The turtle is a creature with widespread appeal. It is seemingly peaceful and graceful in the water, slow and charmingly ungainly on land. It is always a treat for scuba divers when they encounter a turtle around reefs or swimming in the open sea. The sad truth for wildlife conservation is that many turtle species are struggling to survive in the wild as their habitats are disrupted by human activity. The better known Loggerhead and Green turtle species are endangered, with many lesser known species critically endangered. Some, like the black soft shell turtle, are already extinct in the wild.

Turtles in Goa

An example of the animal conservation work being done to counter this is a turtle preservation programme in Goa, where wildlife conservation activists at the Turtle Protection Centre have reported that thirty five turtle nests have declined to just seven over the last ten years.

Nesting sites are where turtles are particularly vulnerable because newborn turtles must brave the short but difficult route from the nest to the ocean, and because the sites suitable for nesting are themselves declining in number. Accordingly the focus of animal conservation work is protecting these nesting sites. Only around one in a thousand of newborn turtles will grow to become adults, which means succeeding generations are dwindling in size.

Encroaching Tourism

Goa is a prime example of a place where tourism is having a negative effect on turtle populations. As the area develops to enhance the capacity for the tourist industry, the turtle’s natural territory is reduced. Furthermore, with increasing visitors to the area, the turtles suffer disruption on beaches that were previously peaceful enough for them to settle.

Part of the wildlife conservation effort in Goa involves guarding nesting grounds where pregnant turtles and their young are most vulnerable. If this kind of work appeals to you, you might be interested to hear that you can take part in animal conservation work of this type as part of a gap year for adults trip.

Light Pollution

Light pollution is traditionally a concern for nocturnal animals, but it can be critical in the lives of turtles, too. The timing of hatchings often coincides with a full moon, because the newborns instinctively head towards the light to reach the sea. As a result, newborn baby turtles can be confused by street lights and houses, which cause them to head away from the sea when they should be crawling towards the relative safety of the water. On a gap year for adults wildlife conservation project, you will take part in campaigns to educate locals about ways to reduce the impact of artificial light on the turtles.

Litter

The litter created by tourists or careless locals is often mistaken by turtles as food. Plastic is especially hazardous because it cannot be digested and it resembles the favourite food of turtles: the jellyfish. This means that turtles are often found starved to death with plastic coating their stomachs. Wildlife conservation schemes usually involve collecting rubbish from areas of beach near turtle nesting sites.

On gap year for adults trip of this kind in Goa, you get to enjoy the beauty of the local environment while helping the efforts of a conservation project to preserve it.

Mark Bottell is the General Manager for Worldwide Experience, an online tour operator offering extended breaks focusing on wildlife conservation and various adventurous gap years for adults.

Wildlife Conservation in India

There are numerous destinations around the world where it is possible to volunteer to work in wildlife conservation. South Africa is one of the most popular, with its enormous national parks and a large population of big game animals, but it is by no means the only option. If you are looking to make a difference on a gap year or career break and want to work with animals, then a visit to India can be an outstanding choice. This country is home to diverse species, including elephants, panthers, monkeys, turtles and many different species of birds, and a visit here allows you experience some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world, from unspoilt coasts to verdant jungles and arid deserts.

Wildlife conservation work in India falls into two main areas – work in the cities and work in the countryside. Here is an overview of these two options…

Conservation in the Wildlife Sanctuaries

India is an enormous country, with a highly diverse wildlife population. There are numerous wildlife sanctuaries that are dedicated to the preservation of unique habitats and the animals that live in them, such as the Cotiago Wildlife Sanctuary on the coast near to Goa.

These sanctuaries rely on volunteers to help keep them running, and if you choose to work at one of these places you’ll get to experience a wide variety of wildlife conservation activities first hand. These may include research and observation of animals in the wild, veterinary work with sick and injured animals, habitat repair and maintenance, and the running of programs to encourage responsible tourism. These are especially important in popular tourist areas such as Goa, where visitors may accidentally do great harm to the local habitats through irresponsible behaviour such as littering.

Rescue and Care in the Cities

Wildlife conservation work isn’t confined to the national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in India – there’s plenty of work to be done in the cities as well. There are a huge number of stray animals that live in the major Indian cities, often in truly desperate conditions. The cities themselves often lack an infrastructure to deal with these animals, and rely on outside organisations and volunteers to help curb the problem.

As a volunteer in one of the major Indian cities, you will have the opportunity to help out in many different ways. As part of mobile ambulance teams, wildlife workers travel the streets and respond to phone calls to find sick and wounded animals, take them in and then restore them to health. Stray animals can be carriers for disease, and can also breed uncontrollably, so it is important to carry out vaccination and sterilisation campaigns. Taking animals off the streets and getting them into homes is very important, and most organisations in the cities will encourage adoption of animals whenever they can. Finally, education outreach programs can spread information on how to help stray animals.

There’s plenty of work to be done in India as a wildlife conservation volunteer, but whether you work in the cities or in the sanctuaries, you can be sure you’ll be making a valuable contribution, and a difference!

Mark Bottell is the General Manager for Worldwide Experience, an online tour operator offering extended breaks in wildlife conservation holidays and various adventurous gap years for adults.