ETHICAL/ Tourism Projects Helping Animals

Eco-tourism is big business and many companies are finding new ways of taking advantage of green travelers and their local environment. In Cambodia there is an exciting new project that is using the revenue from nature-loving visitors to showcase an endangered group of northern yellow-cheeked gibbons and ensure their protection for years to come. Anybody that is interested in seeing these creatures in the flesh must be prepared for adventure because this is no luxury tour, Gibbon Spotting Cam...

The Surin Project which aims at unchaining elephants and empowering mahouts by giving them better living conditions, is an initiative taken on by the Elephant Nature Foundation. Since the logging industry in Thailand has been overtaken by development, elephants in the country have no natural habitat left to survive. Thus their caretakers take them to tourist spots like Bangkok and make them perform tricks to impress tourists and earn a livelihood. Without proper food and water and trying to live...

It is estimated that whale watching tourism is a $1.25 billion industry, and that it is enjoyed by approximately 10 million people annually. Unfortunately, some tours also pose a threat to the safety of the whales. So how can ordinary tourists, like us, help prevent this from happening? Well, let's start off with the obvious. Whale watching allows people to see these creatures in their natural habitat. On the other hand, these visits can sometimes get too close or make the whales uneasy by crow...

Finally, lowland gorillas in Congo can breathe a sigh of relief thanks to the creation of a brand new national park by WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society). This is a great step that has been taken towards protecting the animals. The park was officially created on 28th December and is believed to offer shelter and protection to more than 15, 000 animals which have been among the "critically endangered species" for a number of years. The national park is located in the northern part of the coun...