Conservation & Travel
During my travels, I have had the opportunity to come up close and personal with a wide array of animals. Some big, some small but all in need of our help. Poaching is a huge problem all over the world and it's only through diligent conservation projects, that many of Mother Nature's most fascinating animals are still with us. Like me, you may not be a zoologist or professional conservationist, but you are a responsible tourist. Offering support by visiting and interacting with these projects, if even for a day, will change your way of thinking. Introduce yourself to conservation so you can educate others on its importance. Below are just a few of the amazing projects I've experienced first hand.
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Turtle Island Park, Borneo
A chance to watch the circle of life unfold before your awe-struck eyes. After the mother turtles lays her eggs on the beach and returns to the sea, rangers move in. Collecting the vulnerable eggs from predators, the incubation stage occurs in the hatchery until baby turtes are ready to meet the world. The moment they hatch is unforgettable. Poking their dazed little faces out of the shell, it only takes a moment for instinct to kick in. To the sea they go. Some dawdle, others race, but all recognize where their future lies...in the deep blue. Efforts like these hatcheries help the baby turtles survive one of the most vulnerable periods of their existence - waiting to hatch. They'll have many more battles to come, only 5% surviving to sexual maturity, but efforts like these give them a better chance! |
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Uganda Wildlife Authority - Tacking Mountain Gorillas
There are no words, no descriptions, no emotions that can accurately describe the rush of coming face to face with a mountain gorilla. The only way to know, is to go! Over 700 mountain gorillas call East Africa home (residing mainly in Uganda, Rwanda and Congo), and thanks to the efforts of National Park protection programs, like the Uganda Wildlife Authority, poaching has decreased immensely, and the numbers are steadily growing. Tracking the gorillas is a once in a lifetime experience and be assured the money you spend, goes directly to the conservation effort. |
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Mosi-au-Tonya National Park, Zambia
When you look at the white rhino, you're transported back to a prehistoric time - a time when dinosaurs ruled the earth. Any safari in Africa will blow your mind - especially when you have the opportunity to see the Big 5. The White Rhino is one of few remaining rhino species left in the world. Poached for their horns and the medicinal qualities they are claimed to have in Asia, this incredible creature is fighting a tough battle for survival. All over Africa, conservation projects have kicked their efforts into high gear. Keeping 24-hour ranger surveillance on the rhinos is not cheap and the Zambia Wildlife Authority, along with many others in Africa, ask for charitable donations to keep these one of a kind animals in their natural homes. |
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Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre, Malaysia
Staring into the baby orangutans eyes, you'll see vulnerability. Without mothers to care for them, these babies need to rely on a different kind of help - human aid. "The Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre was set up in 1964 to rehabilitate orphaned baby orangutan. Set in the lush 4,300-hectare Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve, the Center under the administration of the Wildlife Department of Sabah, Borneo attracts tourists and researchers alike, giving them the opportunity to watch the orangutan up close in their natural habitat". |
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* If any of these projects interest you, feel free to drop me an email. I would love to offer advice and suggestions.
