Reducing negative impacts of wildlife tourism on wildlife

 

Reducing negative impacts of wildlife tourism on wildlife

Tourism in general can have many impacts on wildlife, sometimes minor, sometimes major

Even wildlife tourism itself has impacts, which careful planning and guidelines can at least minimise if not eliminate.

Some of these impacts include:

  • direct injury or death of animals – e.g. roadkill, impacts while clearing habitat for roads or buildings, deliberate killing of snakes or native rodents that tourists don;t want to be near them
  • disturbance of animals  - e.g. from favoured feeding areas, from nests, separation of mothers from young, by close approach, noise, bright lights at night etc.
  • habitat destruction, fragmentation and alteration – clearing to make way for holiday cabins, use of water, trampling of young plants or burrows, clearing of understorey shrubs, firewood collection, felling of old trees with hollows

See also:

  • Duff, L. (1993). “Ecotourism in National Parks: Impacts and Benefits.” National Parks Journal(June): 18-20.
  • Fisher, F., M. Hockings, et al. (1998). “Recreational impacts on waders on Fraser Island.” The Sunbird 28(1): 1-11.
  • Foin, T. C., E. O. Garton, et al. (1977). “Quantitative studies of visitor impacts on environments of Yosemite National Park, California, and their implications for park management policy.” Journal of Environmental Management 5: 1-22.
  • Green, R. J. and Giese, M. 2004. The Negative Effects of Wildlife Tourism on Wildlife. In K. Higginbottom (ed.) Wildlife Tourism, Sustainable Tourism CRC
  • Wilson, B. A. and G. R. Friend (1999). “Responses of Australian mammals to disturbance: A review.” Australian Mammalogy.

 

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