No selfies, no phones: Why wildlife destinations are starting to say 'no' to tourists (www.bbc.com)
from HellsBelle@sh.itjust.works to world@lemmy.world on 23 Apr 15:08
https://sh.itjust.works/post/59010441

You’re riding in a Jeep through a sun-dappled forest in India, when right before your eyes, a majestic tiger appears from the undergrowth. You immediately reach for your phone, angling it so you can capture your awestruck face and the majestic cat in the same frame. Success – you get the shot right before the predator slinks away.

Capturing such an image is the stuff of travel dreams. But thanks to a ruling from India’s Supreme Court, it’s a scene India’s forests won’t see for much longer. A supreme court ruling passed in November 2025 has led to the banning of mobile phones from the core tourism zones of some of the country’s tiger reserves, deeming the devices – and the behaviour safari tourists exhibit when using them – too dangerous to humans and wildlife alike.

This February, a shocking viral video illustrated how bad things have got. In it, a wild tiger in Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan is surrounded by multiple safari vehicles and is forced to pick its way around them to escape to the forest, while metres away, tourists snap photos and shout. The tiger appears cornered and stressed. In India, these kinds of overcrowded wildlife moments, termed “safari jams”, are increasingly common.

#world

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frongt@lemmy.zip on 23 Apr 15:54 next collapse

I don’t think the phone is the problem there

Canconda@lemmy.ca on 23 Apr 16:05 next collapse

You’re 100% correct. But I think the desired outcome will be achieved here as phone addicts represent the majority of people who exhibit these negative behaviours.

It’s like how comedians/concerts are now sealing peoples phones inside the venue. Saves seats for people who want to see the show in person instead of on their ig.

SippyCup@lemmy.world on 23 Apr 16:20 next collapse

I dunno man, I went through Yellowstone well before people had phones with them, and even people without cameras did this crap.

I saw more than one person have to get yanked back from approaching a moose protecting her calf. I saw people trudge in to the bush to spot a fucking black bear.

You could tell if some form of wildlife had been spotted as you drove around because there would be lines of cars parked and people standing around gawking.

HellsBelle@sh.itjust.works on 23 Apr 16:48 next collapse

The current issues are a bit more complicated because now it’s not just a few people here and there. It’s dozens or hundreds who are actively invading animal’s space all at once just for the chance to prove they were there and get the clicks they’re addicted to.

Some other examples …

Tourists Block Wildebeest Migration, Sending Some Back Into Crocodile-Infested Waters - hundres of people blocking the migration

Tourists face backlash after being filmed provoking wildlife: 'Give ‘em some space’ – at least a dozen or more people

https://timesnewsgroup.com.au/surfcoasttimes/news/tiktok-tourists-force-great-ocean-road-koalas-to-flee/ – in a 28 day period they had hundreds of vehicles and thousands of tourists chasing koalas with drones, throw rocks at them to wake them up, and even climb the trees to get closer shots

Canconda@lemmy.ca on 23 Apr 16:51 collapse

Basically this but with wild animals so it’s stupid on top of being disrespectful.

[deleted] on 23 Apr 16:48 collapse
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wolfpack86@lemmy.world on 23 Apr 19:03 collapse

That’s not why comedians do that… They do it so there’s nothing on YouTube with the given joke and they can both sell seats at the next city and sell the act to Netflix and the like at the end of the tour.

Canconda@lemmy.ca on 23 Apr 19:05 collapse

True but the motive isn’t mutually exclusive with the outcome. And musicians are defs doing it for both reasons.

stoy@lemmy.zip on 23 Apr 16:42 collapse

With my Lumix S5 I can mount a 600+mm super telephoto lens and can get the same shot from much further away.

AmidFuror@fedia.io on 23 Apr 16:20 next collapse

This will help sales for Nikon and Canon.

anon6789@lemmy.world on 23 Apr 18:17 next collapse

“There was an incident where a child fell off a Jeep because the mother was taking a selfie and the child got jostled out of the way. The guide had to jump and pick up the child – the tiger was a few feet away.”

Yeesh…

In Kenya, private safari guide Zarek Cockar thinks that the issue goes beyond mobile phones and individual behaviour to a recalibration of what we expect from a safari.

“Photographers with large lenses pushing to get onto the ground for a better angle can be far bigger offenders than someone quietly taking a photo on a phone,” he said. “The deeper issue is often poor expectation setting from the outset. If guests arrive believing wildlife encounters are about getting ever closer or capturing a dramatic shot at any cost, the guide is then placed under enormous pressure to deliver.”

My first thought was at least people with actual cameras can at least be annoying from further away, but this comment from the guide reminded me this is still a problem in a lot of areas with easy access everywhere. I’ve seen plenty of scenes where an animal will live in a readily accessible place and people just swarm the location. Just because they can take a photo further away still doesn’t necessarily make it the photo they want. People will always want better.

Ecotourism can be great, but the focus needs to be on the animals, and the tourism needs to come second. Pretty much all of these animals are “rare” because people couldn’t be bothered to leave them alone.

The new rules for Indian tiger safaris

• Visitors are now required to put their mobile phones in a box before entering a tiger reserve, or to put it on silent and keep it in their bag. Per the legal ruling, the use of mobile phones within tourism zones of core tiger habitats is not permitted.

• Roads in tiger reserves cannot be used between dusk and dawn except for emergency vehicles.

• Fringe areas around tiger reserves have restricted development plans.

These seem like basic, common sense rules. I see no problems here. It’s a good start.

phoenixz@lemmy.ca on 23 Apr 19:18 next collapse

ITT: lots of people are narcissistic dumb fucks

Reminds me of that video of a French couple (the girl being pregnant) In a Dutch Safari zoo that decided to leave their car while in an area with leopards

CultLeader4Hire@lemmy.world on 23 Apr 19:52 collapse

End animal tourism. They aren’t here for your entertainment