo clients who have got what they wanted....

 

[thi9elsp]

I can't imagine how as a tourist someone would actually enjoy that experience. Isn't there a problem with invasive plant species due to the tour companies planting non-native plants that 'look pretty' around their lodges?

I can't imagine ever going to visit those parks in that atmosphere.

 

[Tucketed]

I visited the Mara 20 years ago. There were 2 other vehicles waiting to see the wildebeest crossing the river. We waited an hour until the herd made the decision to cross. Of the other two vehicles one was a professional film crew. I now know I will never go back. I went to Madikwe in September, small SA park but their rules are only 4 vehicles can follow a kill or other prime sightings. The others stay far away out of sight half mile and when a vehicle leaves the next one can move in. Very well organized.

 

[Sue Tidwell]

Absolutely disgusting!

So: most, some, a few: these kind of a$$inine tourists and photo safaris tourists outfitters, who don't or do very little to contribute to conservation efforts for all wildlife, who don't approve of hunters, hunting, and the massive amount [we] contribute to conservation efforts of all wildlife, thinks this is okay or appropriate behavior to basically "crowd" animals to photograph (and/or watch/view) and other stupid sh:t as we have seen on social media sites, msm news, and posted on this site.

I don't have a problem with photo safaris or outfitters that exclusively or in addition to hunting safaris providing they operate in a respectful manner. Example being: restricting a (as in one, maybe, but no more than, two) vehicle(s) at one time to operate on a {relative term} schedule, and on a regular/ routine trail/ path/ (dirt/earthen) roadway that is less destructive to wildlife habitat and less intrusive to the natural behavior of wildlife.

I saw the videos referenced by the OP. The video referring to the wildebeest and zebra at the river crossing was a caos of vehicles filled with tourists rushing to get as close to the river crossing as they could, interfering so much so with the animals normal river crossing that the animals had to divert to a more dangerous part of the river bank and a deeper part of the croc infested area of the river to cross the waterway. The video showed animals having either a broken or badly injured leg after it had crossed the river and animals laying near the water too injured to make the crossing after falling or rolling down the steep river bank. The video also showed animals that had died trying to get down that same area of the near vertical river bank because tourist filled vehicles prevented them from going further down the river to find a better/easier crossing point.

My blood boils when I watch these videos. I just wish I had known about them or seen them BEFORE writing Cries of the Savanna. Describing these type of things would have been great to include in the book to help get the point across. You can bet your sweety bippy, I'll be mentioning it in my next book. I am certainly not perfect. After all, I went to Africa skeptical about huntings value but at least I was open to learning and understanding. I do mention my AHA moment in the book when I realized that most people would not want to go to hunting areas. I also talk about the larger imprint that photo tourists leave on the land....but no where do I mention this kind of behavior. What a lost opportunity.

Here is a short quote from the chapter "My Eyes are Open" TRYING to help people understand:

"...Everything clicked and I had my aha moment, so to speak. Hunting offered many benefits but, above all else, it protected vast chunks of habitat that non-hunting tourists had little interest in. Hunting made less impressive lands valuable and worth saving without transforming it in any way. The proof was in the pudding, smack dab in front of my face all along.

This realization did not come to me from blindly believing everything that our hosts had shared with us during the camp tour. It was because the words made perfect sense. My mind knew it to be true. More than that, I could feel it to be true, not just in my heart but deep down in my bones. Not just figuratively but literally. Bouncing over pocked terrain through a nondescript sun-scorched landscape with sweat running down my back watching the fur-covered butts disappear into the bush as Tsetse flies have their way with me offered a kind of clarity that can’t be read in a book..."

Anyway, I go on to talk about the how much better hunting is for the environment, yada yada yada...but I missed an opportunity to talk about the lunatics in this article!

 

[R.M.C.]

Those people are fucked up , so worried about getting a good picture they'd harass the wildlife. Kinda hope something starts adapting ways to hunt the photographers

 

[Spearhead]

My blood boils when I watch these videos. I just wish I had known about them or seen them BEFORE writing Cries of the Savanna. Describing these type of things would have been great to include in the book to help get the point across. You can bet your sweety bippy, I'll be mentioning it in my next book. I am certainly not perfect. After all, I went to Africa skeptical about huntings value but at least I was open to learning and understanding. I do mention my AHA moment in the book when I realized that most people would not want to go to hunting areas. I also talk about the larger imprint that photo tourists leave on the land....but no where do I mention this kind of behavior. What a lost opportunity.

Here is a short quote from the chapter "My Eyes are Open" TRYING to help people understand:

"...Everything clicked and I had my aha moment, so to speak. Hunting offered many benefits but, above all else, it protected vast chunks of habitat that non-hunting tourists had little interest in. Hunting made less impressive lands valuable and worth saving without transforming it in any way. The proof was in the pudding, smack dab in front of my face all along.

This realization did not come to me from blindly believing everything that our hosts had shared with us during the camp tour. It was because the words made perfect sense. My mind knew it to be true. More than that, I could feel it to be true, not just in my heart but deep down in my bones. Not just figuratively but literally. Bouncing over pocked terrain through a nondescript sun-scorched landscape with sweat running down my back watching the fur-covered butts disappear into the bush as Tsetse flies have their way with me offered a kind of clarity that can’t be read in a book..."

Anyway, I go on to talk about the how much better hunting is for the environment, yada yada yada...but I missed an opportunity to talk about the lunatics in this article!

Sue, looking forward to your next book. Tears for Africa would be a great title outlining the mess or photo safaris and crap like the article mentioned above. Those are the same people that just don't understand conservation.

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

My blood boils when I watch these videos. I just wish I had known about them or seen them BEFORE writing Cries of the Savanna. Describing these type of things would have been great to include in the book to help get the point across. You can bet your sweety bippy, I'll be mentioning it in my next book.

Hi Sue,
Have you considered writing about the effects of tourism and sport hunting in sub-Saharan Africa from local villagers' perspectives?

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

It just makes one angry. I doubt it happens in Zimbabwe because we don't have the tourist density, it isn't the tourists so much as the tour operators. I saw it once in greater Kruger where the throng rushed in to see hunting dogs, I would rather have left, it was very distasteful.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

You don’t say…

 

[WAB]

You guys have to understand, most of these photo tourists have no idea that they are crowding th animals. They are clueless, totally inexperienced in the wild. The operators are in it for the bucks and will sacrifice the animal and the habitat to make their customers happy. We saw it in the Parks in Northern Botswana when we drove from Maun to Kasane. The impact of photo ops is much much greater than hunting. What really makes my blood boil is their holier than thou attitude toward hunters. I have very little patience with them.

 

[Vintageguy]

I would not endure the flight over there to participate in this if the whole thing were free. I’d rather go to a zoo, at least there’s a fence to keep the assholes at a distance and you can walk away if the greenie’s commentary becomes more than you can stand. YouTube is full of these types of videos.

 

[Sue Tidwell]

Sue, looking forward to your next book. Tears for Africa would be a great title outlining the mess or photo safaris and crap like the article mentioned above. Those are the same people that just don't understand conservation.

Oh my gosh! That is a WONDERFUL title! I have already been brainstorming trying to think of the next one. You have no idea how hard it is to come up with a title. At least it was for me. I must have had 30 or 40 and every time I asked an opinion, I just got more confused! Cries of the Savanna was my early favorite but a hunter told me that would be awful because of the book cries of the kalahari …which I knew nothing about at the time. Anyway, thanks so much!

 

[Newboomer]

As we have all been saying...

The Cheetahs Made a Kill. Then the Safari Trucks Swarmed In.

A video showing dozens of vehicles moving in on a pair of big cats in a Kenyan game reserve highlights how “aggressive tourism” can put endangered animals at even greater risk.

www-nytimes-com.cdn.ampproject.org

That is downright sick and totally disgusting. There should be a law to keep those pukes at least a quarter mile from any hunting animal along with a stiff fine for violation. But Africa being Africa a few bucks in the right filthy paw would negate any possible good.

 

[baxterb]

Sue, looking forward to your next book. Tears for Africa would be a great title outlining the mess or photo safaris and crap like the article mentioned above. Those are the same people that just don't understand conservation.

Douglas Collins used something similar for his follow up to A Tear for Somalia - Another Tear for Africa.