100 Animals

Antarctic colony; Tuxedo birds march, fastest underwater penguin swim

The Amur tiger is the world's largest cat—males reach 300 kg—and one of the most endangered, with only about 500 remaining in the wild. Cold temperate forests in Siberia and the Far East are their last stronghold. Selected for our World 100 as the rarest and most majestic big cat encounter on the planet.

Pantanal melanistic; same species as spotted, camera trap photography prize

Sea of Cortez; largest animal ever, 190 tonnes, 30m, heart size car

Chimpanzees represent one of the most profound wildlife experiences on Earth—the legacy of Jane Goodall's 60-year study. Observing our closest relatives (98.7% shared DNA) in the wild reveals tool use, hunting parties, complex politics, and emotional bonds. Forested habitats in equatorial Africa offer opportunities to encounter habituated troops. Selected for our World 100 as the definitive primate encounter and a living link to our evolutionary past.

Antarctic winter breeding; -60C dedication, huddle warmth, 115-day fast

Cerrado burrow; 60cm carapace, critically endangered, night digger

Amazon canopy; 2m wingspan, sloth monkey hunter, biggest eagle Americas

Andujar Sierra; most endangered cat 400 remain, rabbit dependence, amber eyes

Volcanoes NP silver-backs; 99% human DNA, playful infants, knuckle walk

Hudson Bay Arctic; spiral ivory tusk 3m, canary of the sea call

Congo forest; giraffe relative, tongue cleans eye, only in DRC reserves

Svalbard sea ice hunt; largest land carnivore, black skin under white fur

West Africa forest; nocturnal, secretive, solitary, critically endangered

Hemis NP Ladakh; most elusive big cat, Himalayan ghost, long tail balance

Scandinavia forest; most fearless animal, 15kg attacks moose, mustelid

Most powerful; kill prey 4x its weight, monkey hunter, elaborate display

Okavango pack; 80% hunt success rate, regurgitation share, endangered

South Georgia colony; longest wingspan 3.7m, mate for life 60 years

Seychelles; second largest tortoise 250kg, 200 year lifespan candidates

Torres del Paine thermals; 3.3m wingspan largest flying bird, 75 years

Jirisan NP; conservation program, V-chest mark, bamboo shoots diet

Ranthambhore lakes; ambush predator, territory 100km2, IUCN vulnerable

Perth hills; rare Baudin's species, banksia seeds, slow decline

Sydney rock pools; rings glow warning, venom kills 26 humans, no antidote

Semengoh sanctuary; 97% DNA human, tool use, oil palm crisis

Kamchatka salmon river; 600kg salmon catch acrobatics, autumn fat-up

Daintree rainforest; most dangerous bird, 50mm dagger claw, casque helmet

13 species beak shapes; evolution evidence Darwin 1835, tool use woodpecker

Swiss Jura; reintroduced 1971, tufted ears, snowshoe paws, roe deer

150 years old; distinct subspecies each island, Darwin evolution evidence

Chengdu Research Base; bamboo-only diet, twin cubs, conservation icon

Pacific Colombia; 2cm deadliest animal on Earth, Embera people arrow tips

The golden snub-nosed monkey is a blue-faced, golden-orange primate that lives in temperate mountain forests and survives -20°C winters at high altitude. These endangered monkeys live in troops of hundreds and are a conservation icon. Selected for our World 100 as one of Asia's most striking and rarely seen primates.

Yellowstone reintroduction 1995; changed rivers trophic cascade, howl territory

Great white shark cage diving lets you encounter the ocean's 6-meter apex predator in its realm. These animals breach up to 4 meters, possess electroreceptive ampullae that detect prey, and represent 400 million years of evolution. The experience combines adrenaline with conservation education. Selected for our World 100 as the most accessible and responsible way to witness the planet's most iconic shark.

Amazon largest snake 9m, 250kg; ambush caiman, silent river predator

Khutzeymateen salmon catch; 400kg, cubs play, fat-building before hibernate

Tonga Ha apai swimming; 40-tonne acrobat, bubble net feeding, song

Pantanal boat tours; swim, bite through turtle shells, apex predator

Rinca and Komodo Islands; venomous saliva, 3m long, ambush antelope

Sabi Sands nocturnal hunting; most adaptable big cat, tree hoisting kills

Arctic waters; tentacles 37m, largest invertebrate, ocean giants

Gabon Lopé NP; most colorful mammal, group 800 horde, male face status

Hanifaru Bay feeding aggregations; wingspan 7m, brain-to-body ratio high

Galapagos only sea lizard; sneezes salt, swims 10m deep, solar basking

La Paz mass jumping; up to 10,000 gather, breach 2m above water

Andfjorden winter herring; cooperative pod hunting, matriarchal culture

Eungella NP; electroreception bill, mammal lays eggs, venomous spur male

Vietnam forest; toxic bite, big eyes night, illegal pet trade pressure

Cloud forest Guatemala; 1m tail, sacred Mayan bird, avocado disperser

Borneo rainforest; casque amplifies call, fruit disperser, nest cement-seal

Kazakhstan steppe; proboscis filter dust, 2015 mass die-off, recovery effort

Schools of hundreds of scalloped hammerhead sharks are one of the world's most spectacular underwater phenomena. Their unique head shape provides 360° vision and electromagnetic prey detection. Drift dives through these aggregations are unforgettable in suitable Pacific and tropical waters. Selected for our World 100 as the definitive hammerhead encounter.

Azores pelagic; fastest shark 74km/h, leaps 6m, blue water encounters

Azores year-round; biggest toothed predator, dives 3km, clicks echolocate

Royal NP Sydney; mimics 20 species, chainsaw camera, 7 year tail grow

Corcovado forest trails; gentle browser, 6000 year lineage, endangered

Healesville; facial tumour disease, strongest bite per body, night scavenger

Ningaloo Reef; largest fish 12m, filter feeder, gather March-July

Amboseli herds against Kilimanjaro backdrop; matriarch-led society

Masai Mara prides; best seen at dawn, June-October Great Migration season

Badlands herd; 30 million to 500,000; Yellowstone plains thundering hooves

Atlantic puffins—the "clown of the sea" with their colorful beaks and comical gait—number around 60 million globally. These birds dive 60 meters for fish and can carry 10 sand eels at once. Summer breeding colonies in the North Atlantic offer close encounters. Selected for our World 100 as one of the most accessible and photogenic seabird experiences on Earth.

Algonquin Park; dam engineers, night lodge builders, winter food cache

South Dakota towns; sentinel bark warning, kiss greeting, ecosystem keystone

Costa Rica cloud forest; 20cm iridescent wings, 115 species rainforest

The Cape buffalo is one of Africa's Big Five and among the most dangerous animals on the continent—unpredictable, social, and capable of charging at 57 km/h. Weighing up to 900 kg, these animals have killed more big-game hunters than any other African species. On savanna reserves they form herds of hundreds. Selected for our World 100 as the ultimate symbol of untamed African wilderness.

Pantanal river banks; worlds largest rodent 65kg, sociable, herd 100

Worlds fastest land animal; Mara cubs seen with famous mother cheetahs

Great Barrier Reef anemone; protandrous hermaphrodite, Nemo inspiration

Algarve bow-riding; 1000 super-pod, acrobatic, common but fascinating shoal

Outback wanderer; 2m flightless, male broods eggs, 3-toed sprint 50km/h

The fennec fox is the world's smallest fox (1.5 kg) and a master of Sahara survival. Its enormous 15 cm ears radiate heat and detect prey underground; it hunts at night when the desert cools. Desert encounters reveal an elusive, adorable predator. Selected for our World 100 as the most charismatic desert mammal and a symbol of adaptation to extreme environments.

Fernandina Island; surf-riding, belly-rub rocks, pups curious about snorkelers

Namib desert adapted; reflects sunlight, 45C body temp tolerance, sword horn

Tallest animal 5.5m; Maasai Giraffe endangered, tongue purple 45cm

Lake Nakuru millions; pink from algae shrimp diet, running takeoff

Luangwa River at sunset; surprisingly fast, most dangerous African mammal

Amboseli herds; red-oat grass grazer, male harem fights, alarm sneeze

Kaziranga Assam; comeback from 200 to 3000, tallest grass meadow swim

Jigokudani Snow Monkey; hot spring bathing, infant play, -15C survival

Kangaroo Island eucalyptus; sleeps 22hrs, fingerprint like human, toxic leaves

Baja 360 spins; pod 1000 synchronised jumps, tuna fishing net bycatch

Grumeti River wildebeest crossing; 1000kg ambush, mothers carry young

Ngorongoro individual stripe patterns; lion confusion tactic, dust bath

Rottnest Island; happiest animal smiles, hop joey, tourists selfie spot

Flinders Ranges mob; 70 km/h, joey pouch, sparring males, arid adapted

Svalbard migration; herd travel 5000km, velvet antlers, both sexes antlers

Palawan coral reef; beautiful banded, highly venomous but docile, air breath

Monterey Bay holding hands; tool-using, marine mammal conservation icon

Tubbataha Reef; only species where male pregnant, 1000 eggs, slow drift

Nunavut tundra; wingspan 1.6m, lemmings, Harry Potter Hedwig inspiration

Lady Elliot Island; hundreds gather at cleaning stations, docile reef glide

The three-toed sloth embodies a unique way of life: sleeping 20 hours daily, moving so slowly that algae grows in its fur (providing camouflage), and spending its life upside down. This arboreal mammal has evolved to conserve energy in nutrient-poor rainforest canopies in the Neotropics. Selected for our World 100 as one of the most charismatic and emblematic species of the Americas.

Southeast Asia; loudest gecko call, medicinal trade pressure, bark camouflage

Grampians NP Victoria; red-necked species joey, kangaroo relative smaller

Kruger conservation success; 5-tonne tank grazers, mud wallow social

Serengeti crossing; 1.5 million strong, Mara River crocodiles, July-October

Tasmania cube poos; backwards pouch, bulldozer burrow, koala relative