Wildlife tourism in Latin America: taxonomy and conservation status

Abstract

We provide an initial insight into the extent, occurrence and characteristics of wildlife tourism involving close interactions with free-ranging, non-domesticated, animals outside of formal captive environments across Latin America. Using information provided online via TripAdvisor, we found this type of tourism was occurring across the region (advertised on 249 wildlife tourist attraction webpages across 21 countries) and involved a diverse range of wild animals (73 species, including 19 currently considered as threatened by the IUCN). Opportunities for direct contact with wild animals were particularly prevalent (54% of all surveyed webpages). Despite the potential economic benefits, studies have indicated that these types of ecotourism are potentially having net negative impacts on wildlife conservation and welfare. Mammals classified as Least Concern featured most commonly in tourist photos, but our analyses suggest that mammals and species classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List were most likely to occur in these types of wildlife tourist attractions (WTAs). Amphibians and species classified on the IUCN Red List as Data Deficient or Critically Endangered were least likely. Given the growing nature of the wildlife tourism sector, we provide recommendations to help effectively balance and manage wider wildlife protection goals and growing tourist interest in wildlife.

Keywords:

• Animal welfare
• animal–visitor interactions
• conservation
• sustainability
• wildlife tourism

Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge the input of Cassandra Koenen, Nick Stewart and Jan Schmidt-Burbach in the preparation of this manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Neil D’Cruze

Dr Neil D’Cruze is a Senior Wildlife Advisor at World Animal Protection, UK, and a visiting academic at the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, University of Oxford. His research interests include a range of subjects, including wildlife trade and human–wildlife conflict, and have resulted in improvements to the welfare and conservation status of a wide range of species including Sloth bears in India, African elephants in Tanzania, Brown bears in Turkey, Asian palm civets in Indonesia, and Green sea turtles in the Caribbean.

Carmen Niehaus

Carmen Niehaus is a Research specialist in disease ecology and animal welfare and founder member of Awá Science & Conservation.

Margaret Balaskas

Margaret Balaskas is Penguin Campaign Coordinator at BirdLife International. She has extensive experience researching the welfare and conservation implications of the wildlife trade and wildlife exploitation. Having managed research projects in the field she is particularly passionate about identifying human solutions which can be used to protect wildlife.

Roberto Vieto

Roberto Vieto is a veterinarian, works as Wildlife Campaign Manager at World Animal Protection in Brazil, with experience in wildlife welfare issues in the Amazon region, specially related to Amazon river dolphins and wildlife tourism in the Amazon Basin.

Gemma Carder

Gemma Carder is a Research Advisor at Brooke, UK, and previously worked as a Research Manager at World Animal Protection, UK. Gemma’s research interests are focused on the behaviour and welfare of both domesticated and wild animal species.

Vanessa A. Richardson

Dr. Vanessa A. Richardson is a Research Associate at the Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation at the University of East Anglia. Her research background includes illegal wildlife trade, forest livelihoods and the management of natural resources in tropical forests with an emphasis on Brazilian Amazonia. Her current research focuses on the extinction risk of high value tree species and the economic and ecological sustainability of the Amazonian timber industry.

Tom Moorhouse

Dr Tom Moorhouse is a post-doctoral researcher at the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, University of Oxford. His background is in landscape, behavioural, and invasive species ecology, with projects ranging from experimental water vole reintroductions to mitigating the impacts of invasive signal crayfish in the UK. His current research focuses on the global impacts of human recreational use of wildlife, with recent publications comprising the first global audit of the animal welfare and conservation impacts of wildlife tourist attractions, and research into how providing information to may reduce consumer demand for exotic pets.

Lauren A. Harrington

Lauren A. Harrington is a wildlife biologist and has been a member of the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit since 1996. Lauren is also a Research Fellow in the Zoology Department of Oxford University.

David W. Macdonald

Professor David Macdonald, CBE, DSc, FRSE, is the Director and founder of the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, University of Oxford. His scientific background is in behavioural ecology, with an emphasis on carnivores, although his published research includes studies on organisms from moths to penguins and even, occasionally, plants. His recent awards include the 2005 Dawkins Prize for Conservation and Animal Welfare; the 2006 American Society of Mammalogists’ Merriam Prize for research in mammalogy; the 2007 The Mammal Society of Great Britain’s gold medal for research in mammalogy; and in 2008 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.