Posted in Featured tours, WWF news, Wildlife on Sep 2nd, 2010 No Comments »
© R.Isotti, A.Cambone – Homo Ambiens / WWF-Canon
As the brilliantly colorful panther chameleon demonstrates, Madagascar is home to extraordinary species. Approximately 92 percent of Madagascar’s reptiles, 68 percent of its plant life and 98 percent of its land mammals exist naturally nowhere else on Earth.
However, demands from today’s global markets threaten diversity on the island [...]
Posted in Featured tours, Q-and-A, Wildlife on Sep 2nd, 2010 No Comments »
WWF’s Dan Winter accompanied our most recent Borneo tour. We caught up with him to get his thoughts on the otherworldy destination.
What was your favorite animal sighting?
We saw so many great animals, both large and small, that picking a favorite is hard! But I must say that seeing a wild orangutan as we headed up [...]
Posted in Wildlife on Aug 3rd, 2010 1 Comment »
Like sports fans in a pub arguing over the greatest plays of all time, bird-watching aficionados could debate the world’s top birding destinations until the geese fly South. The Internet is spilling over with top 10 lists and message board banter.
From a travel and conservation standpoint, we like the approach of British birdwatcher and birding magazine [...]
Posted in Featured tours, Wildlife on Jul 29th, 2010 3 Comments »
India is known, of course, for its tigers, and no tour to natural areas of the vast Asian nation is complete without time spent in tall grasses searching for the majestic and endangered big cat.
But dozens of other wildlife species abound in India’s top national parks. Among the other species most commonly spotted on recent [...]
Posted in Featured tours, Q-and-A, Wildlife on Jul 26th, 2010 No Comments »
Geoff York is coordinator of WWF’s Polar Bear Conservation Program, researching the animal that has become a strong symbol for climate change. York spoke with WWF Travel about his field work and what it’s like to see polar bears in the wild.
How did you become a polar bear biologist?
I wish I could tell you that [...]
Posted in Wildlife on Jul 22nd, 2010 1 Comment »
Background: The bear-bodied, thick-furred red panda has little resemblance to its distant cousin, the giant panda, except for the false thumb they both possess, which is actually an extension of the wrist bone. The skillful, acrobatic animal stays predominantly in trees, using its tail for balance, and descends to the ground headfirst. The loss of [...]
Posted in Travel tips, WWF news, Wildlife on Jul 1st, 2010 No Comments »
It’s summertime, and many are heading on amazing vacations around the world. WWF encourages responsible ecotourism and experiencing the wonderful biodiversity of our planet, but there are a few things travelers should know before they purchase souvenirs.
Tourists are largely unaware of complex regulations on international trade and often don’t think twice about buying wildlife products [...]
Posted in Wildlife on Jun 28th, 2010 No Comments »
Habitat: Open savannahs and wooded grasslands of eastern and southern Africa
Diet: Acacia trees and shrubs.
Threat: Habitat destruction.
Interesting fact: Like a fingerprint, the markings of a giraffe’s coat are unique to each individual.
Look for giraffes on a WWF African safari.
Posted in Featured tours, Snorkeling, WWF news, Wildlife on Jun 23rd, 2010 1 Comment »
By Lee Poston/WWF
“Over there, over there!!! Get your masks and flippers on!” our interaction officer, Embet Guadamor, yells. He’s standing high on the mast of an outrigger pointing southwest to what looks like open ocean. But it’s not open ocean to his eagle eyes. He’s spotted a dark, spotted mass under the water, and it [...]
Posted in Photography, WWF news, Wildlife on Jun 22nd, 2010 1 Comment »
Images of the near-extinct Sumatran rhino were recently captured by WWF’s camera traps in Borneo. Camera traps are simply everyday cameras armed with infrared sensors that take a picture whenever they sense movement in the forest. Pictures obtained from the camera traps help scientists to study wildlife and their habitats.
Experts believe the rhino caught on [...]