It’s rightly said that every creature was made to serve a purpose. I have always believed in the fact that there are a lot of things to learn from animals. Be it the way they adapt to their surroundings or how agile and sensitive they are even after not being given the gift of speech. Nature has a lot to offer and many stories to share, If only we could hear them. Human behavior has been derived from animals. The human race evolved from apes.
Wildlife basically consists of undomesticated animal species, it is found in all the ecosystems and offers a vivid variety of animals. There is a lot to explore all over the world when it comes to wildlife, but the countries with the most breathtaking wildlife experiences are without a doubt, South Africa, Europe, Australia, India and The United States Of America. Let me take you through some of the best wildlife experiences in the world.
AZORES, EUROPE’S SECRET ISLAND OF ADVENTURE – DOLPHIN AND WHALE WATCHING :
- The Azores are best known for dolphin and whale watching with sightings on 99% of whale watching tours. The archipelago is the hot spot and home for nearly one-third of the world’s cetacean species. The variety of species one can encounter here is never-ending right from common dolphins to bottlenose dolphins to sperm whales and whatnot. Blue whales which are the largest mammals on the planet are also found in this region.
- Grab this golden opportunity to snorkel with these species in the Azores seas. Well organized tours are operated right from the larger islands to whale watch. A proper code of conduct is followed when a tourist boat clusters near any species, the direction from which the boat is coming is monitored and the time for which the boat stays near the whale is also governed.
- The Whaler’s Museum at Pico is famous for spilling the story of the industry and it’s demise. You will be blessed to witness a kaleidoscope of species when diving in the Azores seas. The water is crystal clear and sparkling blue with an average temperature of 17◦c to 24◦ c.
- A plethora of species will swim right across you right from loggerhead turtles to slipper lobsters to yellowmouth barracuda to Orcas to Manta rays and devil rays. More mindboggling habitats range from Wrasse, damselfish and moray eels that stay at the coast’s jade-green bays. Many more delicate life forms are found living around submerged volcanoes, near walls of underwater cliffs and also in shipwrecked areas, cluttering the entire seafloor.
- The best time to go on this beautiful wildlife expedition would be ideally between April to September. If you are a die-hard wildlife fan you can also explore their research trips wherein you will learn how to identify whales and dolphins, monitor their behavior and then accordingly feed the data in their computers. You will have to be an early riser since they will make you navigate the ship slot wise and also the cleaning of the ship will be looked after by you. Cooking will also be done by you. In short, this one won’t be a relaxing holiday of sorts, rather you will be contributing to the vital research and will surely learn a lot and make new friends on this journey. Go explore the Azores.
PILANESBERG WILDLIFE SAFARI, SOUTH AFRICA:
- Pilanesberg Game Reserve is situated within the northwest province of South Africa. Pilanesberg is nearly180 Km from Johannesburg and Pretoria. It is home to a wide diversity of wildlife. Pilanesberg safaris are unique since they discover the transition zone of the Kalahari along with Lowveld creating an extraordinary variety in the vegetation as well as animal species.
- In the current day and time, Pilanesberg National park has an overwhelming spread of nearly 50 species which include large mammals and many other smaller species. The main attraction in this game reserve is that it is also home to the Big 5 that is Elephants, Rhinoceros, Lion, Buffalo, and Leopard. This reserve park is also home to the African Wild Dog which is soon going to be an endangered species due to loss of habitat.
- Many other predators such as the African Wild cat, bat-eared fox, caracal, serval, Brown Hyena, and the nocturnal aardwolf. The Cheetah which hunts at a speed of nearly 100 Km/h and is a very sensitive creature and is present in this reserve. Not just this, 15 Species of Antelopes also grace the beauty of this park. Right from shaggy-coated waterbuck to hardy oryx. The sable antelope and Kudu which has spiral-shaped horns are another amazing sight to see. To top it all the important prey species Impala and wildebeest have also found their home here.
- In the Summers during the months of October to March, there is a large amount of rainfall and the area experiences temperatures between 26◦c -30◦c. Winters are a preferable time to visit the park. The months between July to October are when it is the easiest to locate the animals and it is also the mating season at this time. Days are warm and clear and the atmosphere is pleasant.
HEMIS NATIONAL PARK – LADAKH:
- Hemis National Park is a high altitude park located in the eastern region of Ladakh in the State of Jammu and Kashmir in India. It is the largest protected and notified area in India and the Largest National Park in India. It is spread over an area of 4400sq km. If you are someone who enjoys ultimate thrills at a high altitude location and loves animals and the chilly winds, this is just the place for you.
- This Park is home to the maximum number of snow leopards. 200 of them are contributing to the breeding population and 100 endangered Snow leopards have this park as their home. Central Asian Highlands are primarily dominated by different varieties of sheep such as Argali – the great Tibetan sheep, Bharal – Blue sheep,Ladakhi urial, and many livestock. Hemis is the only refuge in India with the species Shapu.
- Small mammals such as Himalayan marmot, Himalayan mouse hare, and mountain weasel also add to the beauty of this place. Hemis is also home to the Indian endangered species of the Eurasian Brown Bear. The Tibetan wolf and the red fox are some other fascinating animals found here. Coming to the birds, The Lammergeier Vulture, Golden eagle, and The Himalayan griffon vulture are a common sight for tourists. Rare species of Birds such as Tickell’s leaf warbler, robin accentor, red-billed chough, Blyth’s Swift, Black-winged snow finch, chukar and many more. The Rumbak Valley offers opportunities for bird watching. There are nearly 16 mammal species and 73 bird species that have been discovered in the park till now.
- The best time to visit this place is in the monsoon season between July to September. The best season to spot the leopards is however in the late winters. In November because of heavy snowfall, the park closes the Safari.
YELLOW STONE NATIONAL PARK, WYOMING, USA:
- The USA is known for the world’s most iconic and amazing lifestyle. Right from kayaking with Manatees in the Everglades to tracking wolves in the Yellowstone. In the early years, the grey wolves were not present at the Yellowstone for nearly 70 years due to a hunting policy introduced in the 1920s. However, they were reintroduced in 1995 and in the current day about 100 Grey wolves add to the magnificence of the park.
- Dawn and dusk are the best times to spot these wolves. Wolf packs roam here almost throughout the year. Special wolf watchers are also present for looking after them and monitoring their activities. Other than Grey wolves and other varieties of wolves, one will also spot the Bison, wild horses, Elk, Brown bears and also The Bighorn Sheep.
- If you are someone who is not uncomfortable in extremely cold conditions such as -11◦c, Then winters are the best season to enjoy your wildlife safari experience. The wolf packs migrate at this time to the north in search of elk. The snow makes it very easy to spot them.
CURRUMBIN WILDLIFE SANCTUARY, GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA:
- This gold coast wildlife sanctuary is spread over 27 hectares, throughout the Currumbin rainforest. It consists of open animal enclosures feeding various varieties of mammals like kangaroos, wallabies, dingo and koala bears. Rare species like Wombat, Tassie devil, Bilby and echidna, red panda, cotton-top tamarin, capybara, ring-tailed lemur, and Goodfellow’s tree-kangaroo are some of the amazing species present in the sanctuary.
- Beautiful Birds such as Lorikeets, Emu, pelican, Eagle, Aviaries, cassowary and birds of lost valley add to the splendid wildlife this place offers. Not to forget the varieties of reptiles that have made this sanctuary their home include, crocodiles, thorny devil, perentie, eastern bearded dragon, central bearded dragon, some amphibians and reptiles of the lost valley.
- The weather of the Gold coast is very pleasant and travel-friendly throughout the year and hence it attracts tourists regularly. There is no special time to visit the sanctuary as such, Just go and explore the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. It’s going to be a life-changing experience