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A fascinating reworked world map reveals the most popular animals around the world – and it’s the tiger that is number 1.
The maps were generated using Google Keyword Planner, analyzing searches for 170 different animals in over 180 countries. Researchers searched for the phrases'[animal] safari’ and ‘how to see [animal name]in all native language translations and a world map was then redrawn, with country names supplemented with the creature most sought by the inhabitants.
The tiger came out on top in 44 countries, while hippos – top in 25 countries – took dolphins to third place.
In the survey, by adventure travel company Explore Worldwide, whales topped in 16 countries and gorillas in eight.
When the results are broken down by country, the research shows that the tiger is the overwhelming favorite in the US. It is number 1 for most states, followed by camel and moose.
A fascinating reworked world map reveals the most popular animals around the world – and it’s the tiger that’s number 1
The survey shows that the tiger is the overwhelming favorite in the US. It is number 1 for most states, followed by camel and moose
In Europe, the results were mixed.
The dolphin is number 1 in the UK, the most popular whale in Spain and Portugal, while the French prefer to see hippos.
The Germans? They love moose, Bulgarians want to see zebras and Romanians gorillas.
In Australia, meanwhile, it is the monkey that is top, while New Zealanders prefer to see dolphins.
In Africa, the tiger gets the lion’s share of the vote, while only Rwanda is most interested in real lions.
In South America, storks top in Bolivia, horses in Argentina, and penguins in Peru. Brazilians? They want to see whales.
Explore also compiled a ranking of the most popular nature destinations according to social media, with Canada being the country most tagged and viewed in nature content on Instagram and TikTok.
As of February 2023, hashtag posts and views totaled 203,392,682.
In Europe, the results were mixed. The dolphin is number 1 in the UK, the most popular whale in Spain and Portugal, while the French prefer to see hippos
In South America, storks top in Bolivia, horses in Argentina, and penguins in Peru. Brazilians? They want to see whales
In Australia, the monkey is top, while New Zealanders prefer to see dolphins
In Africa, the tiger gets the lion’s share of the vote, while only Rwanda is most interested in real lions
Australia (157,460,607) ranks second, followed by the UK (68,490,337), South Africa (14,746,866) and Brazil (9,939,969).
Scotland comes sixth with a total of 9,876,800, while the rest of the top 10 consists of Costa Rica (seventh, 7,269,472), Nepal (eighth, 4,702,481), Ethiopia (ninth, 4,242,658) and England ( 10e, 3,514,787).
Explore said: ‘Canada is emerging as social media’s most popular wildlife destination, with Instagram users showcasing all of Canada’s incredible wildlife, both large and small. More than 190,000 Instagram posts have been tagged #canadawildlife or #canadianwildlife, and they feature incredible snaps of everything from the humble merganser duck to icy-eyed mountain lions.
With over half a million Instagram posts tagged #wildlifeinbritain and TikTok videos using the hashtag garnering millions of views, British wildlife is the third most popular on social media. Although it is home to larger wildlife such as deer, otters, seals, dolphins and foxes, social media users often flaunt Britain’s incredible variety of bird life, with many posts of barn owls, blue tits and kingfishers. ‘
Michael Edwards, Explore’s managing director, said: ‘We hope our research inspires travelers to see that a wildlife adventure is not just limited to seeing elephants and tigers. Whatever animal is on your wish list, if you want to go on an animal watching tour, always choose to visit species in their natural habitat. We encourage you to visit sites dedicated to preserving and protecting these creatures so many more generations can spot the beautiful species.”
The full findings and further information on the animals each country most wants to see can be found here: www.exploreworldwide.com/blog/wildlife-online-trends-report.