INTRODUCTION
Overview
2pp world map showing major encounters
Ethical considerations including codes of best practice
Box Dangerous animals: What constitutes 'dangerous'?
FOREST/RAINFOREST
Introduction
Gorillas
· Mountain – Tracking in Rwanda, Uganda
· Western lowland – Tracking in Central African Republic; People's Republic of Congo
Chimpanzees Tracking in Uganda; Gombe Stream, Tanzania; Chimfunshi (Zambia) - orphanage
Orang utan Tracking in Borneo, Sumatra; Sepilok Orang-utan Sanctuary, Borneo
Proboscis monkeys
Lemurs Tracking in Madagascar
Spread General look at primates eg: baboons in highlands of Ethiopia; temple monkeys in Sri Lanka & Thailand?; barbary apes, Gibraltar; primate communications
Tigers Walking safaris in Satpura National Park, India (Wildlife Worldwide); Project Tiger; tracking tigers on elephant, India
Jaguars
Guyana
Komodo dragons Flores, Indonesia
Spread Walking in the Costa Rican rainforest, the only way to see wildlife (sloths, armadillos, coatis, howler monkeys, iguanas, leaf-cutter ants, birds).
Bais Gabon, Congo, CAR
Spread Snakes Seeing snakes on foot. Debunking the myths.
Spread Minibeasts Microscale encounters - eg: giraffe weevils; dung beetles; bizarre insects etc. Mayflies on River Tisza, Hungary.
Spread Things that glow in the dark: glow worms (inc New Zealand), fireflies etc (eg: Nipa palm of Borneo); luminous ocean organisms
Bats How to watch and where; fruit bats, inc Kasanka National Park, Zambia;
Birds
Hides at salt licks - eg: South America & SE Asia (Malaysia)
SAVANNAH/PLAINS
Introduction
Elephants
· African elephant
o Walking safaris – Africa (southern, eastern, Ghana)
o Tracking (www.gonomad.com/helps/0606/namibia.html)
· Asian elephant – Walking safaris, Satpura NP, India
Box Riding – Thailand; Zambia; elsewhere (consider ethics)
Rhinoceros
Rhino tracking – Umfolozi/Hluwe, South Africa; Damaraland, Namibia
Matobo Hills - possible to track white rhino on foot with very good chances of finding them.
Rhino walking safaris, Kruger National Park (Rainbow Tours)
Lions Tracking lions Ethics of walking with lions (eg Livingstone)
Cheetah Several research projects (eg: Okonjima in Namibia) have cheetah in extensive enclosures, so can approach very close – but not entirely wild
Leopard
Spread Walking safaris in Africa The ultimate way to connect with wildlife
Spread Herbivores How to observe and approach species from giraffe and zebra to British native British deer. Touch on great migrations - eg Wildebeest in Serengeti; Liuwa Plains; caribou
Spread Mountain bike safari Tuli Block, Botswana; South Luangwa, Zambia; Malawi. Also South America (Brazil?); India
Spread Horseriding safari Okavango Delta, Botswana; Mutinondo & Shiwa Ng'andu, Zambia Are there others - eg: Mongolia, South Africa, South America, USA/Canada?
Also consider in plains context eg: South America eg: llanos; Asia
Birds
eg: Great bustard, Hungary
DESERT
Introduction
Minibeasts Sand creatures eg: geckos, tok tokkie beetles etc – Namib Desert; Kalahari Desert; Chalbi Desert, Sahara.
Spread Desert adaptation Knowing what to look for and where.
Box Camel riding, eg: Rajasthan; Gran Canaria; Middle East (consider ethics)
MOUNTAIN
Introduction
Bears Watching from hides: Finland; also Romania, Bulgaria (Wildlife Worldwide)
Accompanying researchers on trails, Slovakia (Wildlife Worldwide)
· Brown, black & spirit bears
Watching from platform, Great Bear Rainforest, British Columbia (Wildlife Worldwide)
· Panda bears Tracking
China (Wildlife Worldwide)
Wolves Wolf tracking, Romania (Wildlife Worldwide)
Snow leopard Tracking in Pakistan, Ladakh etc
Spread Walking in Kimberley region, Northern Australia Kangaroos, birds, etc
Birds of prey
· Eagles – paragliding (eg: Turkish coast)?
· Condor – climbing
Spread Where eagles dare Mountains and birds of prey. Thermals; corridors.
Scavengers also on plains/savanna
Griffon vultures/lammergeiers - Els Ports Mountains, Spain
· Cape vultures
POLAR
Introduction
Polar bears Tundra buggy, Canada (www.tundrabuggy.com). Vehicular, but unconventional
Penguins Antarctica
(Huskies Norway)
Spread Canoeing & camping in Antarctica A wilderness experience with strong possibility of seeing whales, seals etc (Quark/Oceanwide)
RIVERINE
Introduction
Hippo Watching from hide, South Luangwa, Zambia
Box Swimming with hippo, Zambia
Frogs and other amphibians
Spread Canoeing
· Zambezi – hippo; crocodile; birdlife
· Pantanal, Brazil – giant river otter; jaguar; monkeys; birdlife
· Kimberley region, Northern Australia
Shoebill Uganda; Bangweulu Swamps, Zambia
Shoe
Spread Birdwatching as a spectacle – eg: on an estuary; 'how to' approach. Incorporate major bird migrations
This is Ian Wood's first book. Ian Wood is a writer and photographer who specializes in wildlife, travel and nature. For 18 years he toured the world as half of a comedy act performing in over 40 countries. His spare time was spent in search of wildlife, indulging a passion for rainforests and oceans. His articles and photographs have been published in a variety of newspapers and magazines including National GeographicTravel and The Daily Telegraph. In partnership with The Orangutan Foundation he runs photographic tours to Borneo that raise money for conservation efforts.
