Gorillas
Want to see gorillas in your midst? Lonely Planet Magazine gave Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, located in southwest corner Uganda, its 2010 Best Wildlife Encounter Award. Surrounded by stunning volcanoes, you trek through dense jungle, tracking a family of huge gorillas. Watching these powerful beasts interact in the wild, in the company of experts, is no monkey business.
There are several lion parks scattered around South Africa that gives you the opportunity to play with cubs. Seeing a pride in the wild is a different experience, especially if you’re lucky enough to see a kill. My best lion encounter took place in the Masai Mara National Park in Kenya, during the annual migration of the wildebeest. I’ve also seen lions in action at Nambiti Hills, a wonderful private reserve in South Africa. This photo of a rare white lion cub was taken at Casela, a lion park in Mauritius.
Cheetah
Still in South Africa, head to the Eastern Cape to the fantastic Daniell Cheetah Breeding Project. Cheetah, lion, and other wild cats are bred to be re-introduced into the wild. Here, it’s possible to get real close and personal with the fastest animal on earth, as I did with Ola, an adult female. Cheetahs purr like cats but don’t have slit eyes. Genetically, cheetahs are a cross between a dog and a cat, but because of their semi-retractable claws, it is classified as a cat. Either way, meeting a beautiful creature like Ola is something you’ll long remember.
Elephants
Elephants have the uncanny ability to look right through you. If you get close enough to see their eyes, you’ll be staring into their unmistakable animal wisdom, even a sense of humour. My best elephant experience was at the Elephant Nature Park, located outside Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand. Rescued Asian elephants are rehabilitated, and it’s possible for visitors to feed and wash them. In South Africa, Addo Elephant National Park in the Eastern Cape is famous for its 500 plus elephant. This photo was taken at Addo as a herd crossed the road right in front of our car.
Shark
Diving with hammerhead sharks in the Galapagos Islands is magic for scuba enthusiasts. Of course, the grand daddy of all sharks is the Great White Shark, but you’d have to be crazy to be anywhere near them outside the safety of a cage. I went cage diving with White Shark Africa in Mossel Bay, South Africa. Watching a huge 3.5m Great White rattle my cage was thrilling, and illuminating too. This is no monster, just a misunderstood yet frightening predator, vital for the survival of the oceans.
Turtle
On Turtle Island, off the coast of Sabah in Malaysian Borneo, I waited until midnight for hatchlings to be released into the warm, South China Sea. Only 1% will eventually survive to adulthood, with females returning to this same island to lay her eggs many decades later. A conservation project ensures that the Hawksbill turtles are given the best possible shot at survival. You can also hit the beach with the Barbados Sea Turtle Project, who do similar important work. Watching a giant turtle lay her eggs at moonlight is pretty special.
Although it’s rare to see a tiger stalking its prey in the jungle, there are dozens of operators who will take you on a tiger safari in India. Unfortunately, too few Bengal Tigers exist in the wild, but proceeds from photographic expeditions help with the cause. Tigers can be found in Indian national parks in Ranthambhore, Bandhavgarh, Panna and Kanha. Good luck spotting a Siberian tiger, the largest Big Cat. There are only a few hundred left in the wilderness of Russia, China, and reportedly North Korea.
Blame James Bond for our fascination with these savage man-eating fish.
The reality is piranhas are quite common, and seldom attack a human swimming in the water. At least that’s what I told myself when I swam in Venezuela’s Orinoco Delta. Piranha are easy enough to catch, and are actually pretty tasty on the grill. Just throw in a hook, make a small splash, and wait for the nibble. I caught this guy in Brazil’s Pantanal, the world’s largest wetlands, home to caimans and capybara.
Ostrich
Early breeders ensured the survival of this large, awkward bird, otherwise it might have gone the way of other flightless birds like the dodo and moa. In Outshoorn, South Africa, I learned all about ostrich at Highgate Ostrich Farm. Their eggs are delicious, with one egg being equivalent to 24 chicken eggs. They’re fun to ride, but could never replace a horse since they function almost entirely on instinct. Their feathers grow back naturally after being plucked, their meat is super healthy, and they look really, really funny.
Bears
Half of Canada’s Grizzly Bears, a quarter of our Black Bears, and the rare Spirit Bear all roam the forests of British Columbia. Most bear watching safaris use elevated platforms to watch the bears do their thing, whether it’s roaming in the forest, or hunting salmon by a river. Of course, you could just as easily encounter a bear on the side of a highway (as many B.C residents often do) but its safer and way more interesting to be with a guide, learning about the bears in their natural habitat.