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Wildlife Volunteering — Expectations, Reality, Responsibility Sharan Bahra, Earthwise Aware‘s Vice-President, was recently in Kenya, where she helped a conservation organization focused on protecting both giraffes and lions. In an EwA post series, Sharan shares about the many facets of volunteering for wildlife conservation. Previously, she wrote about the difficulties of finding ethical conservation venues, […]
Volunteering in Kenya — Choosing the Right Programme Sharan Bahra, Earthwise Aware‘s Vice-President, was recently in Kenya, where she helped a conservation organization focused on protecting both giraffes and lions. Here is her first post of a series, where she shares about the difficulties of finding ethical conservation venues, and how she led her research […]
Before considering cub petting or volunteering in a facility that allows close interactions with cubs, pause, research and think about the consequences… A vast number of animal lovers choose to ‘volunteer’ at cat parks and sanctuaries that are nothing else than big cats breeding & cub petting facilities posing as conservation enterprises. This includes lions, tigers, cheetahs, leopards, and […]
Is that selfie really worth it? Why face time with wild animals is a bad idea The phenomenon of kangaroo selfies hit the headlines earlier this month, when several tourists were injured while feeding wild kangaroos in Lake Macquarie, north of Sydney. They may have wanted a memorable holiday snap, but ended up with rather […]
You see something that you don’t understand, or that concerns you… Should you ask? Is there such thing as a naive question? The answer is ‘Yes’ you should ask. And ‘No’ there are no naive questions when the welfare of animals is at stake. Dare to ask, and engage in a respectful discussion with the […]
Get your ‘Bear’ings & Keep your Distance In the wild, remain vigilant in all circumstances and certainly so when you roam in bear country! Having traveled quite a few remote and wild places I am becoming relatively good at it. However one late afternoon, I relaxed my attention after a long trek in the mountains […]
“Sustained by values that are based on an eco-centric view of the world, prioritizing the importance of ecosystems and all forms of life therein, regardless of their use to man.” (Excerpt from the Conservation Land Trust’s mission) Esteros del Iberá —Rewilding & Inspiring My mom stumbled upon Esteros del Ibera (the World’s second-largest freshwater reservoir) […]
I am going snorkeling and diving. Should I worry about sharks? Worried? It depends. But in all cases, you should be prepared and know your sharks. How Likely Are Shark Attacks? Source: Shark Attack FAQ (Florida Museum). Of all the existing species of sharks, only about a dozen should be considered dangerous when encountered. White, bull […]
The Red Apes of Bukit —How Ethical is Orangutan Tourism? After 2 days flying across the world, we finally arrived! We were now few miles away from where some of the last Sumatran orangutans survive. Maybe a mother and her infant were even peeping through the canopy across the river right when we were opening the door of […]
I am going to visit great apes in the wild (chimpanzees, orangutans or gorillas). Should I wear a face mask? Yes, you should. IUCN’s experts recommend as a best practice that all visitors, including staff, tourists and researchers, who approach to a distance of 10 meters (33 feet) or less from wild great apes wear surgical […]
