Empowering communities to safeguard the planet
Welcome to Wildlife Heritage Areas!
Come with us as we explore the world’s most responsible wildlife watching destinations!
Wildlife Heritage Areas are places 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. Visitors to Wildlife Heritage Areas have exceptional wildlife encounters, meet passionate local experts, and support local communities and nature conservation initiatives.
Wildlife Heritage Areas are set up by communities and designated by specialist wildlife NGOs. These chosen partners assess evidence submitted to meet indicators across themes of cultural heritage, responsible tourism, human wildlife coexistence, and governance. Why? So that you can have confidence that a trip to a Wildlife Heritage Area is good for you and even better for the wildlife you would like to see!
Wildlife Heritage Areas is a programme founded by World Animal Protection and the World Cetacean Alliance and is steered by supporters focused on wildlife conservation, animal welfare, and responsible tourism.
Featured areas
Vista Alegre, Peru Amazon Night Monkey Heritage Area
Musmuki Tourism Association is a community-based project from Vista Alegre, Peru, located on the Peru-Colombia border. Vista Alegre is surrounded by diverse Amazonian ecosystems, including flooded...
California, United States Santa Barbara Channel Whale Heritage Area
The Santa Barbara Channel Whale Heritage Area includes the waters within the Channel Islands National Park and Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. From one of the healthier blue whale...
Apennines, Italy Apennines Marsican Bear Heritage Area
The Central Apennines — or the wild heart of Italy, as it’s often known — is home to swathes of naturally and deliberately rewilded habitats. Among thriving biodiversity lives the endangered Marsican...
Explore Areas
Get involved
If you’re passionate about supporting local communities to protect and celebrate wildlife in the most responsible way, you’ve come to the right place.
There are several ways to get involved with Wildlife Heritage Areas whether you’re a community or grassroots project interested in applying, a tourism business committed to responsible wildlife experiences, a wildlife NGO that could join our network of experts, or a storyteller that aligns with our mission. Find out more below.