wildlife tourism national geographic

Shining a Light on Wildlife Tourism: An Interview With Asha de Vos and Martha Robbins

National Geographic magazine’s June 2019 issue covered the dark truth of wildlife tourism , raising questions like these: Why is it critical to keep wildlife wild? How can we respect the spaces and lives of animals? And how do wildlife conservationists balance working with wildlife and keeping their distance? We interviewed two National Geographic Explorers, marine biologist Asha de Vos and gorilla conservationist Martha Robbins , about how to respect animals in their homes.

Why is it important to give wildlife space? Martha: It is important because wildlife are wild. As humans, we all like our personal space, and we expect strangers to give us that personal space. Wildlife are the same.

Also, wildlife—for example, wild gorillas—are naturally afraid of humans. Therefore, even if they are habituated to having humans at a close distance, they still have some inherent fear of humans. Getting too close to wild gorillas is a frightening, stressful experience for the gorillas and potentially dangerous for humans. Also, humans can transmit diseases to wildlife if we get too close.

Asha: Fundamentally, when we visit wildlife, we are visiting them in their homes. So it is more a matter of being respectful in their homes just as we would want to be respected in ours. Being respectful involves giving them space to do what they need to survive. More selfishly, we need to give wildlife their space so they can continue to provide the ecosystem services that we benefit from and that allow us to survive. This is a topic I care a lot about, which is why it was the subject of my Explorers Festival 2018 talk .

Marine biologist Asha de Vos in the field. Photo by Yasha Hetzel.

What precautions do you take when working with wildlife in your field? Asha: When my team works with whales, we do what we can to minimize our impact on their behaviors. Either we find a group of whales and switch off our boat engines and observe, or if we need to track whales, we do so from a distance and thereby minimize our impacts. This is important to us as we try to understand why they behave the way they do. If we are fortunate to encounter a mother-calf pair, we switch off and do not follow them as we do not want to separate the pair—this could be life threatening for the calf.

Martha: There are set guidelines established by the IUCN for gorilla tourism, including no flash photography and no food or drink. You can’t smoke or litter. You must maintain a minimum distance of seven meters, and there is a maximum of eight visitors to each group of mountain gorillas.

These are just a few of the rules designed to help visitors respect the gorillas and keep the gorillas safe.

How can taking selfies with wildlife be harmful? Martha: We live in the age of selfies, in which some people document their activities with photos on a regular basis. I can understand people's desire to show their friends and family that they were able to get close enough to a wild gorilla to take a selfie, but taking such photos does not abide by the rules of staying at least seven meters away. Therefore, these selfies are likely causing the gorillas or other wildlife stress, increasing their risk of disease and also putting the people at risk.

Asha: Selfies result in social media likes. Unfortunately, social media likes are social capital in today's world. So people will go to any length, including breaking rules, to get more likes. Selfies make people blind to the reality of their surroundings, the risks they are taking and the impact they are having. Selfies with wildlife are always popular and accumulate likes easily because the species are often cute, exotic, rare, endangered...the list goes on. What most people don't stop to think about is that in their effort to get more likes, they are causing stress to the species at hand and having a negative impact.

What should people know about how to responsibly and respectfully observe wildlife? Martha: It is a privilege to see gorillas in the wild. Habituated gorillas let us into their world, and we should respect that. Wildlife tourism, specifically gorilla tourism, is a conservation strategy. It has been a successful means to help conserve gorillas. However, it also poses a risk to them and could be detrimental if not done properly. Therefore, gorilla tourism and all tourists visiting them should strive to put the gorillas' well-being first, before money or an individual's desire to get a little bit closer. Respect their personal space and the guidelines so we have gorillas for people to appreciate far into the future.

Asha: At the moment, most of our interactions with whales are akin to you or I inviting our family and friends over for a wonderful Sunday lunch, and a stranger comes crashing through the front door playing loud, cacophonous music and throwing garbage everywhere. It’s noisy, it stinks, the garbage is in your food and you are so afraid. My question is, if you want to be respected in your homes, why can’t you respect these animals in theirs?

This interview was edited and condensed for clarity.

National Geographic’s June cover story on wildlife tourism was funded by the National Geographic Society through Wildlife Watch , an investigative journalism project that reports on wildlife crime and exploitation.

The National Geographic Society is a global nonprofit organization that uses the power of science, exploration, education and storytelling to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world. Since 1888, National Geographic has pushed the boundaries of exploration, investing in bold people and transformative ideas, providing more than 15,000 grants for work across all seven continents, reaching 3 million students each year through education offerings, and engaging audiences around the globe through signature experiences, stories and content. To learn more, visit www.nationalgeographic.org or follow us on Instagram , LinkedIn, and Facebook .

National Geographic Magazine June 2019

The hidden cost of wildlife tourism.

By Natasha Daly, photos by Kirsten Luce

• WILDLIFE TOURISM : Underpinning many wildlife tourism activities around the world is extreme animal suffering. Social media is driving new demand for riding elephants, swimming with dolphins, posing with bears. “Influencers” —young people with huge Instagram followings who post photos from exotic locations — are helping fuel these activities. But most travelers don’t know that their interactions often involve animal abuse. This feature uncovers some of the harmful wildlife tourism practices taking place primarily in Thailand, Russia and the Amazon.
• Interviews with writer Natasha Daly and photographer Kirsten Luce
• B roll from accompanying mini-documentary, “Inside the Dark World of Captive Wildlife Tourism”
• Exclusive images from this special report by photographer Kirsten Luce

Poaching May Doom the Shy, Elusive Pangolin

By Rachel Bale, photos by Brent Stirton

• MAMMALS IN CRISIS: Pangolins are believed to be the worlds most trafficked mammal. There are four species in Africa and four in Asia, all of which have been poached to the edge of extinction. Their scales are in high demand in East and Southeast Asia for traditional medicinal uses and as a luxury food item. The pangolin’s defense mechanism, curling up in a ball, makes the animals especially vulnerable to human hunters. The transnational trade in African pangolins to Asia has grown rapidly in recent years, as Asian pangolins become harder to find. This feature explores both the supply and demand sides of the pangolin trade and the involvement of organized criminal syndicates.
• Interviews with wildlife crime reporter Rachel Bale and renowned photographer Brent Stirton
• Images of the most trafficked mammal in the world, the pangolin
• B roll from the accompanying mini-documentary about pangolins in Nigeria

The Brave Ones

By Lindsay M. Smith, photos by Brent Stirton

• FEMALE RANGERS: Zimbabwe’s Akashinga (‘Brave Ones’ in the local dialect) rangers are an elite force of women working to conserve wildlife and fight poachers. This features delves into the lives of these women. Chosen exclusively from local unemployed, single mothers, widows, or victims of abuse, the rangers are part of a community-driven conservation model that is a rare success story.
• Interviews with author Lindsay Smith and renowned environmental and conflict photographer, Brent Stirton
• Stunning images of the Akashinga and the land they protect

The Weed That Feeds the Atlantic

By James Prosek, photos by David Liittschwager

• A SEA OF SARGASSUM: Legendary oceanographer Sylvia Earle calls the huge Atlantic gyre named for its mats of sargassum weed a “floating rain forest.” Nowhere else on the planet supports as much diversity in the middle of the ocean. This feature reveals the secrets of this nursery of life.
• Interviews with author James Prosek and underwater photographer David Liittschwager
• Extraordinary images of underwater life inside the sargassum weed

Media Contacts:

Anna Kukelhaus Dynan, [email protected] , 202-912-6724

Kelsey Taylor, [email protected] , 202-912-6776

• Related topics :
• Travel and Adventure
• Cultural Tourism
• Environment and Conservation

Explore the wilder side of Venice—with the help of its fishermen

• Birdwatching
• Food and the Environment
• Food Culture
• Food History
• Food and travel
• Greater Flamingo
• Overtourism

Here’s where to see ‘the way of water’ in real life

• Cook Islands
• Modern History
• Sustainability
• Habitat Preservation
• Living History
• Marine Sanctuaries
• Scuba Diving
• Sustainable tourism
• Walking Tours
• Wildlife Conservation

Can cruising be green? These eco operators are starting to make waves

• Cruise Ships

Is World Heritage status enough to save endangered sites?

• Climate Change
• Historic Preservation
• Historic Sites
• Wonders of the World
• UNESCO World Heritage Sites
• World Heritage

Best of the world: seven nature destinations for 2023 and beyond

Meet the adventurer: Charlie Walker on surviving Russian jail and his expeditions to 'the places in between'

• Adventure Travel
• Mountain Biking

Five unique ways to experience Copenhagen, Denmark's eco-friendly capital

Photo story: climbing and kayaking in Cát Bà, Vietnam, the rugged alternative to Ha Long Bay

• Adventure Sports
• Wildlife Watching
• Rock Climbing

Walking on sunshine with the protectors of Seychelles’ Silhouette Island

• Luxury travel

The elusive urban forest that lies beneath Toronto

• City Biking
• Environmental Concerns
• Invasive Species
• Urban Wildlife

In India, a city takes its beach back from the sea

• Fishing Industry

For Muslim hikers, an empowering community makes all the difference

Poison arrow frogs and peccaries: spotting costa rica's rare wildlife in the osa peninsula, greece’s river to the ‘underworld’ now lures adventure travellers, meet bernanda morales, a cultural leader keeping costa rica's endangered bribri culture alive.

Hot topic: can travel to the Arctic ever be sustainable?

• Polar Travel

Meet the adventurer: Ben Larg, Scotland's 16-year-old surfing champion

• Underwater Adventure

11 action-packed Caribbean islands - and how to pick the right one for you

• Caribbean Sea
• Romantic Destinations

Why Glasgow, the COP26 host city, is Scotland's most exciting city right now

• Glasgow City
• City Guides
• Planet Possible: COP26

ENCYCLOPEDIC ENTRY

Wildlife conservation.

Wildlife conservation aims to protect plant and animal species as the human population encroaches on their resources.

Biology, Ecology, Conservation, Storytelling, Photography

Asian Elephant Family

Filmmakers and photographers are essential to conservation efforts. They take the photographs, such as these Asian elephants (Elephas maximus indicus), and the films that interest others in protecting wildlife.

Photograph by Nuttaya Maneekhot

Wildlife conservation is the practice of protecting plant and animal species and their habitats . As part of the world’s ecosystems , wildlife provides balance and stability to nature’s processes. The goal of wildlife conservation is to ensure the survival of these species, and to educate people on living sustainably with other species. The human population has grown exponentially over the past 200 years, to more than seven billion people today, and it continues to rapidly grow. This means natural resources are being consumed faster than ever by the billions of people on the planet. This growth and development also endangers the habitats and existence of various types of wildlife around the world, particularly animals and plants that may be displaced for land development, or used for food or other human purposes. Other threats to wildlife include the introduction of invasive species from other parts of the world, climate change, pollution, hunting, fishing, and poaching. National and international organizations like the World Wildlife Fund, Conservation International, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and the United Nations work to support global animal and habitat conservation efforts on many different fronts. They work with the government to establish and protect public lands, like national parks and wildlife refuges . They help write legislation, such as the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973 in the United States, to protect various species. They work with law enforcement to prosecute wildlife crimes, like wildlife trafficking and illegal hunting (poaching). They also promote biodiversity to support the growing human population while preserving existing species and habitats. National Geographic Explorers, like conservation biologists Camille Coudrat and Titus Adhola, are working to slow the extinction of global species and to protect global biodiversity and habitats. Environmental filmmakers and photographers, like Thomas P. Peschak and Joel Sartore, are essential to conservation efforts as well, documenting and bringing attention to endangered wildlife all over the world.

Media Credits

The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited.

Production Managers

Program specialists, last updated.

March 19, 2024

User Permissions

For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. They will best know the preferred format. When you reach out to them, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource.

If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media.

Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service .

Interactives

Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. You cannot download interactives.

Related Resources

Here's the secret behind those stunning National Geographic wildlife photographs

"Behind the Scenes” is a five-part series focusing on the inner workings of the travel industry and how those impact the consumer’s final product. If you'd like to contribute to our future reporting and share your experience as a source, you can  click here to fill out this quick form .

The object vaguely resembled a chicken, with its rounded body but no head. However, the white paper-mache bird was actually supposed to be a greater-sage grouse – a bird that lives in the North American plains.

National Geographic photographer Charlie Hamilton James was on assignment in Wyoming in 2018 to capture images of male sage grouses doing their mating dance, in which they quickly pop their chests in and out. 

There was a major problem, though: the birds wouldn’t perform their intimate mating ritual if a human was present.

So James approached National Geographic photo engineer Tom O'Brien, one of the only people who could help him. O’Brien is the mastermind behind the bespoke innovations that help National Geographic photographers capture the up-close, stunning photography the publication is known for. 

Learn more: Best travel insurance

“You’re insane, dude,” O’Brien remembered telling James when asked for a “robot camera bird.” 

Yet it was completed in two and a half weeks. A strong yet tiny camera was placed inside the paper-mache bird, which could travel down a 100-foot-long railroad track made of quarter-inch PVC pipe. It could go left and right, up and down, and James could control all of it over a Wi-Fi mesh network. 

“It was one of the wildest things I’ve ever done,” O’Brien said. 

Placing the camera at bird-height was also a strategic move. “Now all of a sudden they look majestic as heck,” he said. “They look powerful and big.”

Dubbed “the funky bird train,” this project was just one of many MacGyver-like inventions O’Brien makes to let photographers get up close and personal to wildlife or deal with unpredictable and extreme natural conditions. 

His innovations have been everywhere, from the Arctic to Mount Everest and, soon, the Sonoran Desert. (“How are we going to keep these cameras not boiling hot in the Sonoran Desert?”)

Ever wanted to ride an airport bag belt? You can't, but we can show you where they go.

5,000 pounds of whole chicken a week? How this Carnival cruise ship galley serves thousands of meals a night

National Geographic’s 007

With a background in mechanical engineering, O’Brien also dabbled in photography as a hobby since his high school years. When applying for jobs in 2016, it was between this position at National Geographic and a firm that produced equipment for intelligence operators like the CIA. 

He took the National Geographic job and is now half of a two-person department. 

“People joke that I’m Nat Geo’s 007,” he said. “I love the freedom to create and innovate … It’s something I have that many engineers don’t have. We touch so many different types of engineering, from electric to mechanical to textiles.”

O’Brien’s team just recently acquired a sewing machine. 

Located just blocks from the White House, the underground photo engineering lab has everything a photographer could need – and things they may not know they could use. 

Upstairs is a shop with machines such as 3D printers and laser cutters. In the basement, old cabinets line the walls, filled with every type of brass fastener in the English imperial system as well as drills, bolts and screws in every size. “It allows us to quickly iterate and design, and grab and go,” he said. There are drill presses, milling machines and big butcher block tables. 

To put it simply: “If you told me the world is ending and you need to build me a car, I bet we could build you a car down there.”

Then there’s the camera gear, hundreds of lenses, batteries, cameras, lights, tripods, lighting stands, underwater housing and more “bits and bobs,” as O’Brien put it. 

Out in the wild

When photographers are heading out on assignment, they first stop at O’Brien’s desk for help. 

He made an elephant-resistant camera used in Gabon, which required meeting with the elephant curator at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and watching how elephants play with enrichment toys. O’Brien built a lightweight pyrex housing that was strong enough to withhold elephant tusks. 

For an expedition up Mount Everest, the camera equipment had to be lightweight, and he had to ensure the batteries wouldn’t freeze. “With smaller batteries, the trick is you shove them inside your coat,” he said. That wasn’t possible with 10 pounds of drone batteries, so he painted lightweight aluminum black because “solar ovens work even better” at high altitudes. 

Photographer Jen Guyton was heading out to Kenya’s Masai Mara savannah to capture images of spotted hyenas . She dove into extensive research. “I tried to dig up every story that’s ever been done on spotted hyenas, what has already been done and what’s possible,” she said. 

“I try to prepare for everything and rely on nothing,” she said. Especially regarding wildlife and nature, anything can throw a wrench into plans. “You have to bend to an animal’s will.”

When she approached O’Brien, she had a “crazy idea.” She wanted to shoot the hyenas in the dark because that’s when the animals are most active. “All the photos we see of them are taken during the day.”

They decided to try out infrared – her first time shooting with the technology – and created a custom system built onto a Land Cruiser. Two infrared spotlights typically used for crime scene investigations were mounted on top of the car and two huge car batteries for the spotlights were placed on the back. Wires were everywhere. 

Guyton went out multiple nights – some nights, it poured rain, so she had to bring the lights in, and caught never-before-seen images of hyenas eating and cubs playing.

Guyton also used a remote-controlled robot to get close to the hyena den while she stayed about 50 yards away to give them space. “How do you get that low angle when you can’t be on the ground with them?” O’Brien said. The camera settings could be adjusted as the daylight changed. 

“The cool thing about it was hyenas are naturally curious,” she said. The hyenas approached the robot, and one cub even offered it a stick in what seemed like a gesture to play. The images showed a completely different side to hyenas, exactly what Guyton sought. 

“I like to think of photos as entire stories frozen in time,” she said. “They capture a moment that can never be repeated in exactly the same way ever again.” 

Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Hawaii. You can reach her at [email protected] .

Experience the Ultimate Eco-Tourism Trip With National Geographic Expeditions

H ave you ever found yourself feeling envious of the National Geographic experts you see featured in fascinating television documentaries, who are out in the field, witnessing the astonishing aspects of Mother Nature’s many wonders firsthand?

Maybe you missed your calling to train as an ecologist, or you’re just generally fascinated by wildlife, or you have a soft spot for the environment and its animal inhabitants, so many of whom are endangered by human interference. You might simply be someone who appreciates any opportunity to acquire new knowledge and gain an in-depth understanding of the unique places you visit. 

If you fall into any of the above categories, you need to look into National Geographic Expeditions , a group tour company that operates in partnership with Disney Signature Experiences . These trips benefit from all of the vacation-planning capability, customer service acumen, and overall integrity that its affiliations with both the National Geographic Society and the Disney name imply.

Vacation company  Adventures by Disney  likewise falls under the Disney Signature Experiences umbrella, but—whereas Adventures by Disney’s primary focus is on offering family-friendly trips and activities—National Geographic Expeditions' purpose is to provide up-close, in-depth experiences that offer an “education come to life”, catering to guests who want to expand their knowledge and tap into their inner explorer.

Discovering the Wonders of Costa Rica

I was recently fortunate enough to experience a brand-new National Geographic Expeditions itinerary that is right up my alley. Just introduced this year, ‘ Costa Rica: Wildlife and Conservation ’ is an immersive 12-day trek that starts in the capital city of San José on the Caribbean side of the country’s central mountains and wends gradually westward, all the way to the mangrove forests and sandy beaches of the country’s Pacific coast.

Even though the itinerary is considered a soft adventure tour, involving light to moderate activity levels, I was surprised how much this immersive NatGeo Expeditions trip really feels like you’re stepping right into a nature documentary featuring some of the world’s most fascinating, rare and exotic wild species. Not only are you seeing strange, almost unbelievable natural wonders with your own eyes, you also get insider access to the locations you’re visiting along the way, often going behind the scenes for special demonstrations or hands-on experiences.

The trip feels less like a sporadic series of “must-see” spots and more like a shared deep-dive investigation into the details of your destination, one in which group members all participate in putting together the pieces of what they learn and observe at each successive stop along the way until a complete picture emerges.

What Is a NatGeo Expeditions Trip Like?

Facilitating your collective discoveries is a seasoned Expedition Leader, who travels alongside your group and participates in your activities throughout the entire journey. On top of that, each individual expedition is also joined by a National Geographic Expert (in our case, a celebrated NatGeo Explorer and wildlife conservation photographer), who is assigned to your group, illuminating various detailed aspects of your experience along the way.

Our Expedition Leader’s profound depth of knowledge and field experience practically defied belief. Being both a native Costa Rican and skilled naturalist, he possessed a thorough and intimate understanding of every single creature we encountered along the way—from ants to bats, lizards to sloths, birds to crocodiles and beyond—including their habitats, lifecycles and behavioral nuances.

Not only could he accurately identify hundreds of species of native birds solely by ear (bear in mind, every avian species has a whole repertoire of calls and songs), but he could also spot even intensely camouflaged animals at unbelievable distances, and would swiftly set up a tripod telescope so that everyone could get a glimpse.

On any National Geographic Expeditions itinerary, there are also local subject matter experts on hand at each scheduled location to provide insight into the specifics of the site. These might be scientists, researchers, conservation workers, park rangers, tour guides, farmers or local business owners.

Essentially, you have a wealth of knowledge at your fingertips the entire time, and inquiring minds are both encouraged and appreciated. The particular focus of your trip is also these experts’ passion, so you never get the sense that you’re bothering anyone with your barrage of questions.

While our days held plenty of outdoor exploration, luckily for me, National Geographic Expeditions guests don’t need to sacrifice the creature comforts you look forward to on vacation. Travelers enjoy overnight stays at a sequence of high-end hotels and luxury lodges, all meals are planned and provided (and the food is incredible), with plenty of opportunities to stop at local cafés as you make your way to featured sites in a top-of-the-line motorcoach.

Honestly, they’ve thought of everything, since itineraries are created by a dedicated set of location scouts whose job it is to explore the destination and incorporate the best elements of what they find there.

Are You the NatGeo Expeditions Type?

Anyone can live out their National Geographic-style dreams. All it takes is a desire to discover your own inner explorer, satisfy you thirst for knowledge and a desire to give something back to your chosen destination.

If you’re the type of traveler whose idea of an amazing vacation revolves solely around the prospect of sunning yourself at a beach resort with a margarita in hand, you may wish to keep shopping around for inspiration for your next trip.

But, if you’re more interested in pursuing your passion for experiential learning, enriching your understanding of the world around you and satiating your innate curiosity, National Geographic Expeditions trips are just your style. Itineraries are available in destinations all around the world that cater to a wide range of interests, and vary in terms of duration and physical activity levels.

Plus, with every National Geographic Expeditions adventure, guests are giving back and making a difference in the destination they’ve just discovered. A portion of your trip’s price is donated to the National Geographic Society or to local groups to further fund their admirable endeavors on behalf of humanity.

For the latest travel news, updates and deals, be sure to subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter here .

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Where the Wild Things Went During the Pandemic

A new study of camera-trap images complicates the idea that all wildlife thrived during the Covid lockdowns.

By Emily Anthes

In the early months of the Covid pandemic, when every bit of news seemed bleak, there was one heartwarming narrative that took hold: With humans stuck in their homes, the world was safe again for wild animals, which could now wander freely through cities, parking lots or fields that once might have been crowded with people.

But a new global study , which used wildlife cameras to track human and animal activity during the Covid lockdowns, suggests that the story was not that simple.

“We went in with a somewhat simplistic notion,” said Cole Burton, a wildlife ecologist and conservation biologist at the University of British Columbia, who led the research. “You know, humans stop, animals are going to breathe a sigh of relief and move around more naturally. And what we saw was quite different.”

Although humans disappeared from some places during the lockdowns, they surged into others, like parks that remained open when little else was, the researchers found. And there was enormous variability in how wild mammals responded to changes in human behavior. Carnivores and animals living in remote, rural places, for instance, were more active when people faded from the landscape, while the opposite was generally true for large herbivores and urban animals.

The study, which was published in Nature Ecology & Evolution on Monday, deepens and complicates scientists’ understanding of what has been called the “anthropause,” when pandemic lockdowns radically altered human behavior. It also highlights the nuanced ways in which humans affect the lives of wild animals, as well as the need for varied and multifaceted conservation efforts, the authors said.

“There’s no ‘one size fits all’ solution when it comes to mitigating the impacts of human activity on wildlife,” said Kaitlyn Gaynor, a wildlife ecologist and conservation biologist at the University of British Columbia. “Because we see that not all species are responding similarly to people.”

Camera traps, which automatically snap photos of wild animals when they detect motion and body heat, have become key research tools for wildlife biologists. The new study is based on data from 102 different camera trapping projects in 21 countries. (Most were based in North America or Europe, but South America, Africa and Asia were also included.) The data allowed the scientists to study the activity patterns of 163 different species of wild mammals — and to keep tabs on how often humans were showing up at the same locations.

“One of the core strengths of this paper is that you get information on both humans and animals,” said Marlee Tucker, an ecologist at Radboud University in the Netherlands, who was not involved in the new research.

During the pandemic lockdown period, human activity decreased at some project sites while increasing at others. At each study location, the researchers compared how often wild animals were detected during a period of high human activity and a period of low human activity, regardless of whether the decreased activity came during the lockdown period.

Carnivores, such as wolves and bobcats, appeared to be highly sensitive to people, showing the largest drop-off in activity when human activity ramped up. “Carnivores, especially larger carnivores, have this long history of, you can say, antagonism with people,” Dr. Burton said. “The consequences for a carnivore of bumping into people or getting too close to people often has meant death.”

On the flip side, the activity of large herbivores, such as deer and moose, increased when humans were out and about. That could be because the animals simply had to move more to avoid the throngs of people. But if people help keep the carnivores at bay, that could also make it safer for the herbivores to come out and play.

“Herbivores tend to be a little less fearful of people, and they may actually use them as a shield from carnivores,” said Dr. Tucker, who praised the study’s authors for being “able to disentangle all these different human impacts.”

Location mattered, too. In rural and undeveloped areas, where the landscape had not been heavily modified by humans, animals generally became less active as human activity increased. But in cities and other developed areas, wild mammals tended to become more active when humans did.

“That was a bit counterintuitive and surprising,” Dr. Gaynor said. “We took a closer look, and a lot of that activity was actually happening at night. Animals were becoming more nocturnal.”

The researchers suggest that several phenomena could support these trends. Perhaps the species and individuals that have persisted in these landscapes are the ones that are most tolerant of and habituated to humans. (Wolverines, for instance, were only present in places with a small human footprint.)

And the animals that have stuck around might be attracted to human resources, such as food and trash, and become more active when these resources are plentiful, but shift their foraging expeditions into the evening hours to reduce the odds of encountering people.

“That seems to be an adaptation by animals to coexist with people,” Dr. Burton said. “It’s animals working to do their part for coexistence.”

Still, there were exceptions. In the most developed places, large omnivores, such as bears and wild boars, were detected less frequently when human activity ramped up. Although they are also attracted to human resources, including garbage bins and fruit trees, it might simply be too risky for large animals to go after those goods when lots of people are around.

“We’re much more tolerant of a possum in our backyard than we are of a bear in our backyard,” Dr. Gaynor said.

Many studies on the effects of humans on wild animals focus on a small number of species and locations, but teasing out some of these general patterns is a real contribution to the scientific literature, said Jerrold Belant, a wildlife conservation scientist at Michigan State University who was not involved in the study.

“It’s important to see some 30,000-foot views that can provide us with broad insights and the ability to make generalizations,” he said. “To put it all together in a single package is really helpful and really moves the needle.”

Emily Anthes is a science reporter, writing primarily about animal health and science. She also covered the coronavirus pandemic. More about Emily Anthes

Explore the Animal Kingdom

A selection of quirky, intriguing and surprising discoveries about animal life..

Aside from chimps and humans, researchers have found clear evidence of menopause in only five species — all of them whales. A new study looks at the possible causes for it .

Scientists never imagined that the blind cave salamanders called olms willingly left their caves. Then, they discovered several at aboveground springs in northern Italy .

According to a common narrative that male mammals tend to be larger than female ones. A new study paints a more complex picture .

Daddy longlegs, the group of splendidly leggy arachnids also known as harvestmen, have been thought to have just two eyes. New research has uncovered four more vestigial ones .

The means by which some whales sing underwater has long been a mystery. A contraption that forced air through the larynxes of three carcasses puts forth an explanation .

Here’s how a male elephant seal, not usually possessed with a paternal instinct, prevented a younger animal from drowning in an unlikely act of altruism .

• Destinations

Moscow Travel Guide

Boasting a history that spans eight centuries, Russia's capital has evolved into an expansive megapolis which resembles a city-state. Its Cold War history and massive size might give it an intimidating image, but at its core Moscow is every bit the European city offering wealth of history and culture coupled with modernity and edginess. Travel here for strikingly impressive landmarks, high art, world class ballet, lavish celebrations, along with dynamic pockets of nightlife and trendy restaurants. — Nano Betts

• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Your US State Privacy Rights
• Children's Online Privacy Policy
• Interest-Based Ads
• About Nielsen Measurement
• Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
• Nat Geo Home
• Attend a Live Event
• Book a Trip
• Inspire Your Kids
• Shop Nat Geo
• Visit the D.C. Museum
• Learn About Our Impact
• Support Our Mission
• Advertise With Us
• Customer Service
• Renew Subscription
• Manage Your Subscription
• Work at Nat Geo
• Sign Up for Our Newsletters
• Contribute to Protect the Planet

Copyright © 1996-2015 National Geographic Society Copyright © 2015-2024 National Geographic Partners, LLC. All rights reserved