But I don’t know that I will be doing any more.
My most recent photo safari, to Tanzania, raised some serious ethical issues in my mind. And frankly, I don’t know that I can ever be a part of what I witnessed again.
The first instance involved a safari guide driving a Land Cruiser, the vehicle of choice for African safaris, into the brush where a male lion was sleeping. Other vehicles were nearby, waiting to see whether or not the lion would get up and perhaps make himself visible. Nobody did anything to force the lion to get up...except for one guide
That driver decided to drive into the brush, toward the lion, and force the animal to interrupt his sleep and get up to avoid the vehicle. I was so upset that I yelled at the driver. Safari practice is to speak, if at all, in low voices so as not to disturb the animals. But I was so upset that I yelled without thinking about it. That experience with the irresponsible guide rattled me for the rest of the day.
Another issue that bothered me was that there were so many vehicles (at least 25 in most cases) that any time a wild animal was spotted, it was very quickly surrounded. Some animals could handle this, while others were clearly distressed. We saw two coalitions of cheetahs one morning. A coalition is a group of male cheetahs or lions that work together as a group to hunt and socialize. Members of coalitions are typically male littermates that work together to defend a territory against other males. They often stay together for a lifetime.
One of the coalitions, perhaps older animals, seemed unfazed by the presence of 25 to 30 vehicles. They went about their business seemingly unperturbed.
The other, younger coalition, was clearly stressed and panicking. They trotted away from the gathering vehicles and seemed to be wanting to hunt. As a large group of vehicles surrounded them, the cheetahs had little means of escape. By this point, everyone in my vehicle agreed to take a few shots and leave the area. None of us wanted to be part of the ongoing harassment of these wild animals. We had invested a great deal of money to purchase cameras and lenses that allowed us to photograph animals from a comfortable distance rather than relying on our cell phones to capture that 'award winning' image.
These experiences really soured me on going on safari again. Our guides were wonderful, doing everything in a respectful and ethical manner. But I began to question whether I can ever enjoy a safari again, and whether I can justify, and accept, being part of a business that treats wildlife so disrespectfully.
I'm sure the offending guides -- all guides must be licensed by the Tanzanian government -- were hoping for bigger tips by giving their clients up-close views of the animals. I get that, but that doesn't give anyone the right to harass and stress wild animals in their homes.
I take pride in being a moral, ethical, upstanding person who cares deeply about protecting animals both domestic and wild. I likewise care deeply about the environment.
I know that whether I am sitting in a Land Cruiser on another photo safari or whether I boycott future safaris, the vehicles will continue to chase wildlife for the satisfaction and enjoyment of their clients. Tourism is the second largest contributor to the economy of Tanzania (agriculture is #1), so if I'm not taking part, the industry and those whose livelihoods depend on it won't suffer. I am just one person.
I also know that the income derived from tourism helps to protect these animals and their habitat, as well as providing much-needed jobs for those in local communities.
The crowding of the animals was so bad that my group really savored wildlife viewing on the rare occasions when we were the only or one of a few vehicles present.
So I have a very important decision to make. I love visiting Africa and photographing its wildlife. But I won't sacrifice my personal beliefs to do so. And there are many countries I still hope to visit and a limited travel budget.
I don't know what my decision will be. I do know it isn't one I will make without a great deal of soul searching.
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