“This massive amount of nature-based and eco-tourism can be added to the long list of drivers of human-induced rapid environmental change”, said Blumstein in a press release. This is a gift to poachers, but the animals also become vulnerable in less obvious ways, said Blumstein.
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Ecotourists may be putting wildlife at risk by changing the behaviour of the creatures they flock to see, researchers have warned. More interestingly, animals that are typically preyed on are more likely to be attacked by predators as they no longer expect these predators to threaten their existence. He added that it is important to understand how various species in different situations respond to human interaction and what conditions may place these wild animals at risk.
In a study published Friday, life scientists reported on their findings from analyzing more than 100 research studies on how ecotourism affects the wildlife that is so appealing to tourists. “If this bravado move to true hunters, then they will be expected to be impacted much higher death rate once they meet up with realistic predators”, he explained. It takes more to make them flee. “In all three cases, regular interactions between people and animals may lead to habituation – a kind of taming”.
Research also shows that domesticated silver foxes become less fearful and more docile due to interactions with humans. Animals may remain in what used to be their habitat, but as cities develop, their behavior may gradually change over time, making them bolder than usual.
Blumstein said that when animals interact with humans in a benign way, they might start to feel comfortable and further feel bolder in other situations.
The presence of humans can discourage natural predators, creating a kind of safe haven for smaller animals.
For instance, vervet monkeys have fewer run-ins with predatory leopards or elk and pronghorn antelope change their grazing patterns moving closer to areas known to harbor human activity.
The researchers write in the journal Trends in Ecology & Evolution: “If individuals selectively habituate to humans – particularly tourists – and if invasive tourism practices enhance this habituation, we might be selecting for or creating traits or syndromes that have unintended consequences, such as increased predation risk”.
“Even a small human-induced perturbation could affect the behaviour or population biology of a species and influence its function in its community”.
The researchers hope their study will encourage additional research into the effects of ecotourism on wildlife, and will lead to a better understanding of the potentially risky relationship.
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He said: ‘We know that humans are able to drive rapid phenotypic change in other species.
