11 countries to discover rare wild animals

11 countries to discover rare wild animals

We love the free nature: hiking, cycling, sailing and swimming and especially observing rare wild animals. We were lucky enough to swim in Tonga with humpback whales, walk on the Galápagos Islands between giant turtles and finally watch elephant herds in the Udawalawe National Park in Sri Lanka.

The animal world goes hand in hand with a beautiful landscape and in most cases also with minimal human influence. There are still so much incredible and diverse animal world to see and so many beautiful countries in which you can see them. Here is our wish list of the best countries to observe rare wild animals.

In any case, we focused on travel destinations that support environmental protection efforts and sustainable tourism.

1. Cheetah in Namibia

In 2007 there were an estimated 4,000 cheetah in southern Africa. The latest estimates assume that the population has risen to over 6,000, with Namibia being the largest cheetah population worldwide. From 2015, over 3,500 cheetahs will live in Namibia.

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Although most of the Namibian cheetahs are scattered about unprotected areas, the country remains the best place to see these glorious creatures in the wild. The Etosha National Park offers the best chances together with the private nature reserve Okonjima, where the headquarters of the Africat Foundation is located.

2. Jaguar in Brazil

The Jaguar is known as the "Tiger America" ​​and the third largest big cat. Tragically, the jaguar populations are going back rapidly and the big cat is considered almost threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which means that it could soon be threatened with extinction. It is estimated that there are only about 15,000 Jaguars in the wild.

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Jaguars can survive in various habitats, from the Sonora desert in Mexico to the pampas in northern Argentina, but they thrive in the damp jungle and rainforest of the Pantanal in Brazil. Here, a sighting is practically guaranteed during the dry season (August to October). Visit the Refugio Ecologico Caiman for a number of flowering ecotourism options.

3. Everything on the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador

Almost the entire wildlife of the Galápagos Islands is endemic on the archipelago, which automatically makes it rare and unique. Whether on land, in the air or under water, the animal world on the Galápagos Islands has tied up the imagination of enthusiasts since Darwin's visit and its consistent development of evolution theory by natural selection.

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whether it is giant turtles, iguanas, Galápagos penguins, Albatrosse or Blaufuss olel, which stimulate their imagination, the Galápagos Islands will certainly inspire them. Be sure to take a look at our article on environmentally friendly tourism on the Galápagos Islands to help you reduce the effects of your visit.

4. Tiger in India

The Bengal tiger mainly occurs in India with smaller populations in Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, China and Myanmar. The WWF recently estimated an increase in the number of tigers worldwide: from an estimated 3,200 in 2010 to 3,890 in 2016.

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The creation of Indian tiger reservates such as the Ranthambor National Park in the 1970s and 1980s contributed to stabilizing the numbers and supporting the latest increase. Tigers are incredibly difficult to tact, which means that the best places to discover them are places like the Ranthambore National Park, where they are most used to vehicles. This type of getting used to it may seem contrary, but the WWF supports you in order to finance nature conservation and prevent tourism from penetrating to other areas.

5. Mountain gorillas in Uganda and Rwanda

The global gorilla apopulation steadily decreases. However, the subspecies of the mountain gorillas that live in the Virunga mountains-a series of expired volcanoes that borders the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda-has recorded an increase in overall population in recent years. It is now assumed that it is at least 880 people, compared to 620 in 1989.

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Uganda's Gorilla's life in epic named Bwindi Impenetrable National Forest, a veil of confused green, which covers the country's southwestern mountains. A gorilla hike in the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda is a simpler matter with easier access and a better developed and sustainable tourism industry.

6. Leopards in Sri Lanka

In 2008, the Srilankische Leopard was listed as endangered on the Red List of IUCN. Today, however, it was classified as vulnerable, which offers some hope for the future. The game population will be roughly estimated at 700-950 from 2015, with the Yala National Park having one of the highest leopard densities in the world.

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Our last safari in the Yala National Park in Sri Lanka was a success. Despite monsoon rain and dwindling light, we were able to discover a leopard on our first game ride of the trip. The dry season offers the best chances of seeing leopards, as these difficult to compensate creatures prefer dry weather and are more on the hunting in June to September when the precipitation is the slightest.

7. Horn in Kenya

rhinos once roamed Eurasia and Africa and were portrayed by early Europeans in cave paintings. Unfortunately, very few rhinos survive outside of national parks and protected areas. Two types of rhinoceros in Asia, Java and Sumatra are threatened with extinction.

The types of white rhinos in Africa are threatened with extinction 100 years ago and more than 20,000 today. This is one of the greatest success stories of species protection. The number of pointed homes have also increased and has doubled in the past two decades.

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Kenya remains one of the best places to see rhinos, whether black or white. The non-profit 90,000 hectares of Ol Pejeta Conservancy has the largest population of pointed homorns in East Africa, while the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, the Borana Ranch and Conservancy and the Lake Nakuru National Park offer excellent opportunities.

8. Sea turtles in Costa Rica

Almost all types of sea turtles are classified as endangered. Because of their eggs, meat, their skin and tank killed, sea turtles suffer from poaching and overexploitation. They are also confronted with the destruction of their habitat and accidentally fishing and suffer from the effects of climate change on their nesting places and mating rituals.

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The Costa Ricas coast is often referred to as the birthplace of ecotourism and houses dozens of important nest beaches for several turtles. The research station Las Tortugas, the Tortuguero National Park and the protected peninsula OSA are excellent places to observe these great seafarers and at the same time support their survival.

9. Big pandas in China

Despite all the efforts of recent years and the relative lack of natural enemies, pandas are still at risk. There is a little more than 1,800 pandas in the wild - all in China. The Chinese government has set up over 50 Panda reserves, but only about 61 % of the country's panda population are protected.

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The best places to see giant pandas and at the same time support the nature conservation efforts are the Dujiangyan Panda Base, the Büfengxia Giant Panda Base and the Giant Giant Panda Center. All are in the Wolong Nature Reserve in Sichuan.

10. Eisbears in Canada

worldwide there are an estimated 22,000 to 31,000 polar bears. Due to the loss of marine life through climate change and other threats such as conflicts between polar bears and people, overuse and industrial effects, polar bears are classified as endangered, with a high estimated risk of a future decline due to climate change.

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Between 60 and 80 % of global polar bear population live in Canada, and the small town of Churchill in northern Manitsobas is at the top of the region's growing ecotourism scene.

Every autumn, the large polar bear population moves from the interior to the coast, which inspires the name "Eisbear capital of the world" and makes Churchill the best place to see polar bears.

11. Lemurs in Madagascar

lemurs are a special group of primates that can only be found on the African island of Madagascar. Of the 50 different types of lemurs, 10 are threatened with extinction, seven are at risk and 19 are considered endangered.

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The best places to see lemurs in Madagascar are Parc National Mantadia and Parc National de L’Alo. Both parks offer their residents excellent protection as well as knowledgeable leaders and a strong infrastructure for visitors. In addition, some of the parking fees contribute to the financing of community projects.

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in Born Wild: The Extraordary Story of One Man’s Passion for Lions and for Africa tells Tony Fitzjohn of his 20 years in Kenya with George Adamson von Born Free - a time of discovery, isolation and frequent dangers in a remote part of the country.

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