Wildlife viewing Skins can help with rewilding in many ways. Rewilding Europe's newly published best practice manual provides guidance for companies and initiatives looking to develop and operate them.
Advantages of wild animal skins
Today, more and more people want to connect with Europe's wild nature. Europe may not yet have Africa's reputation as a premier wildlife viewing destination, but it is home to a variety of interesting and iconic animals, from bears, bison and beavers to lynxes, wolves and eagles. As populations of many of these species continue to recover in Europe, opportunities to observe wildlife across the continent are rapidly increasing.
The Wildlife Returning Report, commissioned by Rewilding Europe and published in 2022, found that many European wildlife species have made a comeback across the continent over the past 40 to 50 years. This recovery is supported through measures including legal protection, policy and land use changes, and species management and conservation efforts, including rewilding, provided through the EU Birds and Habitats Directive.
In Europe, where many wild animals are relatively shy and population densities are low, one of the best ways to promote safe and intimate wildlife encounters is through the use of wildlife viewing hides. When developed and operated in the right way, these hides provide valuable income to sustainable nature-based businesses and communities, strengthen people's understanding and passion for nature, and provide additional support and economic incentives for conservation and rewilding. You can create it.
Best Practice Manual
In order to explain the benefits of wildlife pelts and provide guidance to businesses and plans seeking to develop and operate them, Rewilding Europe has developed a Code of Conduct for the Development and Operation of Wildlife pelts. This comprehensive manual is intended to complement the well-illustrated practical guide to wildlife observation hides published by Rewilding Europe in 2014. This guide provides a wealth of information about leather types, plans and construction.
The new Code of Conduct contains a range of information and guidance on best practice for wildlife viewing hides relating to elements such as governance, shelter location and design, promotion and marketing, and practical day-to-day operations. It also includes a code of conduct for nature guides and hide keepers, recommended rules for hide users and an overview of the various existing codes of conduct for hides. Following these rules and guidelines can help hide operators keep disturbance to wildlife to a minimum, ensure that hide users' experiences are as rewarding and productive as possible, and hides generate a healthy financial return.
Velebit: A fascinating case study
Wildlife skins can have a positive impact on rewilding plans in a variety of ways. An example of this is the rewilding landscape of the Velebit Mountains in Croatia, where the efforts of the Rewilding Velebit team are supporting the return of wildlife. The teams managing the various hunting rights are simultaneously shifting from traditional hunting operations to wildlife observation operations.
The five newly built hides, which began operating in Velebit in 2023, are now attracting more and more visitors. Natural restoration in and around landscapes is providing financial benefits to local communities on an increasingly large scale. This, in turn, is strengthening human-wildlife coexistence at the local level by changing people's perception of animal populations from a potential source of conflict to one of economic opportunity.
Max Biasioli, General Manager and Founder of SKUA Nature Group, a leading wildlife viewing tour and hide company that has signed a partnership agreement with Rewilding Europe, is very excited about the viewing the new hides now offer.
“The experience of being able to observe the bears from a few meters away while sitting comfortably in a mirrored glass structure is truly amazing. Everyone, not just experienced photographers, is in awe of these close encounters. “We want the local community to be proud and benefit from the growing number of tourists coming to see the wildlife that thrives here as a result of our diverse approach to wilderness restoration and management.”
Financial support for the development of wild animal skins
Wildlife restoration schemes and tourism operators seeking support in developing wildlife viewing experiences, including the development and operation of wildlife viewing hides, may be interested in contacting Rewilding Europe's corporate lending facility, Rewilding Europe Capital.
By providing financial support and expertise, Rewilding Europe Capital works to grow the nature-based economy and support the development of new business models within and across Rewilding Europe's growing portfolio of restored landscapes that benefit both nature and people. For more information, contact Daniel Veríssimo, conservation finance expert at Rewilding Europe.