Wild life Encounter Ethics: Understanding and Respecting Nature

By : Putu Eka Gunadi
Translator: Raden Destyana Yunissa Prizka

Exploring nature can be a fascinating experience and offers chances to bond with its wonder. From the rising mountains to mesmerizing white sand-beach, it displays incredible beauty along with various adventurous experience. Moreover, we can also see many kinds of endemic wild animal in their habitat.

Picture 1. Cendrawasih Endemic Bird of Papua (source: wwf.id)

However, the wonderful experience comes with responsibility to protect and preserve the environment. By learning about appropriate travelling ethics, we can ensure that the experience won’t only deliver joy but also keeps its sustainability. Therefore, its beauty is well-conserved for future generations. Here are some principles to be applied while travelling in nature and encountering wild animal.

Picture 2. Mangrove Recreation Forest
(source: balipost.com)

1. Understand the Environment

Before we start the trip, spare some time to know the nature in our destination better. Learn about wild animals that live in the area. This information will help us to appreciate their uniqueness and avoid any harmful activities for them.

2. Obey the Rules and Regulations

Every nature recreation place has written rules to protect its environment and assure visitors safety. It is important to obey them, include prohibition for forbidden area trespassing, littering or disturbing wild animals.

Picture 3. Warning signs in Nature Recreation
Area (source: travel.detik.com)

3. Keep the environment clean

One of the travelling principles is keeping environment clean. Bring home our litter and trash during the travel and make sure we don’t leave any dangerous ingredients as they might affect the surroundings. Food waste or plastic can harm wild animals and contaminate their habitat. By doing this, it will protect wild nature beauty, so many more people can enjoy it.

4. Keep safe distance from Wild Animals

While travelling in the wild, we often have chances to meet wild animals in its natural habitat. However, it is really important to keep a safe distance and not disturbing their life. A close distance to them can give them stress, trigger their aggressive behaviour and even harm the tourists.

Picture 4. Wild Animals watch using binoculer
(source: profauna.net)

5. Do not feed wild animals

Although feeding animals who are lying may seem like a kind deed, it may actually be harmful to the animals. 
Giving them food that isn’t natural can mess with their diet and make them reliant on us.

Picture 5 Warning sign not to feed wild animals
(source: Mount Ciremai official facebook)

6. Interact with caution

When we get a chance to interact with a wild animal, we must do it carefully and respect its natural boundaries. It means that we don’t only consider our own and comfort, but also don’t disturb its life and welfare.

7. Report any sick or stranded wild animal you encounte

If you see any stranded or sick wild animal, watch closely if it really looks weak, hurt or stranded from its herd or environment. Don’t get too close with it directly. Some wild animals can be aggressive if they feel threatened or in sensitive condition. Call the wild animals rescue centre or the authority.

Picture 6. A stranded whale shark (source:
republika.co.id)

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