Wildlife tours travel globe in search of game | TheFilipinopost.com | Philippine newspaper from Vancouver BC for the Filipino, Filipina, Pinoy, Philippines

Wildlife tours travel globe in search of game

As more and more people are concerned about nature and the way they influence it, the call for wildlife and eco holidays keeps growing. Seaside holiday is a bit boring and travellers long for new experiences, adventure and challenges — they want to see endangered animal species in the natural environment instead of the zoo. Also, through eco and wildlife travel you can contribute to the development of local communities as many wildlife travel agencies use part of their incomes for nature protection and preservation projects. Responsibletravel.com compiled a list of top 10 wildlife travel experience you should not miss if you are a nature enthusiast.

Whale watching

There is something magic about whales — swimming along those huge ocean creatures is an experience people do not forget. Most whales are herbivores, live off plankton and are forced to move very slowly to catch as many of these microscopic creatures as possible, which makes them appear huge and fragile at the same time.

Gorillas in Rwanda and Uganda

Africa is one of the world’s most popular wildlife tourism destinations with many rare and endangered species, including gorillas. Observing these giants in their natural environment is an enriching and wonderful experience. With a professional guide, you can get very close to these huge animals without disturbing them, and watch them engaged in their everyday routine.

Wolves in Europe

There used to be many more wolves in Europe than there are now — they inhabited the mountains of Central Europe as well as the Alps or Pyrenees. Yet their population was severely reduced as people in the mountains needed to protect their cattle and were scared of these mighty beasts. There are fewer regions where you can still spot this beautiful animal, such as the French Pyrenees or the High Tatra in Slovakia.

Polar bears in the Arctic

Here’s something for those who are not really fond of hot weather and sand. As global warming melts the polar glaciers, the polar bears’ natural environment gets smaller and smaller.
They now are among the world’s most endangered species. Watching these animals hunting for fish, nursing their cubs or just lying around doing nothing is an unforgettable experience.

Grizzly bears in the Rockies

In addition to the Polar Bear, its brown counterpart, the Grizzly, is a very interesting and rare beast. The best place to find these marvelous animals are in the Rocky Mountains. With a professional guide, you can observe them in their most intimate moments without getting yourself or the animals in danger.

Galapagos Islands

If you are looking for diversity in the true sense of the word, the Galapagos Islands is the right place to go. Thanks to a long-time isolation, many original species have evolved here, including fur seals and giant turtles. As well as other relatively closed ecosystems, the Galapagos are endangered by non-local species and diseases.

Antarctica

Antarctica is one of the last truly wild areas on Earth and no matter how hard the environmentalists try to point out problems and save whatever is left, the area is slowly disappearing. Many species of penguins, as well as other birds that do not occur anywhere else in the world, are endangered by the lessening of their environment.

Tigers in India

The Bengal tiger is the biggest feline in the world. It is endangered mainly for two reasons — first, the local Indian farmers kill tigers to protect their cattle, and second, its beautiful fur is much valued on the black market. India has been making great efforts to protect this beast and is thus — with nearly 30 tiger reserves — the number one country for tiger watching.

Swimming with wild dolphins

Swimming with dolphins is definitely as breath-taking as diving with the whales, and listening to their "songs" is a once-in-a lifetime experience. Dolphins are considered the most intelligent mammals (humans excluded), yet few people know that with dolphins, intelligence is associated with cruelty. Dolphins are, for example, the only species (humans excluded again), where a group of males cooperates to rape a female.

The big five Safaris in Africa

Africa again — this time not for its forests and mountains, but rather the large prairies with little or no vegetation and water source, yet with many beautiful animals. Enormous herds of zebras, lions and cheetahs, giant elephants and tall giraffes — there is a huge range of beautiful animals to see on these dry plains.