impact on rurrenabaque pampas tours

Hi

I wonder what the impact is on the wildlife when year after year more travellers come.
More visiters means more intruders who scare the animals away.
I don t think a snake likes it so much to be catched, hold up into the air and fotographed that she will remain in ths same place to be catched again a week later.
Supposed that all the guides know what they are doing, because I heard other things about some self proclaimed guides,who I agree might be hopefull in the minority.
Anyway, did you like your trip, should you recommend it ? And why did you like it ?
Thanks for your reaction
Take care

Bolivia is still tops for Amazon trips. As far as the impact. I would say the impact is much wrose in Brazil such as Manaus where clear cutting, rampant tourists sharks and high end tourists resorts are the norm. Around Rurr mostly mellow good vibe low impact backpackers just up to see the wildlife. I hope it does not become a place of high end high impact tourism, with tourist markets, clear cut "jungle camps". paradise lost

It's a bit disappointing that so few take part in this discussion. Here's my contribution:

You can't watch/observe something without influencing it. When experiencing the nature and watching the animals the principle ought to be "Leave nothing but your footsteps". Let the next visitor meet the same nature in the same way you did.
But regrettably we human beings more act as "Loving it to death". It was not meant to be so, but it has turned out this way.

The 'answer' should be responsible and/or sustainable tourism. But, with a quote from www.goodtimebob.com/traveladvice.htm</a>:<BR>"The Ones Who Need It Most Won't Listen"

The travel guides like Lonely Planet's Bolivia guide, 6th Edition, and Footprint's Bolivia, 4th Edition, writes a lot about the problem and recommend 'good behaviour', Community-based ecotourism, et cetera.
But in practice there often is an unholy alliance between the tour guides/operators and the tourists/visitors. "The guests expect us to show the animals, they expect to touch and feed the animals, and to take photos doing so".

Quote from Lonely Planet's Bolivia guide, 6th Edition, page 338:
"Bear in mind that spotting caiman, anaconda, piranhas and other Amazonian animals is a privilege, not a right. Operators and guides should not promise animal sightings (this encourages their unethical capture), go looking for wildlife or, under any circumstances, feed or handle any animals. One reader wrote with this report: ‘Ecofriendly-wise, our operators were pretty awful - grabbing hold of anacondas when they found them and capturing baby caimans to show us. We heard that one adult caiman was captured and bit its own tail off in a panic.’ "

Quote from Wikitravel wikitravel.org/en/Rurrenabaque:
"Note: the pampas tours have become very popular and touristic during the high season and have the potential to cause damage to the wild life in the small river Rio Yacuma. The tours are usually done by motor boats that can cause fatal injuries to pink river dolphins. Competent and ethical guides will know which sections of the river be extra careful in. Also, you should make sure that your guide is not showing you pre-trapped animals kept in inhumane living conditions, or letting anybody wearing sunscreen or repellent touch the animals."

Here on the Thorn Tree, Bolivia Forum, the flights La Paz - Rurrenabaque, or rather the cancellations of flights, are one of the 'popular' subjects. (The grass runway at Rurre that is wet or flood. Low clouds. The runway paving work that has been delayed. The airline that don’t use the alternative airport in Reyes. Etc.)

The possible trouble to go to Rurre may have a function, and you could nearly say: Go to Rurre and the pampas before the airport is improved. More tourists in the area may not be an advantage.

I didn't consider the animals in the Pampas to be wild. There has been far too much impact from ignorant tourists and Bolivian tour guides who are, at the end of the day, only trying to serve the whims of the people they take on tour in the area.

While there I saw alligators being fed with tomatoes (!), snakes being man-handled (Common this one - if you rub the scales of a snake backwards it's something akin to having your fingernails pushed back into the finger, something the Spanish Inquisition specialised in), tourists feeding Squirrel Monkeys... need I go on?

The Pampas is essentially a glorified theme park, and the fault for the maltreatment of the animals and the negative effect on the ecosystem lies at the feet of the people visiting the area. Most of the Bolivians are clueless about the animals: we were told Squirrel Monkeys were Spider Monkeys by our guide, and they handle the animals because the touirsts demand it. Feeding animals leads to them losing their fear of people and ultimately aggression when they can't get hold of food. I witnessed an Israeli backpacker swinging a snake round by the tail, and another backpacker feeding crisps to squirrel monkeys (Who, it should be mentioned, can carry rabies). In short, I saw things that made me feel sick. I'm a zoology graduate and I work in a zoo so it's not like I'm clueless about these sorts of things.

No, if you want to have an authentic experience, you're much better off heading into Madidi national park and the jungle where the animals retain their natural fear of humans. Yes, it's less likely you'll see an animal, but if you want to be garunteed of ticking things off a list then I suggest you visit a well-managed zoo or wildlife park in your own country.

DD

Bob and Dick, thanks a lot for your posts. Two experienced travellers with rather different views !
Today's tourism dilemma in a nutshell !
Maybe the only thing we all can agree on is that the people visiting the area are the ones to be held responsible. Whether things are okay or not. Bolivia and the Bolivians themselves are not in a position to solve the spin-off of our wealth and the fact that somebody invented the aeroplane.

On a new Bolivia thread 'rurrenabaque pampas tours' from Sat 29 Sep 2007 EvieJim has posted a message relevant to this 'impact' discussion.
EvieJim tells about an excellent pampas tour with Bala Tours, and says 'highly recommended'.
It has inspired me to a reply I repeat here:

It's good to hear about good experiences.

Your testimonial is very relevant to the discussion at the thread 'impact on rurrenabaque pampas tours', started by 'savan' at Tue 25 Sep 2007.

Generally tourism may have an adverse effect on the environment, but tourism can also give work and income, and the financial alternatives may be less sustainable: Cattle breeding, hunting, timber logging.

In addition there might be the hope that tourism in sensitive or threatened areas may be an eye-opener and influence the attitude to the use of resources at daily basis back home. It would be a feedback and a pay back, because during travel and holiday you in fact often accept to act less suitable, believing it's only once a year. (You fly a long way, you use and buy imported products in the poor countries, etc.). The problem is that for the destination 'once a year' is all the time, the year round.

But still, the tourism often brings money and hope for a better future to many people in some areas/countries, and therefore: Congratulations on your great pampas tour in Bolivia. There are really good guides and tour operators out there. Go, use and support them. Make your choice.

And probably the tourism often means a better conservation of the nature, bringing a new value to an area and landscape that else would be considered a cheap raw material.

Besides, Bala Tours is mentioned in several threads. Try a search.

Hi,

thanks for this discussion, very interesting. We will go to Rurrenabaque in a few weeks ...

Just a tought after visiting national Parks in Africa (Senegal, Tanzania): yes, tourism / human have an impact on the fauna. But in the meantime, tourism means lots of money that convince authorities to protect the national parks against poachers for instance (especially true in Africa for the big five).

So we can hope that development of tourism is accompanied by rule enforcement that at the meantime protects the fauna / flaura.
There are places where it works, like in Tanzania.
Let´s hope it will be the same in South America.

I am really excited about the tours from Ruyrrenabaque, it is said to be great! And surely more affordable than Manu National Park in Peru!

Cheers
Gilles

Hi Gilles, thanks for your words. Some links that might interest you: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rurrenabaque wikitravel.org/en/Rurrenabaque
Negative, but well written, comprehensive and matter-of-fact: Rick's blog, Entry 'It's a Jungle Out There', May 16th, 2007.
Positive: The blog DosGatas (= Two cats), Entry 'rurrenabaque', August 1, 2007.
Michelle's blog, Entry 'Out of this World...', 31st Jan 2007.
Have a pleasant Travel ! Cheers, Erik.

Thanks Erik, that is a lot of help ...
We will post a Report after we come back from there.
Cheers, Gilles