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FAQ Blog Blog Archives Meet the Foxes Links Games Wildlife Scrapbook Contact	Good wildlife watching is not just about a memorable experience for the person, but also about causing no disturbance to the animal. Ecotourism offers huge potential in helping to raise funds for the protection of the world's most threatened wildlife, but the current craze for close interactions threatens to undo all the good that could be done. Everyone who watches wildlife - especially in a national park - has a responsibility to keep their impact to a minimum.
	What's wrong with encounters that are too close? They cause disturbance An animal that is running from a tourist is not behaving naturally. It may seem a minor thing but the accumulative effect of thousands - sometimes millions - of people causing interruptions to their lives can be very serious. Some animals will abandon their best habitat to get away from us; others, like bears, need to feed as quickly as possible during the summer and anything that stops them from putting on fat may jeopardise their chance of surviving their winter sleep. They can be cruel Almost no wildlife watchers actually want to distress animals, but not all animals show stress in ways that we recognise. The animal may not run away but is still frightened by people coming within its "comfort zone". The stress of encountering lots of tourists is so great for some animals that blood tests show changes in their hormones. In addition, in some parks, if an animal is considered "habituated" (too tolerant of people after lots of tourist encounters), it may be subjected to extreme harassment by wardens in an attempt to re-wild it. This can involve loud bangs or being chased by dogs or people. They can be lethal for wildlife Go too close, and you risk frightening an animal into the path of a car or boat, scaring parents away from vulnerable young (at least one wolf pup in Yellowstone has died after being separated from its pack by tourists) or even driving them into the jaws of a natural enemy. They can be dangerous for people Every year, people assume that they know how to handle wildlife and take chances - and are kicked, bitten or mauled as a consequence. A few people are actually killed. They're inconsiderate for others I've seen people scare all the wild goats away and then ask where they can find more! Once an animal has been disturbed, it may well make an exit, which deprives many other people of an interesting, respectful observation later on.
		Don't feed wildlife Human food can be poisonous The animal may become reliant, and starve once the tourists have gone Fed wildlife can be very aggressive and is liable to be shot or removed Don't drive too close It often causes disturbance Jams of vehicles watching wildlife are potentially dangerous The animal may suddenly go into the road in front of another car Getting wildlife trustful of vehicles may be lethal for it Don't walk too close Elk and moose might attack in self defence Scaring an animal away from its chosen habitat is never a good thing

		Do use binoculars Lightweight binoculars are essential! Aim for high magnification. My pair are 10 x 50 Try them in a shop before buying Do use a telephoto lens If you don't have one, don't go too close to wildlife to compensate Tips for choosing a camera Do learn about nature Learning about all the species that your favourite animal interacts with will make seeing it much more meaningful