“Behavioural change takes time, but if we start now, it can happen,” says Patrick Tusiime, a health coordinator in Uganda. The road to safer tourism and healthier ape populations is paved with challenges, but as scientists, officials, and local communities work together, there’s hope that these critical conservation efforts will protect not just the majestic great apes but also their habitats and the local people who rely on them. “Enforcing biosecurity rules and helping communities understand the stakes will be key.” “We need a deeper understanding of the problem,” says Cristina Gomes, a wildlife conservationist at Florida International University. Raising awareness of the importance of following biosecurity protocols is also essential. Additional measures include creating paid sick leave for guides, improving handwashing education, and implementing hand-sanitizing stations. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has developed strict guidelines for safe tourism practices. on the Horizon: Making Conservation Tourism SafeĮfforts to protect great apes from deadly pathogens are underway.

Efforts to impose stricter regulations are often thwarted by the need to balance economic sustainability with wildlife preservation. Excited tourists may disregard safety measures in their rush for the perfect photo, and local guides may look the other way to avoid jeopardizing their tips.įabian Leendertz, director of the Helmholtz Institute for One Health in Germany, pointed out that ecotourism brings in crucial revenue for the 13 African countries that offer it, making reverse zoonoses a contentious topic. Even with stringent guidelines like maintaining a 7-meter distance, limiting group sizes, and mandating face masks, the rules are often broken in the field. Great ape tourism, a linchpin of conservation funding that incentivizes locals to protect wildlife, has simultaneously exposed these animals to deadly human illnesses. Ironically, conservation efforts themselves are implicated in this deadly exchange of pathogens. The Unintended Consequences of Conservation Tourism

Dodo bird extinct from own poo