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What Animal have you seen in the wild, that was a rarity for you ?

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The Instigator
On a recent camping trip to Alabama, I snuck up on this critter ...



Woodchuck, I assume. Not a beaver tail, but it was somewhat large.



Had the impression its vision was poor. Eventually it smelled my excellent fougere EdC and leaped into the woods.


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Driving back to Norman Wells from Fort Good Hope (google them) at night, in the winter, we spotted a wolf trotting along the road. We're thinking "this truck had better not break down".

Living in Uluhaktok (again, google it) I'd seen Musk-ox up close and personal. Single males would wander away from the herd and end up passing through town. They are quite tasty too.
Also Peregrine falcons. One of them swooped down along side of me when I was out on a Honda trike going up a treeless hill. For about 15 seconds it stayed about 50 feet from me off to my left and kept checking me out. We occasionally would see them doing their courtship flights, which is amazing to watch.
 
Here in Manhattan, raccoons, coyotes, peregrine falcons, red tailed hawks, and bald eagles. Elsewhere, macaques, golden eagles, and once upon a time lots & lots of western diamondback rattlers.

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Spike
 
While Scuba Diving in Trinidad & Tobago, a View attachment 664971Giant Manta Ray came along and offered everyone their own ride. That's why the local guide called him a "Tobago Taxi"

Now THAT'S awesome!

I saw a bobcat and a red tail hawk flying with a snake in his talons while hiking in the White Tank Mountains west of Phoenix. The red tails aren't a rarity but seeing it with a fresh kill was a first for me, and it's the only time I've seen a bobcat. Saw a moose in Yellowstone, it was the only time I've seen one of those. Saw bighorn sheep in Estes Park, CO and shortly thereafter got chased by an elk while hanging out the van window filming it, he got within 10 feet of me. My jackass cousin recorded music videos over it when I lent him the vcr tape to watch. I've never seen either of those two since either.
 
Does the Big Five count on safari in Kruger National Park? Also whales off the beach at Hermanus and penguins at the Cape, all in S Africa.
 
Was standing on the beach with my then wife a few years ago just looking at the view as one does when at the line where you usually see the dolphins breach, a giant fin emerged from the water. Never thought I'd ever see an orca breach the water at Myrtle Beach.



My unicorn with the camera is the bald eagle. I see them all the time out on the bike or in the kayak, but never have the camera ready.
 
Here in the wilds of suburban Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, one Sunday afternoon a monitor lizard wandered onto our back patio. It was between 2 - 2.5 feet long. My young son pointed it out to me, and I wondered when his mother got that new dinosaur toy. It then turned its head and flicked out its tongue. Thinking quickly, I gathered the implements needed to assure its capture. It had wandered a few feet away, but I purposely strode toward it, clutching my trusty croquet mallet in one hand, and an empty five gallon plastic container in the other. It scampered away, but menacingly eyed me with evil intent. Realizing it may be a Scout Lizard from a rogue band of monitors roaming the woods, I strategically retreated and hastily found the number to Animal Control, but got only voicemail. Going back outside, it was gone, not to be found anywhere. A very crafty reptile. None of my neighbors owned up to missing the Giant Lizard, and to this day, I will not walk the woods without keeping a wary eye out for him or his pals. He's still out there. Waiting. True story.
 

garyg

B&B membership has its percs
Not exactly in the wild, but this little snapping turtle was on my front walk this morning. His forebears that inhabit the pond outback grow to pretty good size - 20 - 24 inch shells that account for a permanent population of gimpy ducks around. I snapped a couple shots then took him out back waterside. Shortly thereafter one of the Great Blue Herons was seen grazing in the area ..

Anyway, kind of interesting. The claws and beak are pretty clear even at that stage of growth.

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I saw a moose in the Adirondacks (New York) several years ago. I had never seen one up close before. I was deer hunting and didn't have any luck, but seeing the moose made the day. No moose hunting in NY though, so we just looked at each other and went along our ways.
 
I don't know if this counts, but its a pretty cool sighting. I once saw a Kangaroo in Rolesville NC. Rolesville is a small town outside of Raleigh, anyway, I was pumping gas and saw it across the street. I did a double take and couldn't believe it. Turns out that it had escaped from the animal hospital in Rolesville and was quickly retrieved. On a funny note, I found out that earlier that day someone called the police department to report seeing a kangaroo and the police thought he was drunk.
 

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The Instigator
On a similar note, an escaped Emu swam by us once. Waded, really; enough to make you think you're hallucinating. Bird was mostly underwater, size of a small ostrich, I guess.

Kids in kayaks and owner came chasing soon after. Memorable WTHWT moment.


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After Hurricane Andrew hit south Florida we had a group of monkeys in the woods next to my house. It wasn't until recently that the zoo did anything about it. They never bothered anyone as far as I know.
 
I've seen wild turkey in various U.S. states and Canadian provinces but it's quite rare to see them in my province. This past weekend I saw at least 30, driving through a region I rarely travel. It kind of blew my mind.. It's good to see there is a population developing.
 
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