Do visitors attract or repel vertebrates in an urban park in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest?

High visitor presence and infrastructure significantly increase vertebrate foraging activity in urban parks, suggesting that ecotourism can negatively impact wildlife. The study, conducted in the Tijuca National Park—a protected area within Rio de Janeiro’s metropolitan region—used baited traps to measure vertebrate consumption at varying distances from roads with and without visitor facilities (e.g., parking lots, barbecue pits). Results showed that areas with constant human activity experienced higher bait removal rates, particularly near structures like playgrounds. These findings highlight the need for park managers to mitigate tourism-related disturbances to protect wildlife in urban conservation areas.

Zaú, A. S., Freitas, G. P., & Oda, G. A. M. (2015). Do visitors attract or repel vertebrates in an urban park in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest? Revista Brasileira de Ecoturismo (RBEcotur), 8(5). https://doi.org/10.34024/rbecotur.2015.v8.6521