Eco-Friendly Safaris

If you plan to take a safari during your time in Africa, it is advisable to get a better idea of what types of safaris are beneficial to African wildlife, which ones aren’t, and what challenges the local peoples are facing in their fight against poaching. In Africa, safaris are one of the biggest tourism allures and give great incentive for local and state governments to preserve their natural flora and fauna. Thus, tourists have a responsibility to contribute their money to the most reputable operations, and veer away from those with bad practices.

A Safari in Amboseli National Park, Kenya.

In Africa, one elephant is killed every fifteen minutes by poachers in search of ivory tusks (Omar & Lagat). According to hotel executives in Africa:

Wildlife is the reason why tourists come to Africa. As each herd is decimated, so too is the potential employment of thousands of people who are mainly in the lower income segment. Poaching is not just about the killing of animals, it is about destroying livelihoods.

This statement relates the importance that the safari has on the economies of many African countries. Without the wildlife, the local people are impacted negatively as well. Thus, poaching is a major issue to African biodiversity and economic health, so donating to foundations that combat poaching is a great idea for those interested in going on safaris in the future.

A Rhino that has lost its horn to poachers. Image credit: Alcuin Lai, Flickr

This link leads to an International Anti-Poaching Foundation ranger patrol opportunity: http://www.iapf.org/images/documents/green%20army%20nakavango%20april2013.pdf & http://www.iapf.org/en/roles. Even if these jobs are impossible for the average tourist to take part in, they give a great sense of the danger and importance that ending poaching has for Africa.

Also, a petition can go a long way in helping to motivate action, so the Born Free Foundation has created the Bloody Ivory movement to help incite members of The United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to end the ivory trade and protect elephants. You can sign the petition at their site: http://www.bloodyivory.org/petition. Here is the petition's mission:

I call on the Parties to CITES, organisations, conservationists and people who care about elephants to reject any future proposals for trade in ivory and to support improved protection for elephants.

As for deciding on an animal-safe safari for yourself, you should consider the following criteria:

a) Environmental Impact: What does the company have to say about their animal protection policy? Moreover, does the company make an effort to respect local cultures? A good tip is to look at outside reviews of the operation, and search for 'eco safaris.'

b) Cultural Impact: How does the company treat local cultures, such as the Maasai of Kenya and Tanzania?

c) Track Record: What has the company done with its money in the past? Does any of it go to local causes, or solely the expansion of the company?

These are hard questions to answer! Information can be both scarce and biased! Your best options would be to use these techniques:

a) Search for 'sustainable,' 'eco,' 'low-impact,' and 'responsible tourism' when googling safari outfits online. Remember that what they say is not always true, so also look for outside reviews and facts.

b) Review these tips from Instinct Safaris, an eco-focused safari outfit, for helpful reference:
http://www.instinctsafaris.com/2014/03/17-tips-for-responsible-journeys-in-east-africa/

c) Make sure a sizable portion of the companies profits go to conservation.

Here are some eco-friendly safari outfits to get you started:

Instinct Safaris: http://www.instinctsafaris.com/
Classic Safaris: http://classicsafaris.co.ke/en/aboutus.html
Earth Organization Eco-Safaris: http://www.ecosafariafrica.com/

Good luck!

Image credit: Cuatrok77, Flickr