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Sept 23-28 marks the 10th Anniversary of Sea Otter Awareness Week, a time when we recognize and appreciate the critical role sea otters play in the nearshore ecosystem. Sea otters are near and dear to our hearts because we frequently run into them on our Alaska tours.
Q: Why do birds often perch on rhinos backs? a. Predators can’t attack them b. They get lonely c. Their wings get tired d. They feed on…
Just over two weeks ago, 21 black rhino from Kenya’s Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and Lake Nakuru National Park were relocated to nearby Borana Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya‘s northern Laikipia district. Borana is now proud to call itself the youngest rhino conservancy in the world.
In scientific circles, it’s common practice to give individual wild animals under observation identifying numbers rather than names, such as the well-known, numbered wolves in Yellowstone National Park. But a recently published study provides evidence that we may be a bit limited in our thinking about how nonhuman animals see and distinguish themselves.
In 2008, a group of over 40 whale shark experts at the International Whale Shark Conference in Isla Holbox decided that August 30th should be dedicated to celebrating whale sharks, educating people about them and promoting their conservation. So began International Whale Shark Day.
Wolves are capable of many vocalizations, including barks, growls, moans, snarls, whimpers, whines and yelps. But even though they make these sounds a lot more often than they howl, it is that sustained, doleful cry that seems to define the wolf for most of us. Howling keeps members of a pack physically together.
WWF calls rangers the “unsung heroes of conservation,” bravely working as the first line of defense to protect the world’s most endangered species from poachers in the illegal wildlife trade.
An exciting announcement was made today by scientists at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC – a brand new mammal species has been discovered in the Americas for the first time in 35 years!
While spring-cleaning my photo library, I’ve rediscovered the photos I took in Uganda last year. The Great African Primate Expedition was a pronominal experience. Our wildlife encounters included chimps, lions, elephants, hippos, and the famed mountain gorillas of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Our journey took us west from Uganda’s capital and into the Kibale Forest – a national park protecting the chimpanzees’ natural habitat.
Giant-sized, creaky and cold, glaciers have always intrigued me. Ancient beings, they measure their time in the thousands of years, in a way that we humans have little experience understanding. That’s why, wherever I travel, if there’s a glacier nearby, I rush to see it.
By Tripti Pandey, an author and tourism and culture consultant in Jaipur, India. This story was originally posted on the WWF Travel Blog. In India’s “Pink City” of Jaipur, I occasionally see an elephant sauntering down the street.
One of the questions I often get asked is “why is ecotourism so special – you know, why is it different than just nature tourism?”
