Virtual safaris keep wildlife in sight for absent tourists

摘要

Virtual safaris are helping to distract people under coronavirus lockdowns while attracting badly needed support for African wildlife parks hit hard by the disappearance of tourists. Wildlife tourism is a major source of revenue for countries like Kenya. Some operators are now sharing live broadcasts of safaris on social media in the hope that attention to endangered and other species doesn't fade. In the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, workers have created what they call Sofa Safari, driving around filming with a smartphone from an open-top vehicle. "One of the ways we are trying to be innovative is looking at virtual ways of bringing wildlife to people's homes, to their television sets and to their telephones," said the conservancy's managing director, Richard Vigne.