ACTIVITY 1: READING COMPREHENSION
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already accustomed to.
Ecotourism harms wildlife because it
‘domesticates’ animals, says research
By winning the trust of animals,
tourists unintentionally put wild animals in danger by encouraging them to
relax with other humans - and natural predators.
1. The popularity of ecotourism is high as people look
for ways to get really close to exotic wildlife. But while their dollars help
pay for conservation, these trips often do more harm than good because they
"domesticate" local animals. And this is dangerous because there’s
more chance of being eaten, research says.
2. By posing for photos, swimming with dolphins and
generally winning the trust of wild animals, the animals relax with humans. And
when they relax with humans, they relax around natural predators - who may not
be so friendly, the study finds.
3. "When animals get used to feeling comfortable with humans, they
may become more confident. If this confidence transfers to real predators, then
they will be killed." Professor Blumstein says that ecotourism is similar
to domesticating the animals.
4. Evidence has shown that urban foxes become less
fearful, because of regular interactions with people. Birds that live in cities
are already used to living
near people, and they take more time to escape from danger, he says.
5. 8 billion ecotourism trips take place around the
world each year. Apart from raising money for conservation and local
communities, ecotourism does have another benefit, says the report, which is
based on an analysis of more than 100 studies into its effect on wildlife. The
presence of humans can keep away natural predators. This creates a kind of safe
haven for smaller animals.
6. But do more relaxed and bolder behaviours around
humans put the animals at risk in the presence of their natural predators when
there are no humans present?
7. "We know that humans are able to change the
personality of animals," says the report published in Trends in Ecology
& Evolution.
8. "If animals get used to humans - particularly
tourists - we might cause unexpected changes, such as increased predation
risk," they added. The scientists said more research is needed.
Article adapted from The Independent, by Tom Bawden,
09 October 2015
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