Code of Good Practice: Wildlife Viewing on Drive / Walks

As part of our commitment to advancing sustainable tourism, we encourage our tourism partners to improve their sustainability performance by providing them with the guidance below.

• Ensure applicable legal permits & permission to access activity area are in place
• Ensure insurance is in place for participants and team
• Identify health & safety risks, implement management systems, and provide appropriate safety equipment
• Ensure enough team members are available to manage incident prevention and respond in case
  of emergency
• Monitor activity area conditions (including weather) in advance & during the activity
• Be familiar with activity area and ensure that navigation and communication tools are in good working order
• Maximize local economic benefits through employment and purchasing
• Avoid single use & disposable items, provide adequate waste collection facilities for safe disposal - especially cigarette butts during rest stops - (or pack out what you take in), and pick up rubbish found along the way
• Use eco-friendly products, e.g., for cleaning purposes
• Be waterwise and take pro-active measures to use water sparingly
• Minimize energy used in the activity as part of a climate action strategy
• Provide information in advance about your sustainability actions, activity accessibility, what to expect, and what to bring with
• Screen participants ahead of time to make sure that the activity is well suited to their fitness &
  level of ability
• Manage group size to minimize impacts on people & the planet, including suitable guide: participant ration (especially on walks) and maximum number of vehicles / groups on sightings
• Obtain written confirmation, e.g., via indemnity, that participants are aware of activity risks
• Brief participants before the activity starts about do’s and don’ts, safety, what to expect, logistics, conduct (e.g., around dangerous animals, noise, not disturbing / removing flora and fauna), ‘bush toilet’ etiquette, flash photography (especially at night), and deactivating geotagging to protect endangered species
• Share information about local nature & culture, as well as social development / conservation projects that participants may want to support
• Show respect for the land, waterways, wildlife, and other activity area users
• Avoid disturbing sensitive habitats, especially during nesting, hatching / similar seasons
• Do not lure wildlife (including birds) with food / similar, and minimize playing of recorded calls
• Turn engines off and radio volume down on sightings to minimize disturbance to wildlife and others on the sighting
• View wildlife from a distance that does not disturb nor disrupt their behaviour; encourage use of binoculars when closer approach to wildlife is not possible
• Do not corner or chase wildlife, nor interrupt their direction of movement
• Do not provoke wildlife to display specific behaviour, e.g., defensive or territorial displays
• Do not handle (pick up) wildlife unless with explicit approval from conservation authorities to do so
• Do not disturb nocturnal species on night viewing activities, e.g., only use lights that cause minimal disturbance and use them appropriately
• When multiple locations to view a species are possible, rotate use to minimize cumulative impacts
• Repair and compensate for any damage caused to the activity area
• Participate in conserving activity area integrity; notify authorities of concerns and participate in rehabilitation projects