Wildlife
Travel Guide

Why do we link these SDGs with wildlife travel? Namely, because they directly or indirectly influence animal welfare.

For example, SDG 12 has targets that promote the sustainable management and use of natural resources. It also promotes the development and implementation of tools to monitor sustainable tourism.

Meanwhile, SDG 14 and SDG 14 promote the protection and restoration of marine and terrestrial ecosystems and their biodiversity.

By engaging in wildlife travel, you are ‘voting’ for species conservation, which in turn leads to communities valuing them as a way of deriving income.

If you want to learn more about the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, check out this great online resource. 

Note: this table was adapted from the book Wildlife Watching and Tourism: A Study on the Benefits and Risks of a Fast-Growing Tourism Activity and its Impacts on Species by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Secretariat of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS). Some locations have been changed.

For example, breeding seasons can be particularly sensitive. Although breeding seasons are a desirable period for wildlife watchers, it can negatively affect species behaviour, including reproductive success.

It will make your experience much better and will also put the pressure off the organisation facilitating your tour. You will also be able to ask more questions and interact with your naturalist guides at a more personal level.

It will help dilute any negative impacts on the local wildlife and also helps spread your tourism dollars.

Ask your tour operator for guidance on what gear to take.

For example, captive cetaceans, dodgy sanctuaries, elephant trekking and feeding wildlife.

Respect the days and times of day where wildlife can be watched. There is a reason for this, most likely having to do with minimising our impact on wildlife behaviour.

This will ensure your safety and that of the animals you are observing.

Stay quiet or speak in a low voice, remain calm, stay away from parents with baby animals, and report any injured, dead or dying animals.

This includes shells. By doing so you may be creating a market that destroys the very same thing you came to see.

This is especially important when viewing wildlife in protected areas. Historically, local communities have been displaced from protected areas in favour of conservation. Wildlife tourism is then led by foreigners, which perpetuates local communities’ marginalisation. Do your research and choose a local, community-based tour operator if possible.

Australia has one of the most unique wildlife in the world. You will no doubt cherish observing its koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, echidnas, the adorable quokka and the down-right strange platypus.

You can also catch a glimpse of the Tasmanian devil and lots of wombats in Tasmania.

If you want to learn about wildlife conservation in Australia, we recommend visiting Steve Irwin’s world-famous Australia Zoo in Queensland.

Visiting Galápagos tends to be high on the bucket list of any wildlife and nature lover. It is no surprise why his archipelago inspired Charles Darwin to write his Theory of Evolution.

The Galápagos is home to an incredible diversity of endemic wildlife. From blue-footed boobies to sea lions, native birds, penguins, and their famous sharks, you are sure to have a blast visiting this unique part of the world.

Home to 60% of the Amazon Rainforest, Brazil is considered as having the highest biodiversity of any country in the world. A wide variety of animals hide in its rainforests, including toucans, parrots, sloths, capybaras, monkeys, jaguars, armadillos and even river dolphins.

The Pantanal Wetlands, the Atlantic Rainforest and the Brazilian Cerrado are some of the ideal places to visit for wildlife watching.

Famous for its ‘Big 5’, Africa is a special destination for wildlife lovers. There are numerous options for African safaris, including some wonderful locally-owned like the Bright African Safaris in Tanzania.

Countries like Botswana, Tanzania and Namibia are great destinations to head to for wildlife travel in Africa. Kruger National Park in South Africa is also high on the list.

Although Antarctica is remote and expensive to visit, it is home to some of the most wonderful wildlife our planet offers. The most abundant and probably the most popular is the emperor penguin. There are also leopard seals, orcas, albatrosses and many other seabirds.

Of course, the best time of the year to visit Antarctica is during summer, as the winters are way too cold. Head over to Australia, New Zealand or Argentina to catch an Antarctic cruise.

Madagascar is home to some pretty special wildlife. I mean, surely you remember the penguins from the movie? And yet, while entertaining, the movie failed to convey the uniqueness and fragility of this amazing island.

From lemurs to indris, to sifakas, aye-ayes, fossas, chameleons, and diverse bird species, Madagascar is sure to surprise any wildlife lover.

Borneo is a natural paradise with both fragile ecosystems and wildlife. It is the only place where rhinos, tigers, elephants and orangutans live together. The lush forests are home to marvellous creatures, many of which are critically endangered or on the brink of extinction.

By supporting wildlife tourism in Borneo, you are helping contribute to the wellbeing of communities and the preservation of Borneo’s wildly diverse rainforests.