There are places that we promised ourselves we would visit before we die. If they’re in the list below, maybe you’d like to move them up your list because they may not be there when you finally decide to pack your bags. These places (and species) are endangered—at the risk of being wiped out from the map—because of environmental and manmade factors. So if you do fly to them, be aware of the impact of your trip.
1. Orangutans in Borneo – Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei possess the world’s most number of orangutans. But since their natural habitats are being destroyed by man at an alarming pace, their population is seriously impaired. Many reserves in the region are doing their best to impede this un-development. The same places are where you can mingle with them.
2. Taj Mahal – Yes, the world’s most famous mausoleum is endangered in being a thing of the past. Environmental factors (caused by epic manmade constructions) like acid rain are threatening the Taj Mahal’s white exterior to yellow.
3. Cloud Forests – The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve in Costa Rica is home to more than 400 species of orchids. It’s also a diverse ecosystem with many rare fauna. But several species have already gone extinct and many others are endangered. Even the clouds that envelop the forests are not as thick because of deforestation. Catch the landscape while it’s still moist.
4. Great Barrier Reef – Australia’s most famous natural landmark is slowly being killed by acidity and the rise in water temperatures. The reef, the only visible living installation from space, will not only lose its visibility, but also its life, by 2030.
5. Kilimanjaro – One of the “seven summits,” this snowy mountain in Tanzania is losing its snow-white landscape by the minute. Climate change is attributed to cause the melting of the glaciers, but the vast amount of people conquering it also plays a role. You can visit it without leaving a carbon footprint by viewing it from afar.
6. The Alps – The glaciers of Europe are melting in a disturbing rate. If this goes on at its current pace, scientists predict that most of them will be gone by 2030. Most of the world’s glaciers are diminishing as well, but this is most evident in the ones in Switzerland. That’s not very cool.
7. The Everglades – The Everglades National Park in the southern part of Florida is one part of the whole Everglades system that’s still almost untouched. The surrounding areas are not so lucky. Manmade developments and farming are dramatically decreasing the then-“unending” river to a fraction of its original size.
8. Lions in Africa – The lion population in the entire African continent have decreased drastically. Reports say there are only about 50,000 left today from 200,000 30 years ago. Massive government efforts are being undertaken to combat this loss, but it’s not looking very hopeful. However, if you want to catch a glimpse of the king of the jungle, there are some at South Africa’s Kruger National Park.
9. The coastal salt marsh in Louisiana – The state’s main defense against hurricanes, the marshes are a line of cypress trees that act as a buffer when storm surges threaten. And it’s a picture-perfect view of the horizon with the birds and the bayou. But with the cutting down of these trees, the marshes are being lost to the sea, an estimated 25 square miles yearly.
10. Polar Bears in the Arctic – Climate change is causing the sea of ice to melt rapidly and the snowy creatures are left without a home. Scientists report that unless global warming is reversed, we will have to bid farewell to the polar bears by 2050. Pay your respects in Canada and Alaska.
