Some tourists in the beautiful countryside in India are littering the wilderness and endangering wildlife, and others are disappointed with it.
In a post to the r/Goa subreddit, a Redditor shared two photos of their recent visit to Goa — one of the trash tossed by tourists and the other of a beautiful river view. The post is getting the attention of fellow travelers who are appalled at what some of the tourists are doing.
"Visited this off beat place recently, and locals are doing so much to keep it clean," wrote the OP, "but in the end, there is still so much trash around because of irresponsible beings." They then clarified that the "irresponsible beings" were other tourists.
As showcased by the photo, the pile of trash left by visitors to the wilderness area included beer bottles, plastic water bottles, cardboard, and plastic bags.
Sadly, tourists have experienced this behavior at parks and natural areas across the globe.
The wilderness is an integral part of the ecosystem, and visiting it should be accompanied by care and respect. Trees not only release oxygen into the air, but they also remove carbon dioxide, helping to slow the overheating of our planet.
Visiting places like Goa can be a great starting point for building awareness about the climate. The more you interact with wildlife, the more you'll learn how the animals and plants interact, thus creating a better understanding of the natural world and a desire to protect it.
Unfortunately, people who litter like this can ruin the experience for other travelers. It's also stressful for the locals and park rangers who are left to clean up the mess to protect the ecosystem.
Littering can also be stressful, and sometimes fatal, for wildlife. Wildlife will often mistake the trash for food. They eat it but cannot digest it.
Commenters on the post were equally as shocked and appalled by the behavior of the tourists.
"It's not uncommon for them to just throw their empties on the beaches for shoeless people to step on," wrote one commenter.
"As a tourist, I picked up my trash! And I told the others I was with to do the same," said another. "Stop Freaking trashing nature!"
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