Mammal Watching Tours - The World's Best Hidden Wildlife Encounters
Our expertly guided mammal watching tours are designed for wildlife enthusiasts eager to encounter the world’s most iconic and elusive mammals, while also enjoying a fine supporting cast of fascinating birds and other wildlife. Track Snow Leopards and Eurasian Lynx across Mongolia and on the Tibetan Plateau (with close to a 100% chance of seeing both of these shy felines), or search for Red Panda and Golden Snub-nosed Monkey in China. Follow oddities like Aye-aye and Fosa through the forests of Madagascar, or track the amazing Mandrill and Western Lowland Gorilla in remote corners of Gabon. Our mammal-focused expeditions regularly produce thrilling encounters with a diverse array of mammal species in combination with exciting birds and reptiles.
Each itinerary is carefully crafted to maximize sightings of the region’s top mammals without neglecting exceptional birds and other wildlife along the way, often yielding a satisfying balance for both dedicated wildlife lovers and birders alike. Whether you're a seasoned naturalist or a mammal photographer, our tours offer an unforgettable journey in search of the planet’s most special creatures.
Canada: High Arctic Ice Floe
Search for one of the most bizarre animals on Earth, the Narwhal, from the High Arctic floe edge. Good chances for Polar Bear, Beluga, Walrus, and hopefully Bowhead Whale to boot! All during day expeditions from our basecamp, heading out onto the ice in snowmobiles with local Inuit guides.
China: Mammal Highlights
Snow Leopard, Pallas's Cat, Eurasian Lynx, Red Panda, Tibetan Fox, Golden Snub-nosed Monkey. All effectively guaranteed in one trip?!? This exciting new mammal tour also includes close-encounters with the astounding Lady Amherst's Pheasant and Chinese Monal.
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Gabon: Gorilla, Mandrill & Forest Birds
This time of year is perfect for near-guaranteed encounters with troops of mighty Western Lowland Gorilla and the stunning Mandrill. We also aim to see Red River Hog and many other exciting primates and mammals. Birding in the forest will see us search for lots of rare Congo Basin endemics.
Madagascar: Special
Visit a stunning wilderness area where the incomparable Aye-aye is near-guaranteed, then work south towards Madagascar Pochard, Red Owl, and Tsingy Forest Rail via many other exciting mammals like Golden-crowned Sifaka, Blue-eyed Black Lemur, and the unique Fosa. Expect many chameleons and other special reptiles too on this itinerary with a difference.
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Mongolia: Snow Leopard, Pallas's Cat & Siberian Migrants
Search for the incredible Snow Leopard on this tour to the best country in the world for sighting this incredible mammal. We will also focus on seeing cryptic Pallas's Cat, and the bizarre Saiga. Comfortable Ger base camps at relatively low altitudes with warmer temperatures and minimal walking.
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Nepal: Red Panda & Singalila Forest
Expert local trackers will help us find Red Pandas in pristine bird-filled forests that offer easy Himalayan birding and photography - around 150 species expected!
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Uganda: Highlights
This itinerary is designed to cover as many Ugandan specialties as possible in just two weeks. Visit some of the most diverse forests in Africa with a whole host of Albertine Rift endemics, the incomparable Shoebill, and, of course, near-guaranteed encounters with both Mountain Gorilla and Chimpanzee!
Those who have travelled with us on dedicated professionally-led birding tours will attest that our expert leaders are just as good at finding some of the world's most elusive mammals. We ran the first commercial tour to see Western Long-beaked Echidna, and now see this incredibly special species on most of our West Papua tours. Our 4WD trips to remote parts of Australia also boast high success with not just iconic species like Platypus and Koala, but also scarce endemics like Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat, Numbat, Monjon, Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby, Rufous Bettong, and Ghost Bat. In Madagascar we have shown guests endemic birds alongside Aye-aye and Fosa, on the same night as other incredible animals like the Spotted Fish-scaled Gecko and Nosy Komba Ground Boa. Our team is deeply immersed in the global wildlife tourism scene, and we are always excited to work out ways to combine previously unknown mammal watching sites with exciting bird and reptile itineraries.
On our uniquely tailored mammal watching holidays we are able to shift the primary focus directly onto mammals and dedicated nocturnal wildlife spotlighting, whilst also looking for birds and of course whatever else can be found. Navigating rugged high-altitude terrain or penetrating isolated dense forests, the dual-focus itineraries on this page provide a much richer, more comprehensive nature tour than a standard safari.
Most importantly, tour leaders who guide for Ornis do not shy away from paying constant attention and regularly staying out in the field well past midnight. This is essential to find some of the world's rarest mammals and other wildlife. We are known for regularly doing this on all of our birding tours, concurrently finding exceptional species around the globe on a regular basis to help our guests appreciate the full spectrum of a region's biodiversity.
Some other examples of incredible enigmatic wildlife which we have found during recent years include Pygmy Hippopotamus, Sunda Pangolin, Painted Ringtail, Feather-tailed Possum, Falanouc, Madame Berthe's Mouse Lemur, Caracal, Clouded Leopard, Painted Bat, Hammer-headed Fruit Bat, Maned Rat, Giant Jumping Rat, Blue Whale, Shepard's Beaked Whale, Hourglass Dolphin, Gaboon Viper, Solomons Small-eyed Snake, Black-necked Spitting Cobra, White-lipped Python, Rwenzori Three-horned Chameleon, Amber Mountain Chameleon, Giant Manta Ray, and Whale Shark.
