Man’s careless approach to the environment put these experiences on the endangered list. Don’t delay – do it now.

Mountain GorillaUganda TourismGorilla Trekking This is no ordinary walk in the park. Deep in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in southwest Uganda, the mountain gorilla is the king of the jungle. Tread carefully; this is their world and you are fortunate to be in it. Watch families forage for food, play games and nurse their young, all under the watchful eye of the all-powerful male silverback. And remember, they study you as much as you study them. Less than 800 mountain gorillas remain in the world. Relish, respect and honour Uganda’s wild side.

Kilimanjaro National ParkDr Azolt ZatrokClimb Mt. Kilimanjaro Climbing the world’s tallest “walkable” mountain, towering 5,898 metres above the plains of Kilimanjaro National Park in Tanzania, is not for the faint hearted. It is a six-to-eight day arduous trek. You feel breathless in the thin air. Your legs feel like cement – each step more gruelling than the last. No special mountain equipment is required – just an abundance of perseverance. Along the way experience five different climate zones starting in the tropical zone and ending at the gradually melting snow-covered Uhuru Peak – the highest point in Africa. Climate change is making the snows of Kilimanjaro a thing of the past so don’t delay.

Amazon RiverShutterstock/Mariusz S JurgielewiczAmazon Rainforest Venture down the mighty and mysterious Amazon River in a dug-out canoe and you will quickly come to appreciate the wonder of the surrounding rainforest. Paddle carefully as giant anacondas, black caimans and piranhas lurk below. The dense jungle’s silence is broken by the shrill sounds of spider monkeys and macaws. Experience the rainforest’s sounds and scents at an eco-lodge run by one of the 200 tribes who call the rainforest home. The Amazon rainforest is home to the largest collection of living plants and animal species in the world. Protect and preserve this key ecological paradise.

Polar BearsGizelle LauObserve Polar Bears Don your Canada goose parkas and merino wool long johns and make your way to Churchill, Manitoba, the unofficial Polar Bear Capital of the World. It’s not the howling winds that will send shivers down your spine, it’s the sound of immense paws crunching on hard-packed snow as you come face-to-face with these Arctic giants. Look into his eyes. Although he may be one of the fiercest, mightiest animals on the planet, he is also terribly vulnerable. Global warming threatens their natural habitats and population. Head to Churchill and see for yourself.