Top 10 Places To See Wild Animals

By IndiaTimes
March 25, 2013

Members of VirtualTourist.com, a leading travel website, compiled a list of the "Top 10 Places to See Animals in the Wild. All images courtesy: AFP Text: Reuters

1. Hol Chan Marine Reserve, Belize


Only a short 20 minute boat ride from Ambergris Caye, the Hol Chan Marine Reserve is one of the best places to snorkel in all of the Caribbean. Numerous snorkel and scuba aficionados remark that it is incredibly rare to see such a variety of wild fish in such shallow water, since most of the reserve is only six to ten feet deep. There is an area called Shark Ray Alley famous for its number of nurse sharks in the shallow eight feet water.

2. Punta Tombo - Chubut Province, Argentina



3. Osa Peninsula & Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica

Hawksbill turtle

Few places are both accessible and filled with tropical wildlife, so Costa Rica is an easy bet for some great wildlife sightings, especially if you are traveling from North or South America. Tortuguero National Park is also a sanctuary for nesting sea turtles. Although the green turtle is the primary focus, hawksbill and leatherback turtles are also tagged and counted by the conservation corporation.

4. Kruger National Park, South Africa

Kruger National Park

Encompassing 2 million hectares and straddling two different regions of South Africa, Kruger National Park is one of the most famous places in the world to see wildlife in action. One unique aspect of Kruger is that it's a self-drive game park, meaning visitors can pick up clearly illustrated maps at every entrance to the park and navigate for themselves, taking their time and stopping whenever they want. However, if you want a guided tour, there are game walks and drives, hikes, and even mountain bike routes for exploring the park. The South African winter months, from May to September, are best for game viewing since the grass is low, making it easier to spot game.

5. Volcans National Park, Rwanda



6. Parc Omega Montebello, Canada

Red deer


7. Katmai National Park and Preserve, USA

Alaskan Beers

One of the greatest locations in the Northern hemisphere to observe animals is in the Alaskan wilderness. While there are a great variety of animals to be found in the Southwest area of Alaska, visitors to Katmai National Park and Preserve are usually on the lookout for brown bears. According to the park's website, the brown bear population at Katmai National Park was recently estimated at over 2,100. Since there is no road access to the King Salmon, the park headquarters, visitors must fly into the park.

8. Kangaroo Island, South Australia

Kangaroo Island

Only 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) off the South Australian mainland, Kangaroo Island is a great site for seeing all kinds of animals. Although there is animal activity on Kangaroo Island year round, two times of year provide special sights. In the Australian summer (December to February), kangaroos and wallabies can be seen at dawn and dusk. In Australian winter (June to August), kangaroo and wallaby joeys (babies) start to emerge from the mother's pouch and feed alongside them, and southern right whales pass along the island's shores during their migration from Antarctic waters.

9. Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh, India

Bengal tiger


10. Serengeti National Park, Tanzania


Northern Tanzania provides more opportunities to see large numbers of animals in the wild than possibly any other spot in the world. Both Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area are prime spots to see animals in the wild, and both are famous for spotting the "big five," a phrase coined by hunters in Africa referring to lions, elephants, buffalos, leopards, and rhinoceros.