Can new guidelines improve the ecotourism experience for both humans and other animals?
Tourists scoping outfrom boats in Latin America may be treated to the critters bobbing their heads furiously. This odd movement isn’t the reptiles nodding along to an unheard reggaeton beat — it may actually be a sign of distress, according to a recent study published in the journal“One of the functions of head bobbing can be to communicate danger to [other iguanas],” the researchers write.
Todd Lewis, an ecologist at the University of the West of England in Bristol and co-author of the paper, worked at the Caño Palma Biological Station in Costa Rica for several years. There, he saw boat traffic steadily increase to satisfy tourists eager to spot iguanas and other species. “When we used to get two or three boats sort of clustering,” he says, “I started to notice that animals would disappear from the riparian edge.
Certainly, some iguanas fled. Those who remained might “vigorously head bob” or display the flaps of skin under their necks known as dewlaps, says Elizabeth Rice, an ecological consultant and co-author of the study. Despite its somewhat humorous image, this behavior could have implications for the species’ welfare, she adds. Even fleeing into the nearby forest can interrupt an iguana’s basking ritual, which leads to lethargy and an increased vulnerability to predation.
“There are multiple species that can potentially be affected in the same way. It's just been unmeasured until now,” Lewis says. That sentiment gains added urgency when you consider the resurgence of international tourism following the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the United Nations’ , global international tourist arrivals more than doubled in January 2022 compared to 2021. These circumstances have forced some researchers and public officials to reconsider the way that ecotourism operations are conducted.While floating along the Kinabatangan River in Malaysia, you may spot proboscis monkeys (
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