Wildlife observation is a way that anyone can enjoy nature, and many people enjoy it and seek out animals to watch. In a previous blog, we looked at how to get started with birdwatching. Many of the same tools are helpful for watching any kind of animal, but it’s also a good idea to find the best places to watch animals in the wild.

Worldwide Destinations

If you have the time and money to travel, there are some amazing places to see animals in their natural environment. Namibia, a country in Africa, is known for its variety of animals and availability of guided safaris. India and Sri Lanka are amazing places to see exotic animals like tigers, leopards, or the Sri Lankan sloth bear. If you’re able to travel to Antarctica, you can see an abundance of cold-loving creatures like penguins and whales. In Europe, Romania is home to the Danube Delta, where you can see over 350 species of birds during the summer months.

In southern Australia, kangaroos and echidnas are commonly seen. And if you want to stick closer to the United States, the French island of Martinique in the Caribbean offers a wealth of marine wildlife like sea turtles. Even closer, Yellowstone National Park in the Northwest or Everglades National Park in Florida are destinations to see bison, alligators, and more native animals.

Destinations Closer to Home

Many people aren’t able to travel to exotic destinations, however. You can see a wide variety of animals – and even plants – on a weekend vacation or even a day trip in your own area. If you’re lucky, you live in a rural area and can watch deer, birds, or other local wildlife from your front porch.

When looking for places in your area to see animals, a search on the internet can help. U.S. National Parks are a great place to visit. These parks are managed by the U.S. National Park Service and help preserve the habitats of thousands of plants and animals. You can get a day pass at any national park close to you, or you can even purchase an annual pass that lets you visit most national parks and recreation areas. Be sure to bring your binoculars and anything else you need to watch animals up close!

State parks are also a great place to watch animals. Check your state park website to find one near you. In addition, many conservation groups purchase land and preserve it, offering both a home to endangered or threatened species and a valuable learning and wildlife observation space for people.

Nature Bridges specializes in bridge and boardwalk construction in sensitive areas. This means that we help provide walkways through parks and reserves so that you can enjoy nature without disturbing it. Top down construction is a construction method that keeps equipment off the ground, so our work in those important habitats is minimal. Be sure that you stay on trails or boardwalks when visiting the home of wildlife so that you can keep them – and yourself – safe.