• Question: Do you like to explore animals and there wildlife?

    Asked by anon-218032 to Shannah, Richard, Matthew (known as Kaan by, johnpaterson, Emma, Anna on 10 Jun 2019.
    • Photo: John Paterson

      John Paterson answered on 10 Jun 2019: last edited 10 Jun 2019 9:48 am

      Yes, certainly. When I was younger I always wanted to visit the rainforest, which I’ve now done several times. I’ve seen anacondas, boa constrictors, tarantulas, monkeys, parrots, sloths, huge blue butterflies bigger than my hand – loads of cool animals.

      However the older I get the more I am interested in the wildlife here in the UK, which a lot of people would think is more boring. We’re used to watching wildlife documentaries that show all these big, exotic animals in far-away places but a lot of people wouldn’t be able to tell you about the plants, birds or insects in their back garden. I think finding out more about local wildlife really connects people to it in a way that’s different to watching it on TV. These days I try to learn more about the names and behaviours of the plants and animals I see around me every day and I find it really rewarding. It gives you an idea of how many different species you can see yourself just going for a walk. Even in a big city you can find parks that have tens of different species of insect, bird and plant in them.

    • Photo: Emma Markham

      Emma Markham answered on 10 Jun 2019:

      Yes, I love wildlife and watching animals in their natural habitat. When I go on holiday I always try and plan how I can see local wildlife, so I’m currently planning a trip to see puffins in the wild, and I would really like to visit India and see tigers in the jungle. I think there is just something special about the animal choosing to let you observe it, it feel like an amazing connection for those few moments.

      I do feel zoos have a place, but I prefer to see animals in the wild carrying out natural behavior. When I backpacked through Australia I saw wild kangaroos, koalas, wombats, echidnas and much more. It feels more special and the animals seem happier than in a small cage where they have no choice to be there.
      I did a volunteering project on a beach in Ghana where we were protecting sea turtle nests and releasing the hatched turtles to the sea, it was incredible to be so close to such amazing creatures and know you are working to protect them. There are some huge challenges facing wildlife at the moment, from poaching to global warming and habitat destruction, but I think if we support ethical ecotourism we can support local communities working to protect these animals and their way of life and educate people on the challenges they face and what they can do to help.

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