Best Places to See Wildlife in Nature

While a zoo definitely has it's place in animalthan 400 species of birds. There are no roads into
watching, it doesn't compare to seeing animals inthe park, only hiking trails. Unless you are an avid
their own natural habitat. After a recent visit tohiker and have excellent map-reading skills, a guide
Yellowstone National Park, this felt especially trueis recommended. In addition to the trails, there
for me. A traffic jam caused by young buffaloare also viewing platforms built atop massive ajo
calves and their mothers crossing the road is antrees.
experience not to be missed. It made me wonderThe Komodo Islands in Indonesia house the
about other places that would be conducive toworld's largest population of Komodo dragons.
viewing wildlife in a natural setting. From myThese animals can grow to be over 300 pounds
research I have come up with a list of some ofand up to nine feet in length. These islands are
the best places to visit if viewing animals in naturenow an Indonesian national park and permits and
is your objective.tour guides are required, but they make the
In the United States, national parks are the bestexperience much more user-friendly (Komodo
place to start. For viewing sea animals, the bestdragons aren't in petting zoos for a reason). In
places include the Channel Islands off the coast ofaddition to land tours, you can also take a sea
California. The islands are surrounded by sea lions,kayak around the park and see coral reefs, fish,
seals, gray whales and humpback whales. Theredolphins, whales and sea turtles.
are also numerous tide pools that house creaturesTanjung Puting National Park in Borneo is one of
such as sea urchins and anemones. Another areathe last places to see orangutans in their own
great for water animals is Glacier Bay in Alaska.natural habitat. Through an elaborate network of
Humpback whales and sea lions are in abundancehiking trails, you can see the orangutans up close,
off shore and on land bears and moose are oftenswinging from branch to branch, suckling their
times available for viewing. For a different spin onyoung, or building nests to sleep. There are also
water creatures, visit the Florida Everglades, theorangutans in captivity which can be viewed. They
last remaining everglades on the planet. There youare being rehabilitated before being returned to
will see crocodiles and alligators co-exists alongthe wild. There are other jungle species as well
with turtles, dear, manatees and bobcats. Thethat can be viewed in the orangutan jungle,
everglades contain large viewing towers that areincluding clouded leopards, civets, Malaysian sun
devoted especially to wildlife watching or you canbears, deer, numerous species of birds, and
be a bit more daring and take a canoe ride inbutterflies.
croc-infested waters.Nowhere can you see polar bears so up-close and
Other national parks that make the list for bestpersonal as you can in Churchill, Manitoba. When
wildlife viewing are Denali National Park in Alaska,Hudson Bay freezes, between October and
Glacier National park in Montana, Rocky MountainNovember, this town is overrun with polar bears
National Park in Colorado and Theodore Rooseveltas they travel their migration path. In early winter,
National Park in North Dakota. Denali, Glacier andthey even stop to dine on the region's seal
Rocky Mountain offer animals such as dall sheep,population. For more up close views, you can take
grizzlies, caribou, wolves, mountain goats, elk,a tundra buggy (a converted school bus) into the
dear, bighorn sheep and marmots. Theodoremigratory packs for a quick day-trip. For longer
Roosevelt is a less well known park and thereforeexposure, there are tundra lodges that provide all
offers great viewing of bison, wild horses, deerday exposure to the bears in their native
and elk without all the crowds.environment.
Outside of the US, there are more exotic animalsOne of the most famous places to view wildlife is
available for viewing at places such as CorcovadoKenya, and what better way to see it than on a
National Park in Costa Rica, the Komodo Islands insafari. Safari's can take you through the likes of
Indonesia, Tanjung Puting National Park in Borneo,Masai Mara National Park, Amboseli Game
Polar Bear Observation in Canada, and of course aReserve and Mt. Kilimanjaro to view lions,
Kenyan Safari.leopards, cheetahs, wildebeests, zebras, flamingos,
The Corcovado National Park in Costa Rica is ablack rhinos, giraffes and elephants. Safari's range
brilliant rain forest that contains over 100,000from less expensive options starting around
acres of land and 5,000 acres of marine habitat.$500.00 for an 8 day excursion to very luxurious
The park is home to 116 species of amphibianssafaris costing up to $9,000. Either way, you get
and reptiles, 139 species of mammals and moreto see what you like most...animals.