The term “safari,” which comes from the Swahili for “journey,” is now used to describe ecotourism experiences beyond those in Africa. When English speakers adopted the term, it originally referred to bush hunting trips; as those waned in popularity over the 20th century, “safari” became less associated with hunting, and more associated with what professionals today refer to as photographic safaris. We now see the term “safari” apply to ecotourism experiences like tiger safari in the jungles of Ranthambore, India; puma safari in Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park; polar bear safari in sub-arctic Canada. And while I haven’t yet heard any Massachusetts locals explicitly use the term yet, I would like to proclaim here and now: a shark safari in the waters off Cape Cod—which is estimated to have the highest density of white sharks in the world—should now be counted on that list.
Ten great places to see animals up close
21.07.2023 - 08:20 / roughguides.com
There's few more thrilling travel experiences than getting up close and personal with animals in their natural environment. Here, taken from the pages of Make The Most Of Your Time On Earth , are ten ideas for nature lovers around the world. Whether it's wolves in Wyoming or jellyfish in Palau, there's all kinds of experiences to try. Let us know your own favourite animal spots below.
Should you choose to imagine a monkey, it’s likely to be surrounded in your mind’s eye by tropical vines or thick jungle, trading screams with the parrots or chowing down a banana. Snowy peaks would not usually be on the agenda, but Japan is home to a particular breed of macaque that positively revels in the stuff.
These clever monkeys share a number of common bonds with human beings – they’re one of the only two animals known to wash their food before eating it, and no other primates live further north. Also, like their occasionally more intelligent two-legged cousins, many macaques counter the winter cold by hunting down a source of warmth; in Japan, you’re never far from a hot spring, and one of the country’s most magical winter sights is the view of a horde of apes silhouetted in the mist of an outdoor pool.
The winter coincides with the mating season, and it’s hard to say what’s more amusing – monkeys engaging in poolside trysts, or the Japanese pretending not to notice. Tourists head to places such as Jigokudani in Yamanouchi to catch glimpses of the bathing apes, especially the loveable baby macaques. Bear in mind that though their eyes may appear dispassionate, it’s unwise to look directly into them for too long, lest it be taken as a sign of aggression.
You can see snow monkeys throughout Japan, but your best chances are in Jigokudani, or “Hell’s Valley”.
Famous and legendary female alpha wolf 06F on the prowl in the Lamar Valley © Richard Seeley/Shutterstock
Waking at ink-black 4am to groggily don layers of long underwear is an inauspicious start to a day. But as a crack of light on the horizon grows and an eerie chorus of hair-raising howls rises from the gloom ahead, your discomfort is soon forgotten. The morning’s wolf-watch is already a success. When it was founded in 1872, Yellowstone was celebrated as a wonderland of gushing geysers, where elk and bison roamed freely. But while visitors flocked to the world’s first national park to glory in the steady steam of Old Faithful, indigenous animals believed to be a danger to man were trapped and killed at virtually every opportunity. Grey wolves were particularly feared, and the last pack was exterminated in 1926.
The population has been in decline in recent years and, at the time of writing, less than a hundred wolves now roam here. Despite this, a single pack in
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