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Watching wildlife

NEW YORK: Wildlife watching is becoming a multi-billion dollar industry with the potential to fight poverty by pumping income into local communities. But it could adversely affect animal behaviour and damage habitats if not controlled properly, a U.N. report has warned.

Stressing the need to regulate the activity on a broader scale, the report calls for the promotion of environmentally, economically and socially sound wildlife watching and recommends zoning schemes, special management areas, fee programmes and visitors schemes. The motto — "Watch, Don't Touch" might sum up the advice emerging from this research, it said.

Tourists need to respect basic rules. These include: no physical contact with animals, safety distances and no visits if you are ill, removal of litter and the sensible use of flash photography. This should be accompanied by careful planning on the part of the responsible local or national authorities.

On the positive side, the report said communities felt that wild animals were "worth far more alive than dead."

Executive Secretary, U.N. Environment Programme's Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals Robert Hepworth said: "Sensitive and well-managed whale, dolphin, gorilla and bird watching can generate real and long-lasting economic returns when compared with the often short-term income from catching them for food, processing and trade."

PTI

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