Your location sounds excellent, Rhea.
I hope that your hopes come true - perhaps I just read too many newspaper reports about poaching, habitat destruction, hunting &c?
I do recognise that reducing poverty can, in some ways, remove the need of local people to kill animals or destroy habitat.
On the other hand, it can create a demand for cars, roads, shops - and thus lead to destruction of habitat and pollution!
It's a very finely blanaced situation and, as I've said, I would much prefer animals to be left in undisturbed habitat ...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rhea
Lots of people hold the view that the animals in the wild are best left alone and that 'nature tourism' does more harm than good. Sure, I agree to a certain extent. BUT- lets face it, those areas where tourism has come in- especially in the Tiger Parks in India- the tiger populations have usually gone up. This is mainly for 2 reasons, one the tourists act as additional patrols, and secondly- picture this- poachers for tiger/leopard skins don't actually go in and catch these predators themselves- they use poor locals. If the locals have a source of employment where in keeping the animals safe is more profitable then they will be more likely to join in to the fight to protect the jungles and its denizens. My husband and I live and work on the outskirts of a Tiger Reserve- so this is not just theory.
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