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Extinction is a natural process, but it’s happening at 1,000 times the normal speed When Sudan the white rhino was put down by his carers earlier this year, it confirmed the extinction of one of the savannah’s most iconic subspecies. Despite decades of effort from conservationists, including a fake Tinder profile for the animal dubbed […]
Even Scientists Take Selfies with Wild Animals. Here’s Why They Shouldn’t. One of the great things about being a biologist is getting to work in the field and connect with wildlife. Through my career, I have enjoyed many unforgettable close encounters with various species, including turtles, birds, marine mammals, invertebrates and a lot of fish, […]
How noise pollution is changing animal behaviour Noise pollution, generally an unintended byproduct of urbanisation, transport, and industry, is a key characteristic of human development and population growth. In some cases, it is produced intentionally, for example when seismic surveys are being carried out using powerful airgun arrays to explore and map the seafloor, or […]
In April 2017, Responsible Travel became the first travel company to stop promoting any holidays that included a visit to a zoo. Their reasons are centered around the education value of zoos, how much is spent on conservation efforts and what percentage of zoned animals are endangered. This is a very courageous decision from a […]
Is getting “too close for comfort” a thing for birds? Yes totally! And if you look and listen, they even tell you when. It was a radiant and sun-filled day, perfect for a leisurely visit to a nearby beach, where we planned to observe some of our protected birds and capture a few snapshots for […]
The Red Apes of Bukit —How Ethical is Orangutan Tourism? After two days of flying across the world, we finally arrived! We were now a few miles away from where some of the last Sumatran orangutans are surviving. Maybe a mother and her infant were even peeping through the canopy across the river right when […]
Ecological Ethics A&A—From Awareness To Action My friend and I engaged in a profound discussion about ethics. Our conversation delved into the inherent fascination of our species with a limitless growth model, evident in various facets such as our aspirations for biological immortality and the dynamics of modern economies and business practices. As I reflected […]
I am so happy to have gained a better understanding of what it takes to be an ethical wildlife volunteer. This has been and still is an ongoing journey into realizing that our actions are not always ethical –not because we don’t want to be but rather because we don’t know– and that organizations may not […]
In ‘the moment’, and when too excited by the experience, it’s very easy to forget the proper rule of conduct. Keeping a respectful distance is not just for your safety but is also about theirs (including their health). By not following the rules we are inconsiderate and unethical. Take this example of human recklessness when visiting a […]
Recently, when interviewing a young EwAnaut friend about her volunteer experience, I was reminded of how harmful not knowing can be. Our friend had just returned from volunteering at an accredited African wildlife conservation rescue organization. This was a good ethical experience and this made a difference on so many accounts compared to the too […]
