The safari holidays that could genuinely save the world's wildlife

The Rabari goat herder is waving at us from the valley below. Through my binoculars, his red turban seems to be glowing in the morning mist. Dotted around him, his goats graze in the surrounding fields. We are high up on a massive granite outcrop with a panoramic view over the Indian state of Rajasthan.

Suddenly, the engine of our Jeep roars into life. Yusuf, our guide and founding partner at Suján Jawai, is on a mission and we are soon bouncing over uneven terrain down into the valley. When we meet up with the goat herder, he takes us to a field where one of his goats lies dead. It doesn’t take a pathologist to conclude that the bite marks around its neck are those of a leopard.

“Our relationship with the Rabaris is critical,” Yusuf explains. “They have lived here for centuries and without their co-operation the leopards will not survive. That’s why we take so seriously projects such as improving sanitation in the local villages, sponsoring local schools and our wildlife research facility. That farmer will be compensated for his loss immediately.”

Opened in 2013, Suján Jawai is a luxury tented camp with exemplary low-impact eco-credentials. With Yusuf and his partners at the helm, it has pioneered a business Wildlife holidays that make all the difference beauty spots Guests at Suján Jawai directly support leopard conservation and can see the animals in the wild; tigers at Ranthambore, right model of engagement with the local community that is proving remarkably effective. During my three nights at the camp, we had multiple leopard sightings on every game drive including one of a mother and four cubs.

“More farmers are turning away from agriculture to return the land to wildlife corridors for both the leopards and their prey species,” Yusuf told me. “It’s only when they have a sustainable financial stake in the wildlife that there can be a vision for the future. It is this vision to which our guests contribute when they stay at Jawai.”

In Africa, the most successful examples of wildlife conservation are mostly achieved through community involvement where tourists have a chance to see, and sometimes participate in, the projects they are helping to fund. In India, the picture is not so simple. Government management of its 50 tiger reserves is too often driven by damaging financial objectives rather than environmental considerations. Outbursts of poaching are frequent and efforts to prosecute the guilty often frustrated.

India’s most famous and largest tiger reserve is Ranthambore, which surrounds an old royal hunting ground – a magnificent setting of lakes, forests, forts, temples and palaces. I had been there on a previous trip and the wildlife experience left much to be desired, with tip-obsessed guides making it feel like a zoo.

I am glad to report that things are improving. Tiger numbers are increasing (now around 55-65), and quieter zones have been opened to tourists, which helps reduce the pressure. There is still a cacophony of shouting and revving engines whenever a tiger is spotted, but initiatives on the ground, which depend on tourism for funding, are having a positive effect.

Tofts (Tiger Operators for Tigers) rates, assesses and promotes tourist operators and accommodation providers on the basis of their environmental and wildlife credentials and is a useful resource when planning a tiger-viewing trip to India. It also supports a number of inspirational projects. One of these is Tiger Watch, led by Dr Dharmendra Khandal. “This was all started by local villagers, who realised they had an interest in protecting the tigers they have lived alongside for generations,” he tells me.

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“Tigers don’t just stay obediently in  reserves. They need to move along wildlife corridors between population centres and this causes conflict with humans. Our 35 Village Guardians use  infra-red cameras and now have the most detailed survey ever of tiger movements outside the park, an area that the Forestry Department don’t monitor but which is vital for tiger survival.”

Tourism can make a difference, by creating jobs and generating revenue to pay for sanitation, schools and healthcare. If it can be demonstrated that tourism pays, and is more sustainable than poaching or large-scale agriculture, the march of destruction will be halted. The holidays on the right have been chosen for their contribution to wildlife conservation projects. Consider them not a “Last Chance to See” but a “Last Chance to Save” the world’s endangered species.

The Ultimate Travel Company (020 7386 4646; theultimatetravelcompany.co.uk) can tailor-make a 12-day safari taking in Suján Jawai (Leopard Camp), Panna (Sarai at Toria) and Ranthambore (Khem Villas) from ￡5,300 per person. Visits to all three lodges include opportunities to witness local conservation and community projects in action. The price includes luxury accommodation, all meals, park fees, game drives with expert guides, all flights, two train journeys and a sunrise visit to the Taj Mahal. For further information about Toft (Travel Operators for Tigers), see toftigers.org. 

The animals at risk – and how to help save them

Lemurs, Madagscar

Issue

Due to deforestation, lemurs are among the most endangered species on the planet.

The trip to take

A 17-day safari (maximum eight people) visiting some of the best lemur habitats in Madagascar, among them Kianjavato Field Station.

How it helps

Around ￡4,000 is donated annually from these holidays to help fund Kianjavato’s work.

Details

The cost, from ￡3,485, includes all meals and a guide but excludes international flights.

Operator

Natural World Safaris (01273 691642; naturalworldsafaris.com) 

Leopards and cheetahs, Namibia

Issue

The funniest animal photos of 2016

Numbers are declining due to poaching and man/animal conflict.

The trip to take

Over 16 days, guests can join a big cat rehabilitation programme in Okonjima Nature Reserve where activities include tracking rehabilitated carnivores.

How it helps

Hands-on activities directly assist big cat conservation.

Details

The cost, from ￡4,030, includes most meals on the trip bright eyes See lemurs, above right, in Madagascar, or take a boat trip but excludes flights.

Operator

Travel Local (0117 325 7898; travellocal.com)

Mountain gorillas, Rwanda

Issue

Comedy wildlife

These animals are critically endangered due to habitat loss and historic hunting.

The trip to take

Trek to see the gorillas while staying at Wilderness Safaris Bisate Lodge.

How it helps

Bisate Lodge runs an indigenous reforestation and community programme while gorilla trekking is one of the most effective partnerships between tourism and conservation.

Details

A six-night stay costs from ￡5,995 including a gorilla trekking permit, two nights at Bisate Lodge, visits to Akagera and Nyungwe National Parks and flights.

Operator

Red Savannah (01242 787800; redsavannah.com)

Manatees and turtles, Peru

Issue

Manatees are killed by watercraft collisions, while turtle eggs are eaten in large numbers.

The trip to take

A five-night stay in Peru includes a four-night rainforest cruise on the Aqua Expeditions’ Aria Amazon riverboat.

How it helps

Guests receive lectures and visit projects to which nearly ￡10,000 has so far been contributed.

Details

The costs, from ￡4,710, includes full-board accommodation and return flights.

Operator

Rainbow Tours (020 3733 2558; rainbowtours.co.uk)

Elephants, Africa

Issue

These magnificent creatures are under threat all over Africa due to ivory poaching.

The trip to take

A 31-day immersion into the lives of elephants, visiting savannah, desert and forest habitats in Congo, Chad, Namibia, Kenya and Botswana.

How it helps

The trip’s itinerary includes meetings with key conservationists and visits to pioneering projects that are helping give elephants an economic value that aids the poorest communities; includes a donation of ￡3,000 to Save the Elephants.

Details

The cost of ￡29,995 includes all flights, most meals, a private guide and the donation.

Operator

Steppes Travel (01258 787501; steppestravel.com)

Asiatic wild dogs, Thailand

Issue

Their natural habitat is declining alarmingly.

The trip to take

You will gather data about the population size and diversity of the species, analyse habitat, and evaluate its prey species and the potential overlap with the diets of other large carnivores.

How it helps

Direct citizen science involvement with a crucial project.

Details

The cost, from ￡2,100 for seven days, includes all meals but is exclusive of flights.

Operator

Earthwatch (01865 318838; earthwatch.org)

Black rhinos, Kenya

Issue

The species is on the brink of extinction due to poaching.

The trip to take

A stay at Saruni Rhino Camp in northern Kenya, where a protection and breeding programme has been set up by the Sera Rhino Sanctuary; this is the only camp in East Africa where rhinos can be tracked.

How it helps

Guests make a donation of ￡88 per night to the community conservancy which runs the sanctuary.

Details

Seven nights at Saruni Samburu and Saruni Rhino Camps costs from ￡3,275 exclusive of flights.

Operator

Expert Africa (020 3405 6666; expertafrica.com).

Lynx, wolves and bears, Slovakia

Issue

Populations in the Carpathian Mountains of Slovakia are threatened by logging and unsustainable hunting.

The trip to take

Based in a mountain chalet and working with research scientists, this seven-day expedition tracks the animals in their mountain habitats.

How it helps

By studying the animals’ movements and behaviour, the project hopes to stabilise numbers.

Details

The cost of ￡1,490 includes all meals but is exclusive of flights.

Operator

Biosphere Expeditions (0870 446 0801, biosphereexpeditions.org)

Rhinos and elephants, South Africa

Issue

Populations are in sharp decline due to poaching.

The trip to take

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A “Rhino Notching and Elephant Collaring” safari at South Africa’s &Beyond Ngala, and Phinda private game reserves.

How it helps

Guests witness front-line conservation in action while all proceeds go directly into project funding.

Details

The cost of ￡5,695 and ￡6,395 respectively for five nights includes both domestic and international flights.

Operator

Wexas Travel (020 7590 0610; wexas.com)

Various species, Zimbabwe

Issue

Conservation initiatives have largely failed where local communities are not engaged. Here, the not-for-profit Malilangwe Trust has pioneered conservation and community development initiatives in villages surrounding the reserve.

The trip to take

A stay at Singita Pamushana Lodge, viewing the wildlife in the reserve.

How it helps

Guests are actively encouraged to visit the projects while the cost supports the work of the trust.

Details

The cost of ￡3,980 for four nights’ full board is exclusive of flights.

Operator

Singita (0027 21 683 3424; singita.com)