(Oranjestad)—Recently, through his Facebook page, renowned activist Greg Peterson from the Aruba Birdlife Conservation posted a sad message, indicating that another type of bird in Aruba, the Patrishi, has started to disappear due to UTV and ATV activities around the island’s wildlife territories.
“The last call of the Patrishi. Around the area of the Lighthouse where adventure tourism has caused great disturbance to a historic breeding ground of Aruba’s Burrowing Owl (Shoco), we have now noticed that the Crested Bobwhite (Patrishi), which once roamed this area in respectable numbers, has now disappeared,” the post indicates.
Peterson, who is an activist firmly standing in the fight to safeguard Aruba’s nature and environment, emphasizes that the manner of use of the UTV and ATV, used for off-roading adventures, currently has a serious impact on Aruba’s nature.
He stresses that this type of tourism is not sustainable and needs to be regulated long before it causes more damage to Aruba’s flora and fauna. This is not the first time this tourist activity has been denounced. For a long time now, citizens and organizations have expressed their dissatisfaction with the damage caused by ATV and UTV to nature, but nonetheless, some companies continue to give tours using these vehicles in different locations without providing clear guidelines and rules for off-roading activities.
Our local fauna and flora is especially important for the preservation of our nature. Visitors and locals alike have always expressed their love and admiration for Aruba’s nature, and so it is important that we work together to address and safeguard the island’s nature reserves. A healthy environment insures not only the growth of our local flora and fauna, but also provides an enjoyable experience for tourists visiting the island as well the locals receiving the visitors.
