The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Travel
Make a date to celebrate your favourite animal
From endangered tigers to the common house sparrow, almost every creature on earth has a fan base. Sarah Marshall looks at the moments to mark in the months ahead
As in lockdown, time passes slowly at an Antarctic research station. Giving some structure to the monotony, scientists at the Ross Sea McMurdo base noticed that every year, on April 25, a colony of Adélie penguins returned to the same spot after spending months at sea. The beginning of the seabirds’ northern migration seemed like a good excuse for a celebration, which snowballed into today’s World Penguin Day – an annual reminder of the threats facing the 17 species of this much-loved bird.
Ironically, ongoing climate change has since disrupted the Adélies’ movements – a fate shared by many of the animals now occupying a date in our calendar. From sloths to squirrels, lemurs to lynxes, every creature seems to have its own annual event. Many are created by charities, NGOs and biologists eager to educate and drum up funding for their mission. Others have their origins in grassroots community movements. For example, the people of Maui, Hawaii, inaugurated World Whale Day to celebrate the arrival of humpbacks off their coast.
Some observances are more spurious. Llamas are appealing enough, but do they really need our help? And does the house sparrow merit its own special day? A fan base in India clearly thinks so; they recommend throwing feathered fancy dress parties, inking temporary sparrow tattoos and arranging hop-a-thons on March 20 in honour of their favourite bird.
And why not? Whether appreciated by the mainstream or just a minority, every one of our animal wonders deserves attention. Awareness days get people hashtagging, Instagramming, campaigning and – most importantly – smiling. At a time when our diaries have been emptied and plans erased, they anchor straying thoughts with reminders of our world’s myriad wonders, spurring us on to make distant plans to see these animals first-hand.
A baby emperor penguin in Antarctica, below; a young chimp in Tanzania, above right
APRIL 25
WORLD PENGUIN DAY
Whether waddling along shores, stealing stones from neighbouring nests, or risking death to rear their young, Antarctica’s penguins are both entertaining and admirable. Seven species inhabit the seventh continent and subantarctic islands. Gentoos have diversified their diets to survive in warmer waters, but other species are struggling to adapt.
Polar Latitudes (polar-latitudes. com) monitors climate change on citizen science voyages. Coinciding with prime chick hatching, its 21-day Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica trip departs on Jan 19 2021. From £12,750pp, including flights via Swoop Antarctica (0117 369 0696; swoop-antarctica.com).
APRIL 27
WORLD TAPIR DAY
Resembling pigs and related to rhinos, tapirs have changed little over millions of years. In Brazil, they are a source of humour (tapir is Portuguese slang for jackass) but forest fires in the Amazon, as well as hunting and farming, have left these mammals at serious risk.
In summer, sightings at Alta Floresta’s Cristalino Jungle Lodge are frequent. Journey Latin America (020 3553 9647; journeylatin america.co.uk) tailors a 12-day Brazil trip from £4,918pp including flights.
MAY 23
WORLD TURTLE DAY
There’s no place like home for a sea turtle. In a remarkable feat of navigation, these endearing creatures swim thousands of miles to lay eggs, often on beaches where they were born, but predation, pollution and fishing activity mean fewer than 10 per cent survive. Glide past an adult and you will be met with the sangfroid that is earned from being one of the lucky few. All seven species of turtle live in Australia, so that is where to head.
Trailfinders (020 7084 6500; trailfinders.com) can tailor-make a six-night trip to the Great Barrier Reef for £3,823pp including flights.
MAY 27 WORLD OTTER DAY
Equipped with razor-sharp teeth and furious intent, otters eke out a living on sea and land, spending excess energy on play. An inspiration for Henry Williamson’s classic Tarka the Otter, Eurasian otters are famed for their antics; discover why on a trip to the Shetland Islands, home to one of Europe’s highest population densities.
Guide Brydon Thomason, a regular consultant for and runs small group day tours from £120pp
(01595 760333; shetlandnature.net).
MAY 31
WORLD PARROT DAY
Brash and bold, macaws light up rainforest canopies and have a screeching call even louder than their attire. Based at the Tambopata Research Centre in Peru, the Tambopata Macaw Project has studied the flamboyant birds for 30 years. Observe flocks gathering at the Chuncho clay lick and monitor nest boxes in a study to increase survival rates of scarlet macaw chicks.
Reef & Rainforest (01803 866965; reefandrainforest.co.uk) includes a stay at Tambopata Research Centre on its 14-day, tailor-made Peru tour. From £5,101pp, excluding flights.
JUNE 11 INTERNATIONAL LYNX DAY
Proof that Europe’s collection of cat species extends beyond Tiddles next door, the Eurasian lynx has rebounded in the past 50 years to a healthy population of 50,000. Solitary and secretive, these bewitching animals are still a challenge to spot. Bieszczady National Park, in the Polish Carpathian Mountains, is prime habitat for these and other resurgent species including bison, wolves and pygmy owls.
In March and April, the optimum months, Naturetrek (01962 733051; naturetrek.co.uk) offers an eight-day group tour from £1,995pp, including flights. Spaces are still available on the March 12 2021 departure.
JUNE 21
WORLD GIRAFFE DAY
Peaceful and benign, the world’s tallest mammal has something zen-like about it – but hunting and habitat loss put this safari staple at risk of slipping silently away. The Giraffe
Conservation Foundation has identified four species and several subspecies in Africa, although still surprisingly little is known about them. Join the NGO’s citizen science project in northern Namibia, run in conjunction with remote Hoanib Valley Camp. Go on game drives through feldspar-flecked mountains along a dry riverbed to gather data on desert-adapted Angolan giraffes.
Natural Selection (0027 21 001 1574; naturalselection.travel) can tailor-make a six-night Namibia flying safari from £4,600pp, excluding flights.
INTERNATIONAL TIGER DAY
Immortalised in artworks and venerated by poets, the world’s most majestic big cat is also under enormous threat. Trophy hunting, an illegal medicine trade and deforestation could spell extinction, and even though recent census increases suggest a glimmer of hope, this is still very much a creature in crisis. Bandhavgarh, the Indian park where the BBC filmed Dynasties, is arguably the best place to see the Bengal subspecies.
Photographer Paul Goldstein, who has guided tiger tours for 21 years, leads a nine-night trip to Bandhavgarh which includes a charity cricket match and full-day multi-route park entry, from £3,649pp including flights. Departs April 26 2021. Book through Exodus (020 8772 3743; exodus.co.uk).
AUGUST 10 WORLD LION DAY
A lion’s roar is peerless: commanding and visceral, it rocks you to the core every time you hear it. These charismatic big cats preside over the plains, where their struggle for territory and dominance unfolds like a soap opera. Ruthless, brutal and cunning, lions have a system of pride politics that makes the Borgias look tame. Like so many species, however, their presence across Africa is shrinking
– a decline of 50 per cent in the past 25 years. One stronghold, though, is the Maasai Mara’s Olare Motorogi Conservancy, where densities are exceptionally high. Prides frequently saunter through Kicheche Bush Camp.
Aardvark Safaris (01980 736155; aardvarksafaris.co.uk) can tailormake a three-night safari from £2,295pp, including flights.
AUGUST 12
WORLD ELEPHANT DAY
Boasting brains three times bigger than those of humans, with information flowing through 257billion neurons, it’s no surprise elephants never forget. Finely tuned memories enable annual migrations along ancient paths, with thousands gathering in processions towards reliable water sources. One of the biggest gatherings can be witnessed in Botswana’s Chobe National Park, home to the largest population on the continent. Set inside the protected area, &Beyond’s Chobe Under Canvas mobile camp gives guests a head start on inevitable tourist crowds.
Rainbow Tours (020 8131 5400; rainbowtours.co.uk) can tailormake a seven-day Botswana/ Zambezi safari from £4,350pp, including flights.
AUGUST 30 INTERNATIONAL WHALE SHARK DAY
At a time when our diaries are empty, awareness events remind us of our world’s wonders
Although the size of a school bus, the world’s largest fish consumes the tiniest of creatures, making it harmless to snorkellers and divers who choose to glide alongside. They are known to cruise thousands of miles through warm waters in search of plankton-rich feeding sites, but much of their lives remains a mystery; no scientist has ever observed them giving birth, for example. Research suggests the South Atlantic island of St Helena could be a breeding ground, attracting equal numbers of both sexes from November to April.
Dive Worldwide (01962 302087; diveworldwide.com) is offering a 12-day group tour to St Helena from £3,995pp, including flights, departing Jan 28 2021.
SEPTEMBER 19 INTERNATIONAL RED PANDA DAY
Native to the eastern Himalayas and China, these cute cinnamon-coloured fluffballs are overshadowed by their headline-grabbing black-and-white namesakes. Both types of panda are endangered, elusive and enjoy a niche bamboo diet, making them a challenge to track down. Your best bet is
Singalila National Park, straddling the Indian-Nepalese border, where the species was reintroduced 16 years ago.
Gane and Marshall (01822 600600; ganeandmarshall.com) can tailormake an eight-day tour from £3,700pp, including flights. Travel from November to May.
SEPTEMBER 22 WORLD RHINO DAY
In 50 million years, rhinos have dodged prehistoric predators, braced ice ages and outlived dinosaurs, but in just decades we have almost wiped out the five remaining species. Illegally traded, their horns are worth more than cocaine or gold, but no price can be put on seeing one. Desert-adapted black rhinos can be encountered on foot in Namibia’s Damaraland, guided by Save the Rhino Trust trackers.
Original Travel (020 3582 4990; originaltravel.co.uk) can tailor-make a five-night trip from £5,000pp, including flights.
SEPTEMBER 24 WORLD GORILLA DAY
These captivating great apes are a conservation success story; tourism, community engagement and protection policies are credited for the latest rise in mountain gorilla census figures. There are 1,069 in the Virunga Mountains of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and Rwanda compared to 240 in the Eighties.
Vet and conservationist Dr Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka leads a pioneering 17-day East Africa tour with Rainbow Tours (020 3588 2985; rainbowtours. co.uk), departing Jan 16 2021. From £9,055pp, including flights.
OCTOBER 20 INTERNATIONAL SLOTH DAY
In a race, even a snail might beat these slowcoaches, but there’s a lot to be said for conserving energy and taking time to enjoy life. Costa Ricans sum it up with their pura vida mantra, so it’s apt that many of these adorable, treedwelling mammals can be found there. Dangling upside down from branches, two-toed and three-toed species are widely spread.
For a truly wild experience, Pura Aventura (01273 676712; puraaventura.com) includes a night at Corcovado National Park’s remote ranger station in a new 16-night tailor-made tour. From £4,495pp, excluding flights.
OCTOBER 23 WORLD SNOW LEOPARD DAY
Earning the moniker “grey ghost” for good reason, these superbly camouflaged mountain cats are notoriously hard to spot. Most hopeful tourists brave winter temperatures and high altitudes in Ladakh, but a new tour promises to showcase populations in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan at a height of only 4,200ft. Accompanied by local rangers, guests travel on horseback to collect data and camera trap footage, and hike to find these feline apparitions in the flesh.
NOVEMBER 29
An eight-night tailor-made safari in Tanzania costs from £6,400pp, excluding flights, with Asilia Africa (0027 21 418 0468; asiliaafrica.com). For every bed night, US$5 (£4) is donated to the Serengeti Cheetah Project.
JANUARY 31 INTERNATIONAL ZEBRA DAY
Leaner and more elegantly dressed than their common plains cousins, Grévy’s are the supermodels of the zebra world. Fossils suggest they once roamed as far as Egypt, but now 90 per cent of the precious population of 3,000 resides in northern Kenya. See them in the grasslands of Lewa Conservancy and the rust-red scrub of Samburu National Park.
Abercrombie & Kent (01242 547702; abercrombiekent.co.uk) can tailor-make a seven-night safari from £5,800pp, including flights.
FEBRUARY 20 WORLD WHALE DAY
Baring white bellies to the heavens, humpbacks are known for their breaching. Cetacean expert Mark Carwardine rates Mexico’s Baja Peninsula for whale-watching, with a chance to spot up to 15 species including energetic humpbacks.
Mark Carwardine’s guided 13-day itinerary costs from £5,595pp, excluding flights (0117 904 8934; markcarwardine.com). Departures on Feb 8 and 23 2021.
FEBRUARY 27 INTERNATIONAL POLAR BEAR DAY
It may be a stratum above us in the food chain, but the Arctic’s apex predator is no match for the destructive human race. A poster child for climate change, the polar bear frequents a habitat that is melting; summer sea ice could disappear in 25 years. Norway’s Svalbard archipelago is one good place to see the bears.
G Adventures (020 7313 6953; gadventures.co.uk) offers an eight-day Svalbard cruise from £2,799pp, excluding flights, departing on June 12 and 19 2021.
MARCH 22 INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE SEAL
Bundles of creamy fur with big, forlorn eyes, grey seal pups are hard to resist – and half of them live in British and Irish waters. The number of pups born on the Farne Islands has grown by 57 per cent in five years; they arrive in October and November but adults are there year-round.
Crabtree & Crabtree (01573 226711; crabtreeandcrabtree.com) offers a chance to paddle-board and snorkel with seals as part of a four-day Ecotherapy package, from £440pp.
MARCH 31
MANATEE APPRECIATION DAY
It’s hard to equate a lolling, blubber ball with a nimble sea siren, but manatees, or sea cows, are reputedly the root of the mermaid myth. Crystal river in Florida is the only authorised site for guided snorkelling.
Bon Voyage (0800 316 0194; bon-voyage.co.uk) has a seven-night trip from £995pp, including flights.