Recently, some viral videos showed negative interactions between tourists and wild animals in their wildlife habitats. Generally, people visit national parks to go for a safari and experience some ‘exciting moments’ with the wildlife out there. But sometimes they cross the line. Clearly incidents like these not only endanger the lives of people in the vehicles but also the animals which are in pursuit of these vehicles.
The initial reaction of anyone who reads such headlines or watches these viral videos and the visuals would be terror. Terror in seeing the reaction of the animals. And then these videos are shared with others because, clearly, there is so much ‘excitement’ in watching the video.
Unfortunately, these reactions can create antipathy towards the creatures who are portrayed as cruel and careless about the lives of people out there. The media too needs to be careful in the way it uses words to describe such incidents. It is easy to create clickbait by using keywords like ‘Angry tiger roaring & attacking tourist vehicle’, but in reality, the story might be very different.
Generally, wild animals try to stay away from humans. As thinking human beings, one must understand that our wildlife is under a lot of pressure due to a drastic reduction of their habitats, the constant fear of getting attacked by humans or their natural competitors and also the restriction of their movements due to lack of corridors.
Under such circumstances, it is quite natural for animals to express their resentment, especially when tourists end up obstructing their day-to-day activities. Day in and day out, life is a struggle for these animals in the forests; so why would they not feel uneasy if some over-excited humans trespass into their natural abodes and make callous interventions? Why does this come as a surprise? And who is the victim here?
Now I have a basic question: Who has to be more careful? Humans or wild animals? Remember that most of the time, the root cause of incidents of human-animal conflicts in wildlife areas is usually due to the lack of awareness about animal behaviour. Sometimes to get a better view or picture, tourists are tempted to go close to wild animals in their habitats. Remember that every animal has its own personal space and the widening of its radius depends on the proximity of their offspring, mate or food source. Most people approach the animal without understanding this concept of safe space.
Another point that each of us must understand is that this wildlife habitat is the home of these wild animals. From tiger to turtle, it is their turf. We, humans, are mere visitors to this area, and these sentient species can’t be treated like lifeless props for selfies or social media popularity. To watch them untamed in their habitat is a privilege, but with this privilege comes the responsibility of each tourist to respect these wild spaces. It is better to be a courteous visitor in their space.
It is time for people to consider visiting wildlife habitats as they would when they visit a completely different nation and behave accordingly. Enjoy but be alert. Silence and patience are necessary. Nature has its own pace. The race to watch charismatic species like tigers, rhinos, elephants etc, may make you miss out on experiencing the beauty and activities of other species in that area. Biodiversity in such areas includes a wide spectrum of flora and fauna. Hurrying and worrying can only cause distress.
Putting pressure on the guides and drivers to get some ‘exciting’, adventurous moments can be harmful. Sensitisation of the visitors and educating them about the value of wildlife and their habitats must be given prime importance before undertaking such journeys. Eco-tourism can help not just with conservation but also with providing employment and inspiration to many to protect wildlife. This is necessary for people to understand that wild animals are not there for entertainment—a misconception widely shared amongst a large section of our society, which inevitably leads to unsuitable behaviour when they visit wildlife habitats.
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Feeding or baiting wild animals to get a closer look is a commercial man-made recipe to create human-animal negative interactions. Tourists are generally responsible for behaviour change in animals and the animals and local communities pay the price of visitors’ over-indulgence or their negligence to safety of the wild species. Fear is natural when you meet a wild animal but first getting closer to them and then freaking out before these animals create confusion.
Shouting or making loud noises to attract the attention of the wild animals is clearly seen as an act of intimidation by the wildlife. So it is natural that they may react impulsively to this intimidation.
There are ways to enjoy your presence in wildlife habitats without disturbing the activities of the animals. In the recent past, the unfortunate incidents that happened between wild animals and tourists could have been avoided if we could choose to offer the animals two things: Peace and Space. Is that too much to ask for?
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