Wild About Wildlife? Know Where to Meet Exotic Animals Up Close
East Africa is known as the wildlife destination, but there are also regions beyond it where exotic animals abound in breathtaking beauty. From as far as Asia to as close as American farm sanctuaries and national parks, your next exotic animal adventure is waiting for you with wild anticipation!
Here’s a list that gathers the world’s best exotic animal destinations where the animals run, fly, or swim in all their glory.
Madagascar
Madagascar is one of Africa’s most popular destinations for wildlife diversity and the inspiration for a DreamWorks animated film. Madagascar’s rainforests are home to some of the world’s most amazing exotic animals that have evolved for millions of years in isolation. From endemic lemurs to chameleons, snakes, and geckos roaming its vast woods and wetlands, there’s no shortage of wildlife species on this side of the earth.
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone may be famous for its geysers but also abounds with wildlife. According to the National Park Service, there are around 300 bird species and numerous species of mammals, fish, amphibians, and reptiles in this sanctuary. You can bring your binoculars and see bison, wolverines, grizzly bears, wolves, lynx, eagles, ferrets, and more.
Australia
There’s more to Australia than just its world-famous koalas and kangaroos. You can volunteer in the Australian Wildlife Sanctuary in Bargo, New South Wales, and see other creatures up close. It’s an open forest with rich and diverse wildlife, including over 200 species of wild animals like emus, wallabies, alpacas, and more.
Indonesia
Indonesia has several national parks, including Komodo National Park, that’s popular for the Komodo dragons endemic to this country. It also teems with other reptiles and a shoreline that offers an abundance of marine animals like manta rays, dolphins, whales, and other sea beauties.
Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana
This region is located in the Okavango Delta and boasts a diverse landscape, wildlife, and birdlife species. It has rivers, lagoons, forests, woodlands, and floodplains- making it a safari haven. Among its wildlife highlights are black and white rhinoceros species, chacma baboon, leopard, cheetah, brown and spotted hyena, sable antelope, warthog, and more.
Ecuador
This little country known for its wildlife-rich Galapagos Island straddles the equatorial line and touches the Amazon jungle and Andean highlands. Get ready for a zoological expedition in its bioregions: The lowland rainforest of the Amazon, Mindo for its bird and butterfly species, and the Podocarpus National Park, with 622 bird species, and a variety of animals including, dwarf deer, cougar, wolves, and glass frogs.
Philippines
The country’s biodiversity comes from its rich landscape and seascape, with many untouched islands teeming with wildlife, birdlife, and marine life. Try exploring the Apo Island Marine Sanctuary if you want an undersea adventure that offers an eco-rich world of sea creatures.
If you can’t travel that far but wish to see spectacular fish varieties, you can visit SeaQuest Roseville in Minnesota and get awed by its vast collection of marine animals.
Excited about Exotic Creatures
There are many more places to explore where you can see wild animals and feel close to nature and its raw beauty. From the national parks of India to the farm sanctuaries of New York and Los Angeles, you can get a close look and have a fantastic encounter with the world’s most stunning animals.
As you do, you may also develop advocacy for their conservation so that the next generation can enjoy seeing them as much as you do. You can start by being a responsible visitor and helping spread the word about treating animals correctly.
Unleash your sense of adventure and discover the world’s wildlife wonders!
