The 10 animals the world wants to see most

Adventure travel company Explore Worldwide has analysed search data from more than 180 countries

Tigers were the most popular choice with people around the world. Blake Meyer / Unsplash

Tigers, hippos and dolphins are some of the animals people around the world want to see most.

Adventure travel company Explore Worldwide analysed Google search data from more than 180 countries on 170 species, to reveal which animals people in different countries are most keen to see.

The company revealed its findings in the form of a world map.

In the UAE, the top choice was seals, which also ranked as the top choice of five other countries.

Tigers topped the list, being the favourite in 44 countries, followed by hippos in 28 countries and dolphins being the most popular in 17.

Outside of the top 10, Japan, Singapore and Kyrgyzstan were the only three countries that most wanted to see cats, while South Korea joined Finland as the two countries that most wanted to see bears. Kazakhstan was the only country that most wanted to see giraffes.

The 10 animals the world wants to see

1. Tiger, 44 countries
2. Hippo, 28 countries
3. Dolphins, 17 countries
4. Whale, 16 countries
5. Gorilla, eight countries
6. Seal, six countries
7. Penguin, six countries
8. Elk, five countries
9. Elephant, four countries
10. Lion, four countries

"We hope our research inspires travellers to see that a wildlife adventure isn't just restricted to seeing elephants and tigers," says Explore Worldwide managing director Michael Edwards.

"Regardless of which animal is on your wish list, if you want to embark on an animal-spotting tour, always opt to visit species in their natural habitat. We encourage you to visit sites that focus on the conservation and protection of these creatures so many more generations to come can spot the wonderful species out there."

The survey also shared the most popular wildlife destinations according to social media, based on tagged and viewed content on Instagram and TikTok.

Canada, with its selection of wildlife habitats and coastal, mountain, lake and forest landscapes, topped the list, followed by Australia, home to the Great Barrier Reef, the UK, with its variety of birdlife, South Africa, known for its famous safaris and Brazil, home to peacocks, macaws and toucans.

The 10 most popular wildlife destinations according to social media

1. Canada, 203,392,682 hashtags and views
2. Australia, 157,460,6073
3. UK, 68,490,3374
4. South Africa, 14,746,8665
5. Brazil, 9,939,9696
6. Scotland, 9,876,8007
7. Costa Rica, 7,269,4728
8. Nepal, 4,702,4819
9. Ethiopia, 4,242,65810
10. England, 3,514,787