Skip to content

Empowering communities to safeguard the planet

Introducing Wildlife Heritage Areas

A Wildlife Heritage Area is an outstanding wildlife watching destination where local people recognise their natural heritage with a deep sense of pride and play a central role in protecting wild animals and their habitats.

As animal welfare and sustainable tourism in general become more important for the travelling public, Wildlife Heritage Areas will identify places that meet the highest standards of animal welfare, wildlife conservation, community well-being, and sustainability, whilst also maintaining high tourism value.

By coming together to reconnect with, protect and respect nature, Wildlife Heritage Areas will help turn the tide on biodiversity loss and wildlife suffering by demonstrating the power of local communities to help solve the planet’s most urgent issues.

Apply now

Download further information

Introducing the Wildlife Heritage Network

The Wildlife Heritage Network designates Wildlife Heritage Areas through strategic partnerships between specialist NGOs, wildlife experts, responsible travel companies and community champions.

Network members work with communities to design more sustainable wildlife experiences and enhance cultural links that celebrate nature as a powerful tool to encourage positive change for animals, people, and places.

View our intro deck

Get involved

Get involved

By getting involved in the Wildlife Heritage Network, you can play a part in designating Wildlife Heritage Areas as outstanding and responsible wildlife watching destinations.

We are looking for specialist wildlife NGOs, wildlife experts, responsible tourism companies, and local communities who will work together to engage, empower and support local people in their efforts to protect animals and their habitats. 

Sign up here to receive further information and learn how you can get involved from the outset as we develop the Wildlife Heritage Network and move towards the launch of Wildlife Heritage Areas in 2023.

  

Frequently asked questions

What is a Wildlife Heritage Area?

A Wildlife Heritage Area is an outstanding wildlife watching destination where local people recognise with a deep sense of pride their natural heritage and play a central role in protecting it. Each Wildlife Heritage Area goes through a process developed by the Wildlife Heritage Network (see below) to become designated. 

What is the Wildlife Heritage Network?

The Wildlife Heritage Network includes specialist NGOs, wildlife experts, responsible tourism companies, and local communities working together to engage, empower and support local people in their efforts to protect animals and their habitats. 

Each member of the Wildlife Heritage Network signs an ethical and wildlife friendly pledge, commits to time bound responsibilities and undertakes training. Members interact with each other to exchange information and ideas, seek advice, and develop professional and social contacts. 

Ultimately, the Wildlife Heritage Network sets a new global benchmark for responsible wildlife tourism - it supports communities in their efforts to deliver better outcomes for animals, people and places.

Can you be certified as a Wildlife Heritage Area?

Wildlife Heritage Areas is not a certification scheme. Instead, we use simple, flexible, and holistic criteria to demonstrate rigour and continuous improvement. In addition, expert NGO partners support and guide communities towards outcomes that benefit people, place, and wildlife.

What is required to be part of the Wildlife Heritage Network?

All members of the Wildlife Heritage Network share the same values, principles, hopes and dreams. How do we know that? Because they all sign up to our wildlife friendly pledge, agree to time bound actions, commit to supporting the efforts of local communities and advising Wildlife Heritage Network members, and take on training to understand how our standards are met.

What makes Wildlife Heritage Areas unique?

Wildlife Heritage Areas are community-led and guided by a deep respect for both individual animals, species and ecosystems leading to improved welfare outcomes for all. Tourism plays a pivotal role in this programme, driving change and a shift in emphasis away from the consumptive and harmful exploitation of wildlife towards respectful coexistence and responsible tourism experiences. The result? Some of the highest quality, responsible and authentic wildlife watching and cultural experiences in the world.

Meet the team

Meet our team of experts on animal welfare, wildlife conservation, and responsible tourism, all working together to bring Wildlife Heritage Areas to life!

View team