Top 20 animals you can see in the wild

Love animals and dream of seeing them in their natural habitat? Here are our top 10 favourite animals in the world and where you can go for guaranteed sightings of them... plus 10 you can see nearer to home...

Orang-utans

Visit the Borohok Centre on Sumatra, Indonesia where you can watch semi-wild orang-utans swing through the forest canopy to twice-daily feedings. In Malaysian Sabah, on Borneo, you can see orang-utans at the Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre. Or for a more authentic experience, take a trek in Kalimantan’s Tanjung Putting National Park and you are likely to spot the ‘man of the jungle’ in the true wild.

Tigers

Spot the world’s biggest cat in India at Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh, or at Corbett National Park in the foothills of the Himalayas. Sightings are also possible at Ranthambhore National Park in the Sawai Madhopur district of Rajasthan. Visit India's tourist office website for more information.

Pandas

Visit the Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Chengdu, western China – easily reachable by train or plane from Beijing or Hong Kong.

Lions

Help with the conservation of the ‘king of the jungle’ at the African Lion Rehabilitation Project near Victoria Falls in Livingstone, Zambia.

Dolphins

Swim and dive with bottlenose dolphins in the sea round the island of Roatan, off Honduras. Look for an organisation that offers the opportunity to interact with dolphins in their own environment.

Elephants

See African elephants on a safari in Botswana or Namibia. Or even better, stay at Mfuwe Lodge in the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia, and you’ll see them trudging through the reception each day! The lodge was unwittingly built on this elephant herd's traditional route to their favourite food – wild mangoes.

Penguins

Take a cruise through Antarctica to see these ice-dwelling feathered friends with a company such as Responsible Travel.

Lemurs

Head to the reserves and national parks of Madagascar to spot magnificent lemurs and sifakas – monkey-like primates with cat-like faces – the only place in the world these species can be found. See www.wildmadagascar.org.

Llamas and alpacas

Take any high-mountain trek in the Peruvian Andes and you’re bound to come across herds of these lovely ungulates. Useful livestock in the Andes environment since the Incas domesticated them, the llama is now mostly kept for the fine wool from its coat.

Whales

Sri Lanka may be one of the easiest places to watch blue and sperm whales, with increased sightings off the southern coast of the island.

And where to see them closer to home...

Dolphins

The bottlenose dolphin can be seen in Cardigan Bay, Wales. The Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre, based in the pretty coastal town of New Quay, organises boat trips . The Atlantic White-sided Dolphin is found in the cool to temperate waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. Take a boat trip in the Moray Forth, Scotland.

Chamois

This goat-like animal is native to the Carpathian Mountains in Romania, and sightings are highly likely while hiking in this area.

Whales

Can be spotted around Skye and the west coast of Scotland and Ireland.

Seals

The common seal can be spotted lolling around on much of the UK’s coastline, in particular Norfolk, but also Essex, Lincolnshire and Scotland. Between June and September presents the highest chance of sightings as the seals come ashore on sandbanks and mudflats for pupping.

Bears

Brown bears are making a comeback in Europe and you can go on bear-tracking tours in Finland and Bulgaria.

Nightingales

The best spot in the UK to hear nightingales is at Fingringhoe Wick bird reserve in Essex, where special nightingale walks are arranged during the spring, when their song is best heard.

Red squirrels and deer

The increasingly rare red squirrel can be found on Brownsea Island, off the coast of Dorset in the UK. Sika and Roe Deer also inhabit the island, a National Trust property.

Wolves

One of the best places to see wolves in western Europe is the Sierra de la Culebra in Zamora, Spain, where wolf-watching trips are led.

Rare birds

In the Danube Delta in Romania, you can see the largest colony of white pelicans in Europe, as well as some protected bird species around the world – the Pygmy cormorant, Little egret, Spoonbill, and the Glossy ibis.

Apes

Head to Gibraltar for the rare opportunity to see semi-wild primates at close quarters - meet the famous Barbary Apes at the Apes' Den (Queen's Gate) and in the area of the Great Siege Tunnels.

For more ideas, see Lonely Planet's A Year of Watching Wildlife.

Remember when viewing wildlife to consider the ethical aspects – is the animal being treated humanely? Are you viewing it in its natural environment? Never touch wild animals, even if the opportunity is offered to you. For more information, see IFAW and WWF.

• Read how to have a holiday with a difference.

Author: Rachel Ricks
Date: 30 January 2009
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