Wonderful wildlife

Alamy ouis Armstrong was

Lright when he thought to himself “what a wonderful world” we live in. It’s also a weird world. As with humans, it would be a dull planet if every animal looked and behaved exactly the same. A bit of

‘strange’ or ‘different’ is a good thing. Take giraffes, for example. They’re such a common sight on many safaris that we take for granted just what a bizarre animal they are, with a towering neck and a tongue that can strip leaves from thorny branches. These animals grow to such a great height that they need to splay their legs to bend low enough to drink water, a system of valves kicking in to stop too much blood rushing to their head. But giraffes are just one example of the wonderful species that travellers can discover on their journeys. From

Australia to Scotland to Venezuela, it’s possible to find frogs, fish, birds, primates and other creatures large and small that stand out for their incredible colourings, patterns and physical characteristics, and remarkable behaviours and abilities.

Here, we celebrate some of the most striking and unusual animals that live on Earth, and share advice on where and how to find them.

1Manatee

Too much time at sea (or on the rum) must do something to the mind, as sailors across history apparently mistook manatees – large, slow-moving, aquatic mammals – for ‘women of the sea,’ or mermaids. Also known as sea cows, these herbivorous hulking creatures feed mainly on sea grass, scoffing more than a tenth of their bodyweight each day. They have a flat, paddle-shaped tail and come up for air every few minutes. Where to see? Florida’s Crystal River is a known hotspot, with manateespotting tours and the chance to snorkel with them. Belize is also known to have good opportunities to spend time with manatees, which are also found in Costa Rica, Mexico and Jamaica. Manatees are not to be confused with their cousins, dugongs, another sea cow species found around Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, Thailand and elsewhere. ⊲

2Tarsier

The tarsier’s an animal that seems to be taking the phrase ‘eyes bigger than your stomach’ as a literal challenge. The little, leaping primates have massive eyes, long, thin alienlike fingers and heads that rotate like they’re auditioning for a part in a remake of The Exorcist. Sadly, their cuteness has made them popular over the years as pets or as props forced to pose for tourist photos, causing them distress. Where to see? The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists more than a dozen species of tarsier across South-East Asia, including the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia, several of which are Endangered or Critically Endangered. Bohol in the Philippines is a good place to see tarsiers; try one of the local sanctuaries, such as Tarsier Conservation Area.

3Kākāpō

New Zealand’s birds must love the ground. The round-faced kākāpō, also known as an owl parrot, is another species of endemic flightless bird, the only flightless parrot on Earth. It’s wings help with balance and to ‘parachute’ when jumping from tall trees to the forest floor. The birds are known to freeze when they feel threatened, to blend into the forest greenery and escape predators. Māori and European settlers used to keep the birds as pets. They’re now listed as Critically Endangered, largely due to habitat loss and predatory invasive species. Where to see? The small number of remaining kākāpō exist on a handful of predator-free, sanctuary islands, under close supervision, mostly near Stewart Island, Fiordland and Little Barrier Island in the Hauraki Gulf. The general public’s currently unable to view this species in the wild, due to restrictions on protected habitats.

Bright eyes

(clockwise from top left) A tarsier on Bohol Island, Philippines; a critically endangered kākāpō peers from the bushes, Codfish Island, NZ; a maned wolf in the shrubbery; rock agama, Ruaha NP, Tanzania

4Rock Agama

If any creature looks like it doesn’t really belong to this planet, it’s the rock agama. The Joseph And The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat of the lizard world is more like something from an alien world in a cartoon. Its bright orange or red head gives way to a luminous blue, mosaic-patterned body and tail, although female rock agamas are a duller brown. Where to see? Rock agamas are found across Sub-Saharan Africa, including Zambia, South Africa, Mozambique and Botswana. A good bet to see red-headed rock agamas is Ruaha NP in Tanzania; keep an eye out on rocks where males like to show off their colours to attract females.

7Komodo Dragon

Komodo dragons look like survivors from the age of dinosaurs. A type of monitor lizard, they can grow up to three-metres long and 300lb, making them the world’s largest and heaviest lizard. An apex predator, these meat-eating monitors have glands that secrete venom in their prey. They’re able to eat more than 80% of their own body weight in one sitting, and have been known to feed on other Komodo dragons. They’re also excellent swimmers. Where to see? Komodo island in eastern Indonesia is home to around 4,000 dragons. Komodo National Park, which covers the island and nearby Rinca and Padar, was established to protect the lizards in 1980, becoming a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1991. Take a walking tour with a ranger to see the dragons and other animals.

8Basking shark

No one’s yet managed to communicate to basking sharks that it’s rude to eat with your mouth open. The second largest living fish after the whale shark can grow to lengths of 12 metres, moving through the water with cavernous mouths gaping open to filter-feed on plankton. Harmless to humans, the mega-mouthed sharks often swim close to the surface, so they appear to be basking in the sun. Where to see? Basking sharks are found worldwide, including the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. From July-September, they can be seen in Scotland, as they migrate to the Inner Hebrides to feast on plankton. You can often see the big fish around Coll, Tiree, Canna and Lewis’s Mangersta Head. Tours, for spotting sharks or swimming/snorkelling with them, leave from Oban.

Leaping lemurs

(clockwise from left page) A Malayan colugo – or Sunda flying lemur – in the jungles of Borneo; basking shark, Coll island, Scotland; aye-aye lemur of Madagascar; Komodo dragon, Rinca Island, Indonesia.

9Aye-aye lemur

The aye-aye is an unusual lemur species that’s native to the biodiverse island of Madagascar. The world’s largest nocturnal primate has large bat-like ears, a possum-like face, rodent-like teeth, long fingers and staring eyes. A fascinating sight for wildlife lovers, many local Malagasy people believe the aye-aye is a harbinger of misfortune, bad for crops, fertility or even causing the death of a villager; this means they’ve been persecuted and killed, and are now listed as Endangered. Where to see? Aye-Ayes can be seen on Madagascar’s east coast and north-western forests, with the small Farankaraina reserve on the Masoala peninsula one of a few locations where they can reliably be found. ⊲

13 Shoebill Also known as a whalehead, the prehistoric-looking shoebill is a large waterbird, often referred to as a stork, though it’s more closely related to pelicans and herons. As well as the distinctive bill, the birds can grow to be three-metres tall, with a wingspan reaching over five metres, but it’s their glaring eyes that make them look so fearsome. Shoebills are ambush predators, standing motionless in water, using their giant bill to chomp prey, including fish, frogs, lizards and even baby crocodiles. Where to see? Uganda offers some of the best opportunities to see this rare bird, including Murchison Falls National Park in Uganda and Queen Elizabeth NP. The little-known Bangweulu Wetlands in northern Zambia is another good location, especially June and July to see chicks.

14 Proboscis monkey The proboscis monkey’s bulbous, pendulous noses aren’t just for appearances. According to scientists, the enlarged organs create an echo chamber that amplifies males’ calls, impressing the ladies and intimidating rivals. They’re accomplished swimmers, unusual for primates, using their webbed feet to swim towards food or away from predators. The reddish coloured monkeys also have pot bellies to complete their look. Where to see? There are thought to be around 7,000 proboscis monkeys left on the island of Borneo. Malaysia’s Bako NP is a great place to see them, alongside other wildlife (silver leaf monkeys, bearded pigs, pit vipers...).

Big beaks (clockwise from top left) A shoebill – or whalehead stork; wobbegong shark on the ocean floor; platypus is released into McMahons Creek, Victoria; proboscis monkey in Bako NP 15 Wobbegong Unlike most sharks, wobbegongs don’t patrol through the ocean, searching for prey. Instead this bottom-dwelling beast rests on the sea floor, like a rug, explaining it’s alternative name: carpet shark. With plenty of camouflage, the massive-headed sharks wait for creatures to come into range, then snap open their huge jaws, creating a suction that hoovers their meal into their gaping mouth. Where to see? Twelve species are found in the Pacific and Indian oceans’ tropical waters, mainly around Australia and Indonesia. Fantastic scuba destination Raja Ampat offers good chances to see them, alongside other sharks, manta rays and colourfish fish.

17 Capybara Capybaras are the world’s largest rodent, like a giant hamster or guinea pig (to which it’s closely related). These semi-aquatic animals have partially webbed feet that help them swim Central and South America’s lakes, rivers and wetland areas. They’re vegetarians, feeding primarily on grasses, fruits, aquatic plants and tree bark, though these picky eaters are sometimes known to concentrate solely on one type of grass. They’re also highly sociable animals, living in large groups. Where to see? You can find capybara from Mexico to Brazil and Argentina. The massive Los Llanos (The Plains), stretching across Venezuela and Colombia, has plenty of the furry animals living alongside giant anacondas, caiman and monkeys.

18 Southern cassowary The southern cassowary is another animal that looks like it might have been drawn in crayon by a child. These powerful, feisty birds, second largest in the world after the ostrich, have a vivid blue neck and red throat wattle, with a large casque (keratincoated ‘helmet’), as well as sharp claws and strong legs that allow them to leap high, run fast and deliver damaging kicks. They’re also known for an infrasonic boom used to communicate, including in courtship rituals. Where to see? Southern cassowaries are endemic to north-east Australia, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. Far North Queensland is the best place to spot these rare birds in the wild, especially in the tropical rainforests lying between Mission Beach to the Daintree Rainforest lowlands.

Rodents of unusual size

(clockwise from top left) Capybara in Los Llanos, Venezuela; southern cassowary on the beach; an aardwolf comes out at sunset to forage in Southern Africa 19 Aardwolf Their name meaning ‘earth wolf’ in Afrikaans, the aardwolf is neither aardvark or wolf, nor a combination of both, but actually a member of the hyena family. Nocturnal animals, they spend their days underground in burrows, coming out to feed on up to 200,000 termites per night, using long sticky tongues to lap up their insect banquet. They’re also able to puff up their mane and body hair to look much bigger than they really are. Where to see? Aardwolves like scrubland and savannahs in eastern, north-eastern and southern Africa, including Namibia, Angola, Zimbabwe and Tanzania. South Africa has some particularly good locations, including Sandveld Nature Reserve, Sterkspruit Nature Reserve and Mokala NP.

20 Magnificent frigatebird The Galápagos Islands are

home to remarkable wildlife, including the odd-looking blue-footed booby. Unfairly sitting in the shadows of the booby, the magnificent frigatebird is a striking pterodactyl-like seabird decked out in red. The male has a large crimson throat sac that it inflates to attract a mate, accompanied by a clacking sound it produces with its beak. Magnificent frigatebirds have a wingspan measuring up to five metres across, allowing them to fly long distances over sustained periods. Where to see? Magnificent frigatebirds nest in Florida and the Caribbean, and on the Pacific coast of Mexico and South America, including Ecuador. Head to Galápagos, and you’ll also see tortoises, iguanas, sharks and sealions living alongside the magnificent ones.

21 Saiga The saiga antelope has a bulbous, swollen and flexible nose designed to filter out the dust during dry summers in Central Asia and to warm the colder air in winter. These Critically Endangered, nomadic animals, a type of herbivorous antelope, are known to travel up to 1,000 kilometres between the summer and winter seasons. Males have distinctive ridged horns, which are also consumed in traditional Chinese ‘medicine’ (despite no benefits). Where to see? Saiga are found in Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. With numbers depleted catastrophically over the last three decades, they’re not a common sight. They can be seen in Kazakhstan’s Betpak-Dala desert region, though neither getting there or finding saiga are easy tasks.

22 Pink dolphin The Amazon river dolphin – or boto – lives in freshwater systems across the Amazon and Orinoco river basins. These dolphins aren’t born pink; they start grey and develop their colouring over time, with brighter pink males more attractive to females. The colouring’s thought to be scar tissue from rough play or fighting between males, with the pink getting brighter when the dolphins are flushed with excitement. They’re often seen swimming upside down, allowing them to look down at what’s in the water. Pink dolphins are the subject of several Amazonian myths, including that they whisk people away to magical underwater cities and that they transform at night into handsome men to seduce and impregnate local women. Where to see? Pink dolphins can be seen in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela. One of the best hotspots is Peru’s 20,000 square kilometre Pacaya-Samiria Reserve, where you can take a boat cruise.

Putting on a show

(clockwise from top left) Magnificent frigatebird on North Seymour Island, Galápagos; wild saiga antelope in the Kalmykia steppe, Russia; pink river dolphin

Time travel

(clockwise from this) View from the Siq of the Treasury which is over 2,000 years old; the Citadel, Jordan; the Madaba Mosaic Map is the oldest known map of the Holy Land; the Wadi Rum

shutterstock; Visit Jordan

Jordan was founded in 1946 but its history dates back to around 250,000BC, when humans hunted in the Jordan Valley. Since then, civilisations from the Nabataeans to the Romans have left their mark, and at these eight places they come back to life...

1PETRA

Petra borders the modern town of Wadi Musa to the south of Jordan. Built by the Nabataeans, the city was home to some 30,000 people at its peak. The Romans took control around AD106, but after the 14th century, it became completely lost to the western world. Word spread after a European explorer visited in 1812, and today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A narrow gorge called the Siq, with walls around 80 metres high, snakes from the entrance to the Lost City’s most recognisable sight, a king’s tomb known as the Treasury. Be sure to return after dark to see it illuminated by hundreds of paper lanterns. The nearby High Place of Sacrifice, an altar on which animals were sacrificed, is well-worth the 40 minute climb. Perched on a cliff almost 170 metres above the Wadi Musa, it offers unforgettable sunset views over the red rocks.

2AMMAN

Get your bearings of Jordan’s capital by climbing Jebel Al Qala’a. Known as the Citadel, the hill has helped Arab tribes defeat the Ottomans in the First World War.

Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Wadi Rum is home to 20,000 inscriptions and 25,000 petroglyphs dating back 12,000 years to Neolithic times. Explore it with a local guide by camel or horse, on foot or in a hot air balloon or four-wheel drive. Highlights include traversing Khazali Siq, clambering over rock bridges and Lawrence’s Spring, a watering hole still used by the Bedouins near Rum village. Stay the night to see Al Hasany dunes glow at sunset and stargaze from a Bedouin-style tent.

been occupied since the Bronze Age and later housed a Byzantine church. Today you can explore the walled citadel and see the remains of the Temple of Hercules, built by the Romans around AD161. You can also roam a colonnaded street and the domed hall of Umayyad Palace, which dates back to AD720.

The citadel overlooks the Forum, a Roman square roughly the size of a football pitch, and a 6,000-seat Roman theatre, hewn from a hillside in the 2nd century AD. Once you’ve explored the amphitheatre, browse jewellery, masks and traditional dress in the Museum of Popular Traditions as well as weapons, tools and musical instruments in the Folklore Museum. Elsewhere, the Jordan Museum offers an overview of the country’s past, from its origins to present day.

3WADI RUM

Wadi Rum may only be an hour’s drive from the southern town of Aqaba but it feels worlds apart. The colour of marmalade, the desert appears to belong more to Mars than Earth, which explains why it appears in the films The Martian, Star Wars and Lawrence of Arabia, which follows the eponymous British officer who

4MADABA

Though its history dates back to the Old Testament, this market town near Amman prospered during the Byzantine era and is best known for its mosaics. Begin at the 19th century St George’s Greek Orthodox Church, which features the oldest known map of the Holy Land in the form of a mosaic on its floor. Made in the 6th Century, the Madaba Mosaic Map depicts places including Egypt, Lebanon, Bethlehem and Jerusalem.

Just around the corner, the Church of the Beheading of John the Baptist was built in the early 1900s atop a 3,000-yearold working well. For a deeper understanding of Madaba’s past, visit its two archaeological parks to see the remains of a 6th century mansion and Virgin Mary Church where another impressive, detailed mosaic can be found on its floor.

Living history

(clockwise from this) As-Salt was once the capital of Jordan; Roman ruins at Umm Qais; Ajloun Castle; Hadrian’s Arch at Jerash

You can also watch artists restoring mosaics at Madaba Institute for Mosaics Art and Restoration.

5AS-SALT

Sitting within the Jordan Valley to the west of Amman and under Ottoman rule, the town of As-Salt became a capital from the 1860s to the 1920s. The town prospered during this ‘golden age’, thanks to the arrival of merchants and artisans from Syria and Lebanon. This exchange of cultures, along with the town’s yellow limestone architecture, led to As-Salt becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021.

Start by exploring As-Salt Archaeological Museum, a former home that displays traditional clothes, mosaics and other Roman, Byzantine and Islamic artefacts. You can also learn about the town’s history in Beit Abu Jaber, an Ottoman house turned museum, as well as at As-Salt Castle, built in AD1220. Have lunch at Beit Aziz, a 19th century house that is now a boutique hotel. It serves Jordan’s national dish of mansaf – lamb cooked in fermented yoghurt and served with rice.

6JERASH

Around 50km north of Amman, Jerash offers a glimpse at a finely preserved Roman city. To enter, you will pass under an impressive 13-metre high arch named after Emperor Hadrian, making for a grand first impression. After the arch, the first sight you’ll see is the Hippodrome, where 15,000 spectators used to gather to watch chariot races. The Temple of Zeus, meanwhile gives you an aerial view of the Forum, a former marketplace at the southern end of the colonnaded main street.

Further along, don’t miss the Temple of Artemis and the wellpreserved North Theatre, which is thought to have been used for government meetings – many seats feature past councillors’ names. Go early to have breakfast at Beit Khairat Souf, an initiative managed by the Alnoor Almouben Association that trains and employs local women so they can support themselves financially. It is one of 12 social enterprises on Jordan’s Meaningful Travel Map, which highlights authentic experiences.

7AJLOUN

Just a 20 minutes’ drive from Jerash in north-western Jordan, Ajloun Castle looms over the market town of Ajloun. Perched 1,250m above sea level atop Mt Auf, it offers panoramic views over the Jordan Valley, the three wadis and the desert beyond.

After the castle, stop for lunch at Summaga, another social enterprise on Jordan’s Meaningful Travel Map that provides fulltime jobs for women. The Al Kifah Society, a cooperative of 25 organic farms around Ajloun, runs the café, which serves local recipes made with free range eggs, homemade cheese, jam, honey and olive oil as well as foraged ingredients such as za’atar and sumac. You can extend your visit in the area by hiking in Ajloun Forest Reserve nearby.

8UMM QAIS

Umm Qais is just beyond Ajloun, in the north-west of Jordan, close to Israel’s Sea of Galilee. Once known as Gadara, the ancient city was built on a strategic lookout point with views of Jordan, Israel, Palestine and Syria.

The city is home to impressive Roman and Ottoman ruins. The remains of an Ottoman village reveal a mosque and the former home of an Ottoman governor, which is now a small museum. These sit alongside the Roman ruins of a 4th century public bath and grand fountain complex, shops and tombs. The highlight of your visit though is likely to be the West Theatre. Built from black basalt, it had a capacity for 3,000 people and once you drink in the view, you’ll realise why so many wanted to congregate here.

However you decide to spend your time in Jordan and wherever you decide to go, be prepared for an experience that will truly transport you through time.

discover

Ancient Egypt’s cultural centre, indigenous British Columbia and Mauritania’s remote outposts – this issue’s fascinating destinations take you further away from the crowds

Double bill: Zagreb & Ljubljana 168 Hidden USA: Massachusetts 170 Indigenous cultures: British Columbia 174 Heritage: Mauritania 176 British break: Rutland 180 Off-grid: Alexandria, Egypt 184 Short break: Northern Portugal 188 View from above: Queenstown 194