Experiencing an animal in its natural habitat can induce pure awe and amazement in even the most cultured travelers. For those of us who dream of a rare bird or animal sightings but don’t have the time or means to travel thousands of miles across the globe to achieve it, wildlife webcams are the perfect solution. Tuning into the various livestreams of animals and nature around the world can help you feel connected to the earth while taking in some breathtaking sights, all from the comfort of home. Here are a few of our favorite wildlife webcams from around the world to start watching now.
Panama Fruit Feeder Cam at Canopy Lodge
Canopy Lodge in Panama's El Valle de Antón sits in the crater of an extinct volcano and is known for its amazing birding. The webcam, run in association with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and, captures some of the frequent visitors at the lodge's fruit feeders, including birds like Clay-colored Thrush, Rufous Motmot, Gray-headed Chachalaca, tanagers, and hummingbirds, plus mammals, butterflies, and other insects.
Chestnut-headed Oropendola by Sanford M. Sorkin
Tembe Elephant Park Cam, South Africa
Tembe Elephant Park is home to some of the largest elephants in the whole world, weighing in at seven metric tons and standing over three meters tall. Set up by a busy watering hole in South Africa, the park has a webcam that runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Tune in to see these majestic creatures in their natural habitat as well as other animals like lions, hyenas, and gazelles. The best time to see the elephants is between 5 am and 9 am EST.
African elephant by Dain Van Schoyck
The Nature Conservancy Australia Reef Cam
The Nature Conservancy Australia treats viewers to two webcams at Port Phillip Bay near Melbourne: look for fish, seals, and even dolphins below the ocean surface and birds like Australasian Gannets and Black-faced Cormorants above.
Australia reef by Richard Ling
Galápagos Islands Giant Tortoise Cam
The Galápagos archipelago reportedly was named for the giant tortoises that roam here. (Early Spanish explorers thought the tortoises' shells resembled saddles; the old Spanish word for saddle was galapago.) Watch for these enormous creatures, which can weigh more than 500 pounds, at Semilla Verde Hotel on Santa Cruz Island.
Galápagos giant tortoise by Laurie McLaughlin
New Zealand Department of Conservation Royal Albatross Cam
Royal Cam is a 24-hour live stream of a Royal Albatross nest during the breeding season at Pukekura/Taiaroa Head on the southeast tip of New Zealand's South Island.
Royal Albatross by Alfie66 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0
