ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an introduction to the world's wildlife and describes a continuum for conceptualising the nature of various human-wildlife leisure experiences, from those in natural habitats to those in more artificial, captive environments. It also provides an overview of the settings in which people presently interact, engage with, or otherwise encounter, wild animals as part of their leisure time. The chapter considers some of the good, the bad and the ugly aspects of human-wildlife leisure experiences from both human and animal perspectives, drawing on literature from a diverse range of fields, including tourism and leisure studies, animal welfare, ecology, psychology and mental health. It describes wild animals uses to refer all extant, non-domesticated species of non-human animals. Wildlife rehabilitation centres primarily care for and rehabilitate wild animals, often from illegal trade. In 2000, the Pan African Sanctuary Alliance was created for primate sanctuaries that rescue and care for thousands of surviving victims of the illegal bushmeat and exotic pet trade.
