A passionate Naturalist’s Contribution to Responsible Wildlife Tourism

By. Rohan Wijesinha

The Government of Sri Lanka, faced with the present economic crisis, has identified tourism as being an essential source of foreign income into the country to help alleviate some of the its deficits. As tourists begin to visit the island again, in steadily increasing number, it must be remembered that many are attracted by Sri Lanka’s natural wonders, with over 50% of all visitors to the country going to one of the National Parks or sanctuaries.

Add to this number those who are attracted by its surrounding ocean and teeming marine life, as well as the wonders of its mountain vistas, waterfalls and forests, and it can be safely inferred that almost all tourists are enchanted by the biological variety and beauty this island has to offer.

The secret, however, is to ensure that these foreign guests are provided with a quality of service that will not only want them coming back again and again, but also to encourage their friends and relatives to do so as well. After all, there is no better advertising than that of word of mouth. For this, Sri Lanka must abandon the prevailing policy that quantity is all that matters. Instead, it should aim to attract the higher spending customer and ensure that the service given is on a par with the cost of the package.

Responsible Wildlife Tourism

Wildlife tourism can play a large part in the facilitation of this process; after all Nature has already done most of the hard work. However, it must be Responsible Wildlife Tourism and Dhilip de Alwis has long understood and practiced such ethical standards. A Naturalist and Resource Person, concentrating mainly in the Habarana area, an appreciative guest had this to say of him on Trip Advisor,

Dhilip is an exceptional naturalist…an encyclopedia of knowledge on wildlife. Great guide with extremely detailed and unforgettable walk arounds’’, treks or safaris. I was lucky to do all these with him and gain some of his knowledge of wildlife. It was Dhilip’s passion and enthusiasm that made me also love nature more.

Herein also lies an important message for Naturalists and Wildlife Guides, that of imparting knowledge to the visitor. This is especially so for the foreign guest who may never have witnessed wildlife in their natural surroundings before.

It is not just numbers that count but also an interpretation of the activities of the animal being observed. In fact, an hour spent watching a herd of elephants displaying the variety of behaviours they have, will be of far more worth to an observer who will leave not only with a magical memory and greater understanding of this majestic creature, but also an appreciation of the value a country places on its wildlife.

Not just the Big 5

Guides should not forget the smaller creatures either. Many guests will be enchanted by them, if described to them with enthusiasm and knowledge. It is not just the elephant, leopard and bear that should be sought, but mongoose, deer, Sambhur, monitor lizards, jackals, reptiles, amphibians, and so many more who can be creatures of such wonder, if their actions are understood and explained. Then there are the birds, over 450 species of them. Dhilip de Alwis specializes in ornithology and likes nothing better than to share of his avian knowledge with his guests. Once again, as per Trip Advisor,

Dhilip, the resident naturalist, has a keen sense of observation and has acquired a vast knowledge of local birds in the area and Sri Lanka. He took me out for a morning trip that revealed scores of birds (55 in total during that morning walk alone). Subsequently we went for other birds …

Another way to quench the thirst

that brought the total in the area to 80 species, several of which are Sri Lankan endemics – wood shrike, grey hornbill, brown-capped babbler, etc. A lot of information was freely shared about identification tips, known places for specific endemics elsewhere in Sri Lanka etc. In the end, the one thing that sets him apart from other guides is his ability to ‘tune’ into the needs of the birder/group he is accompanying.

Give them space

In this age of sophisticated cameras and powerful zoom lenses, it is no longer necessary to have to go right up to an animal to see its magnificence in full. In fact, such close approaches result in an animal reacting to human presence rather than displaying its natural behaviour that should be the real focus of attention. An outstanding photographer in his own right, de Alwis has this to write on his BlogSpot,

Each and everyone have their own style of capturing wildlife photos. I have my own. I always try to put more distance in the picture to have more breathing space to have something more constructive. I always make sure to put more importance on the environment or play of light…I would like to take a picture of a common bird in a beautiful environment rather than a close up of a very rare bird. It is my passion.

As his BlogSpot reveals, de Alwis also conducts tours to archaeological sites, with as dedicated a commitment to the preservation of the wonderful cultural heritage of Sri Lanka as he does for wildlife and the environment. He also specializes in motorbike tours especially to those places off the beaten track”.’

It is about passion

Ultimately, it is about passion, commitment and an understanding of the true wonders of Nature. In his words, de Alwis writes,

There are moments (of) serenity, when you are just waiting…you are completely disconnected with the rest of the World. You only pay attention to…Mother Nature. Some people see Nature as…separate…from their lives. What they do not realize is that they are also a part of Mother Nature.”

Ultimately, de Alwis’s greatest tribute comes from one of his foreign guests which encapsulates all of the above in a few simple sentences,

We (family with two kids) visited Sri Lanka…and had a great time with Dhilip at a bird watching & walking tour. He knows everything about every bird…He is a great, talented guide and very enjoyable to spend time with him. Will definitely recommend him to all visiting Sri Lanka and are nature lovers.
Wish to come back soon to this paradise on earth.