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The world's most interesting (and conservation-focused) wildlife trips for 2018 - The National

18/01/2018 06:53

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The world's most interesting (and conservation-focused) wildlife trips for 2018 - The National

18/01/2018 06:53

The world's most interesting (and conservation-focused) wildlife trips for 2018 Whether you want to actively help wildlife, or just observe without causing harm, we round up the trips to take

Hayley Skirka (/topics/Author/Hayley%20Skirka) January 17, 2018 Updated: January 17, 2018 12:38 PM 20 shares (https://www.twitter.com/share?url=https://www.thenational.ae/lifestyle/travel/the-world-s-most-interesting-and-conservation-focusedwildlife-trips-for-2018-1.696124&related=TheNational&via=TheNationalUAE&text=The+world%27s%C2%A0most+interesting+%28and+conservationfocused%29+wildlife+trips+for+2018)

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The world's most interesting (and conservation-focused) wildlife trips for 2018 - The National

18/01/2018 06:53

EDITOR'S PICKS TECHNOLOGY (/business/technology/bitcoin(/business/technology) continuesBitcoin continues steepsteep tumble tumble(/business/technology/bitcoin1.696237) continues-steeptumble-1.696237)

FILM Arabian oryx in the UAE desert. Biosphere Expeditions In September last year, actor James Cromwell interrupted an orca performance at SeaWorld Orlando. Using a megaphone to protest against the centre’s captivity of the marine mammals, he was subsequently arrested for trespassing; the company had already pledged to stop breeding the animals and start phasing out its “killer whale entertainment shows” after sustained controversy.

But the Star Trek star isn’t alone in his sentiments. Public interest in attractions where animals are removed from their natural habitats is rapidly dwindling, and scepticism about tourist attractions that masquerade as sanctuaries is growing.

A glance at this year’s top 10 most ​visited attractions in the world ​according to Travel & Leisure magazine, shows a complete lack of animal encounters in the listings. By comparison, responsible wildlife trips have seen dramatic growth in recent years: 7 per cent annually according to the United States-based International Ecotourism Society, the longest running eco-tourism association in the world.

As public awareness of genuine ecotourism, conservation and the treatment of animals grows, destinations and tour operators are taking another look at their wildlife travel policies. TripAdvisor recently removed activities where animals are forced to come into contact with the public, and Virgin Holidays has taken an active role in changing the way tourists interact with marine animals on its trips.

Travel operators are ​beginning to offer more trips to some of the world’s most vibrant destinations, where the aim is to ensure animal-centric experiences while simultaneously educating travellers and respecting wildlife freedom. We bring you a selection of trips where you can get close to the wonder of nature, without leaving your mark on the wild.

Tracking Arabia’s unicorns (above) Get to know the animal widely believed to have been the source of the unicorn legend, with an eight-day research trip to Dubai’s Conservation Reserve. Hosted by Biosphere Expeditions, a Dublin-based non-profit research and conservation organisation, participants will join a team of scientists to collect data about the Arabian oryx. Upon arrival, guests will get plenty of technical instruction, learning things like navigation skills with a compass, setting up camera traps, and safely steering a 4x4 across sand dunes. The next morning, after a freshly prepared vegetarian breakfast, participants will get involved in various data-gathering activities. From studying oryx behaviour and counting gazelles, to collaring foxes or heading out into the desert to track down observation points and set up cameras, all of the efforts help boost the information in existence on the wildlife living in the area. This data is then used to establish animal populations, adjust food stocks and assess how herds are affected by the environment. After a day of researching, it’s back to the desert oasis base. A solar-lit Bedouin mess tent and a roaring campfire surrounded by ghaf trees are the social points, and as the chef whips up a vegetarian dinner for the group, it’s a chance to compare notes or find out about the rare spottings of the day. As night falls, participants can bed-down in comfortable dome tents. With the oryx having been classified as vulnerable by the United Kingdom’s IUCN Red List Unit, participants’ trip fees play an important role in conserving the species, and Biosphere Expedition put around two-thirds of each fee directly back into this project, or a similar local initiative. As well as oryx, you can expect to see wildcats, Arabian hares, gazelles, owls, falcons and, of course, plenty of camels. You don’t need to be super-fit for this one, but you do need to be able to trek about 9km per day, over sandy terrain.

The next trip runs from January 20-27, and costs Dh8,739 per person; www.biosphereexpeditions.org/volunteeringinarabia (http://www.biosphere-expeditions.org/volunteeringinarabia)

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