Which animals and wildlife destination does the world want to see most?
Have you got a hankering to spot a hippo? Maybe a seal is on your mind, or an elk?
Well, you’re not the only one because new research from adventure tour operator Explore Worldwide has revealed which animals people want to see most in each country and which wildlife destinations are most popular. By analysing 170 species in over 180 different countries, Explore Worldwide has answered these burning question that only a few people have ever asked (probably while drunk at a party). Australia’s choice will surprise you!
The Animals The World Wants To See
- Tigers: In the majority (44) of the countries shown on the world map, tigers come out as the animal most people are keen to see in real life – topping the tables in Mexico, Zimbabwe, and Malta, among others.
- Hippos: According to Google searches made in Switzerland, Haiti, Guinea and 25 other countries, hippos are the second animal most countries want to see. With only two remaining species of hippos in the world, those who want to see them in the wild must head to sub-Saharan Africa to safe parks dedicated to their conservation.
- Dolphins: Dolphin watching comes out high on Central America’s wildlife wish list, with Guatemala, Honduras and the Cayman Islands all wanting a closer peek at these intelligent marine mammals.
- Whales: Whale spotting is a strong desire for inhabitants of 16 countries, including Brazil, Italy and Greenland. With 40 distinct types of whales to spot in the world’s oceans, seeing these incredible creatures appeals to people from all over the world.
- Gorillas: Eight countries want to see gorillas more than any other animal, making it the fifth most-commonly desired animal to encounter. Gorillas are only native to Africa, and your best chance of coming across them in the wild is in Uganda, where half of the world’s mountain gorilla population can be found.
In light of these findings, Explore’s MD Michael Edwards encourages travellers to seek out tours and sites that prioritize the conservation of wildlife, ensuring that future generations can continue to enjoy the beauty and diversity of these creatures in their natural habitats. “We hope our research inspires travellers to see that a wildlife adventure isn’t just restricted to seeing elephants and tigers,” Edwards said.
“Regardless of which animal is on your wish list, if you want to embark on an animal spotting tour, always opt to visit species in their natural habitat.
“We encourage you to visit sites that focus on the conservation and protection of these creatures so many more generations to come can spot the wonderful species out there.“
Most Popular Wildlife Destinations on Social Media
Explore’s Wildlife Report also shows that, according to Instagram and TikTok, Canada is the country that has been tagged and viewed the most in wildlife content, followed by Australia, the UK, South Africa, and Brazil.
Rank |
Country | TikTok & Instagram Wildlife Hashtag Post & View Total | |
1 | Canada | 203,392,682 |
2 | Australia | 157,460,607 |
3 | United Kingdom | 68,490,337 |
4 | South Africa | 14,746,866 |
5 | Brazil | 9,939,969 |
6 | Scotland | 9,876,800 |
7 | Costa Rica | 7,269,472 |
8 | Nepal | 4,702,481 |
9 | Ethiopia | 4,242,658 |
10 | England | 3,514,787 |
11 | Palestine | 3,300,386 |
12 | Kenya | 2,942,376 |
13 | New Zealand | 1,132,082 |
14 | India | 980,239 |
15 | Ireland | 942,509 |
16 | Qatar | 832,796 |
17 | Sri Lanka | 675,874 |
18 | United States | 419,725 |
19 | Namibia | 417,744 |
20 | Singapore | 359,968 |
- Canada: Canada comes out as social media’s most popular wildlife destination with Instagram users displaying all of Canada’s incredible wildlife both big and small. Over 190,000 Instagram posts are tagged with #canadawildlife or #canadianwildlife, and they include incredible snaps of everything from the humble hooded merganser duck to icy-eyed mountain lions.
- Australia: There are well over 150 million views of TikTok videos tagged with #australiawildlife, and nearly 450,000 Instagram posts with the same hashtag, making Australia the second most popular wildlife destination on social media. Social media users particularly like to share photos of Australia’s cuddly and cute koalas, alongside dramatic photos of creepy crawlies such as the peacock spider and the diamond python.
- UK: With over half a million Instagram posts tagged with #wildlifeinbritain, and TikTok videos with the hashtag clocking up millions of views, Britain’s wildlife is the third most popular on social media. Although it’s home to larger wildlife such as deer, otters, seals, dolphins, and foxes, social media users are often showing off Britain’s incredible variety of birdlife, with lots of posts of barn owls, blue tits, and kingfishers.
- South Africa: With over 14 million total views and posts on TikTok and Instagram for content tagged with #southafricawildlife, South Africa comes out as social media’s fourth most popular wildlife destination. On social media, South Africa’s wildlife posts showcase everything from playful baby lions to serene flamingos.
- Brazil: Landing in fifth place in social media’s favourite countries for wildlife is Brazil. Instagram shows stunning wildlife photography of Brazil’s birds, including peacocks, macaws, and toucans. Leopards also heavily feature in Brazil’s social media wildlife content, alongside exotic ocelots, and black lion tamarins.
Has this got you inspired to travel the world? The Travel Weekly team has now added at least another five destinations on our already endless array of bucket list destinations.
Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au
explore worldwide Michael Edwards Wildlife destinationsLatest News
Top four airports report return to profit after post-Covid period comes to an end
The aeronautical operations of Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney airports returned to profit in 2022-23, the first full financial year since the end of COVID-19 travel restrictions, the ACCC’s latest Airport Monitoring Report shows. In contrast, all four monitored airports reported losses on their aeronautical operations in 2021-22. A return to profit was helped by […]
COMO launches new family-sized farmhouse in the heart of Tuscany
COMO Hotels and Resorts has launched its new farmhouse apartments in the heart of Tuscany, just in time for Australians to escape our wet winter. And it’s also an ideal time for Aussies of Italian ancestry to explore their home country as 2024 has been declared the year of Roots and Heritage Tourism by the […]
Green light, green fuel for Townsville Airport as passenger numbers set to double to 3.7m
The Townsville Airport Master Plan, including the expansion of the airport terminal and development of the surrounding precinct, has been given the green light by the Federal Government. The 2023 plan outlined Townsville Airport’s strategic vision and growth objectives over the next two decades, with a detailed focus on the initial eight years. Townsville Airport […]
New Caledonia in lockdown and airport closed after violent riots rock Noumea
New Caledonia officials have announced a 6pm-6am curfew, a liquor ban and have closed the country’s main airport after overnight riots in which vehicles were torched and roads blocked in the wake of proposed constitutional reforms. Australian Government website Smartraveller has issued an alert informing visitors to exercise a high degree of caution in metropolitan […]
‘Appalling’: Alliance for Gambling Reform CEO describes gaming rules at sea after P&O death
Gambling reform policy makers are shocked at the news surrounding the passing of a guest onboard last week.
Sydney gets excited for Vivid at the city’s favourite entertainment venues
Get lit! Well maybe not the kiddies, but there is a heap of bright and colourful events on at Vivid Sydney 2024.
Novotel Cabramatta launch reveals the start of new hotel and F&B partnership
Brothers will offer hotels bang for their buck in Sydney's booming southwest.
Roots & Heritage Tourism in 2024 with Italian Tourist Board’s Emanuele Attanasio: Travel Weekly TV
Don't blame us if you're yearning for a carb-filled pasta lunch after watching this week's episode!
Aeronology accepted into Virtuoso network as travel-tech company continues to thrive
Aeronology's the new kid on the block making big waves and lucky for you, we're here to get you up to speed.
Qantas suspends flights to Shanghai due to low demand
Low demand prompts Qantas to drop its Sydney-Shanghai flights like a hot dumpling.
From Castle Hill to Paris, local wellness cosmetics brand makes good in world’s best hotels
The harsh glare of our monitors on the news desk have been relieved somewhat by this local brand done good...
Ponant’s $2500 flight credit reward for polar expeditions booked by ANZ travellers
Tap into your inner explorer an save a couple of $K on flights? The trade-off will be frozen fingers.
Portugal, Spain or Morocco? Here’s how to spend a European summer in 2024
Hit a festival in Spain, enjoy a Portuguese tart or take in the raw beauty of North Africa. This feature has it all!
Vietjet’s summer lucky draw event, plus business flights slashed in half
It's not even winter yet and Vietjet's already talking about summer. We certainly aren't judging them!
ERDI offers a path for hospitality leaders of the future, says hotel group CEO
Teaching the next gen in hospo how to serve drinks, take a restaurant order and hold a conversation - yep we're in!
Marketing costs double for tourism operators as Australia’s global footprint shrinks
Cost of living crisis? Forgeddaboutit! If you run a tourism business, your costs have doubled since Covid.
APT adds fourth ship to Travelmarvel fleet in Europe to meet demand
APT punches above its weight in European river cruising - let's see what its got when it comes to naming conventions.
Getting married? W Melbourne has three new packages perfect for the special day
The 'W' themed lights and settings are optional, we hope!
SKYE Suites gets behind Australian Fashion Week, partners with Shark Beauty
We were hoping to get a start at a fashion week event, but apparently our dress sense wasn't up to scratch...
Roadshow Vietnam focus on Ho Chi Minh City heads to Sydney and Melbourne
It's all happening tomorrow in Parramatta and we're sure you'll be able to find a good bahn mi somewhere.
NCL announces two new Aussie BDMs as cruising goes from strength to strength
Cruising may be getting stronger, but we want to know which new BDM is the strongest. We should arrange an arm wrestle.
Inspiring Vacations announces Josh Grocke to new partnerships role
We're sure the best partnerships come about over a long lunch, something Josh will certainly be looking forward to.
Dondra Ritzenthaler announced as Azamara’s new CEO
Dondra's got big news to celebrate, meanwhile we're celebrating a break in the rain today in Sydney.
TTC’s hosting a masterclass series for Aussie agents unlocking the secrets of its five brands
Become an agent of many hats with TTC's new masterclass series!
Dorsett Melbourne appoints new director of sales Maggie Wong
This top female team at the Dorsett Melbourne aims to take the hotel to new heights - even the lucky eighth floor.
Western Sydney Tourism unveils fresh board ahead of ’26 airport opening
'Connect-Stay-Experience', that's the Western Sydney's tourism taskforce's motto. We sort of prefer 'West Is Best'!
From Olympians to mindset coaches, Helloworld’s OMC conference wraps in style
Say hello to a good time and make sure you're at 2025's edition!
Bunnik Tours welcomes KJ Phillips as the new BDM for QLD
We apologise in advance for winding Karen up as our State of Origin sledging begins to ramp up.
Drifter to usher in new age of affordable hybrid accommodation in Christchurch
Sort of like a hostel, but far, far ritzier!
Icebergs restaurateur Terzini joins Mangan at Sydney International Airport
Forget McDonald's or the sushi that's been there all day, dining at Sydney Airport just got a whole let better!
Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge: A beacon of luxury in the Kruger
If the lead image wasn't enough to convince you this is next-level luxury, take a peep inside.
Delegates ready for Africa’s travel showcase Travel Indaba at Durban ICC
How's it? We've requested a bag full of biltong on our reporter's return from this shindig.
APT’s world-first hydraulic-powered restaurant and bar ‘will be the envy of river cruises’
It may have been laughed off at first mention in the APT offices, but now it's here, APT are on top of the game!
Administrators appointed in wake of Air Vanuatu collapse – but there is hope
Another one bites the dust. We hope you sang to the tune when reading that!
South Australian beach crowned best ‘hidden gem’ in the country
Stoked baby! Or was that a typo?
Avalon Airport champions low-cost rail connection from Melbourne CBD
Avalon rail connection? Bring it on! In two years, say officials, but we say they've got Buckley's.