BY ELKE DUERR
"If we want to preserve our precious wildlife and wildland resources, we must all learn to follow basic guidelines when we view and photograph wildlife."
—General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, U.S. Army retired
It is a privilege to watch and photograph wildlife in its natural habitat. Nowadays, with nearly everyone in the wild armed with a camera, whether it’s a camera phone or professional photography and videography equipment, new questions have come up: What kind of conduct is ethical when it comes to wildlife photography, and what endangers the safety and wellbeing of photographer, wild animal and wildland?
Many of us are not aware of our natural sense of safe distance from and conduct toward wild animals. Some people view wild animals as part of the landscape, there for our enjoyment. Yet wild animals have their own personhood, so to speak. Some form family units similar to human families, often building strong, lifelong bonds with one another. They have roles to fulfill within their family structure, no matter what that structure might be, and in general are part of a picture larger than many humans can comprehend. Enjoying them is well and good as long as the animals and humans involved are not harmed in the process. We have all heard about tourists who urge their children to inch ever closer to a bear, wolf, elk or bison for a “once-in-a-lifetime” photo op.
In fact, I frequently witnessed this kind of behavior when I was visiting Yellowstone National Park last summer. One day an old bison bull was grazing alongside a turn-off in the road when a family stopped to take pictures of their son almost touching the large animal. I was horrified and tried, to no avail, to get them back into their car and to stop teasing and daring the young man to move ever closer to the bull.
Meanwhile, the bull's tail was moving into "charge" position; it was held aloft, which can only mean that either charge or "discharge" was about to happen. Since he was at that point, eyeing the people, it most likely meant that he was seriously considering charging. Luckily, the family retreated after taking enough pictures and drove away in the nick of time.
This might be the extreme case. But it frequently happens that humans mistake seemingly passive animals as a sign of safety. These animals might be ready to charge because they feel crowded. We demand space between ourselves and our fellow human beings. With wild animals, that space needs to be much larger than what we feel is appropriate between human beings.
After all, we are in their habitat when we are looking for opportunities to photograph wildlife. Throughout the world their habitat has been reduced to a sliver of its former size. While we can go anywhere in this world, from cafes to malls to running on a track or driving on a highway, animals are often confined to small areas where the pressure from encroaching humans adds more stress to their lives than they were formerly accustomed to. They need areas to which they can retreat and regroup, where they feel safe to be themselves and do what they came here to do, namely fulfill their role in the ecosystem, undisturbed.
It is best to observe wildlife from a distance and never follow an
animal or approach it too closely.
I recommend viewing and photographing from observation areas
and trails and using a telephoto lens, spotting scope or binoculars. Following wild animals or blocking their line of travel or their escape route is not recommended—even when it is tempting to get a photo from close up. Direct eye contact is often a sign of aggression to an animal, which is what it experiences when we are watching it through a lens. The same goes for walking directly toward a wild animal, even if it seems to not care about our presence.
It is of utmost importance to remain at a distance from nesting birds, denning animals and newborn animals. Wild animal parents, just like humans, are very protective of their offspring and instinctively protect their young from creatures that in their eyes might be dangerous.
This is usually not the case with wolves. Wolf mothers have been known to leave a den with pups when a human enters it rather than attack and drive the intruder out. Nevertheless, in our quest to take a picture or get closer to the pups, we harm them. These types of close encounters with humans are very stressful for animals not accustomed to having humans at close range. Crowding or encircling wildlife causes unnecessary stress to their system, as does following an animal that has chosen to leave.
There are other things that we do, often quite innocently, that cause harm to wildlife. Somebody recently told me about a young disperser wolf routinely fed by well-meaning humans who wanted to make sure he got enough to eat but who also wanted to be close to a wolf to take pictures of it.
Feeding wild animals for whatever reason could keep them from eating the food that nature intended for them to eat. It can also causes
animal concentrations, which could make them much more susceptible to disease and parasites and causes conditions such as tooth decay, gum infections and ulcers that occur when they eat food they are not accustomed to and which contains ingredients that are harmful to them. It also, of course, habituates them to us which often results in their being killed by humans for frequenting and defending their new food source. Feeding wild animals along roadsides can result in their being injured or killed by cars or chased by dogs.
Always bear in mind that some places lend themselves to wildlife photography more than others. Spending a few days in Yellowstone National Park where hunting is not allowed almost guarantees you will see bears, wolves and other large animals. In other places, where the pressures of hunting requires animals to protect themselves by being concealed, you might get the wilderness experience of camping without seeing any wild animals.
I invite us all to look at our impact on wildlife. If we seek experiences with animals in nature, acquiring good, far-reaching photo equipment is key. In the words of one of the Web of Life Foundation volunteers, "I am so excited about my new telephoto lens. Now I can stay away from the animals and still photograph them when the opportunity arises without doing harm."
The same holds true for habitat. Without it wildlife would not be able to exist. We must treat the natural world with care, walk lightly on the land and leave the area looking natural and undisturbed. Often this can be accomplished by simply staying on established roads and trails. After all we are not just a visitor or intruder but another member of the ecosystem, the web of life.
By heeding these pointers we can combine our love for wildlife
photography with our care for wildlife and wildlands and make sure that the animals and natural environment thrive.
We can also share our photos with one another. That way we can all be part of this wonderful adventure called wilderness and create the personal connections to it that will help us protect our wild places and animals for all the generations to come.
Following are some examples of ethical wildlife photography for your enjoyment
Wild bison in Yellowstone National Park, Elke Duerr
Mexican Gray Wolf, Elke Duerr
Squirrel following me to talk to me, Elke Duerr