Rare animal encounters are thrilling and often unforgettable. Here are some top attractions and destinations around the world where you have a chance to see rare animals encounter—

1. Snow Leopard Himalayas & Central Asia, Snow Leopard Expedition – Ladakh, India

Best Time to visit – January to March

Activities : Guided trekking tours in Hemis National Park is one of the few places in the world offering real chances of spotting a wild snow leopard.

Snow Leopards are highly elusive and well-camouflaged and are usually spotted only by seasoned trackers and camera traps.

Rare encounter: Many Wildlife photographers have captured them descending steep cliffs and silently stalking prey.

2. Saola Vietnam & Laos

Saola are one of the world’s rarest mammals only a few confirmed sightings in the wild since its discovery in 1992.

3. Aye-Aye Lokobe Reserve – Madagascar

Animals seen : Aye-Aye, Black Lemur, rare chameleons.

Activities : Night walks, guided nature treks, Madagascar is a biodiversity hotspots. It is the long middle finger used to tap on wood and extract insects.

Rare Encounter: Nocturnal and tree-dwelling, sightings are very rare and often in remote rainforests.

4. Okapi Wildlife Reserve Democratic Republic of Congo

Okapi looks like a cross between a giraffe and a zebra.

Best For: Jungle trekking, rare primate encounters are one of the only places to see Okapis in a semi-wild environment.

Rare Sight: Native to dense Congolese jungles, they were considered mythical until the early 1900s.

5. Pangolin Africa & Asia

Pangolin are scaly anteater known for rolling into a ball.

Rare Encounter: Critically endangered due to trafficking, very hard to find in the wild.

6. Pink Dolphin Yasuni National Park Amazon Basin

Pink dolphins are seen in Amazon River Basin, Giant Otters, rare frogs.

Best sight: One of the most biodiverse places on earth home to many elusive and newly discovered species also Eco-lodges and canoe safaris.

Rare Behavior: Pink Dolphins interact with boats, but mostly shy and elusive.

7. Giant Squid Deep Ocean

Giant Squid first live sighting are captured on video in 2004.

Rare seen : Inspired legends of the kraken lives deep in ocean, nearly impossible to encounter.

8. Danum Valley Borneo Malaysia

Animals seen : Clouded Leopard, Bornean Orangutan, Tarsiers

Activities : Rainforest lodge with guided wildlife walks, a pristine primary rainforest with high chances of rare wildlife sightings.

9. Bonavista Peninsula Newfoundland, Canada

Animals seen : Narwhals, Ice Seals, Puffins

Activities : Arctic and whale-watching tours, occasional sightings of the rare narwhal best during ice drift season.

10. Tsingy de Bemaraha Madagascar

Animals seen : Decken’s sifaka, rare lemurs, unique reptiles

Rare wildlife : Dramatic limestone formations and remote location make it a rare wildlife hotspot.