TOP 10 ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS

It's Top 10 time.

Since much of our trip revolved around looking for, swimming with, and hiding from beasts big and small, we kick things off with a list of our 10 favorite animal encounters. 

From the world's biggest fish in the Philippines to a lake full of jellyfish in Palau to an overly-friendly lemur in Madagascar, it was one wildlife-filled ride.

Hugging Lemur, Madagascar

On a visit to a wildlife refuge in central Madagascar, a lonely but loving lemur decided Kip needed a hug. Then he wrapped himself around Kip's leg and wouldn't let go.

Whale Sharks, Philippines

The reason we started our trip in the Philippines--swimming with the world's largest fish. Swam with them...check. Counted and cataloged them for an international conservation group working to protect them...check.  Dream about seeing them again someday soon...check.

 









Happy Pygmy elephants, Borneo

Prior to this trip, we weren't sure Pygmy Elephants existed. But after taking a boat up the Kinabatangan River in Borneo, we got to see for ourselves. The elephants' smiles made for some happy tourists, too.

Baby Orangutan, Borneo

We had the pleasure of meeting this swinging creature and his mamma up close, at the Semmengoh Orangutan Reserve, just outside of Kuching, Borneo.

Great White Sharks, South Africa  

Who couldn't love that face to the left? He was even kind enough to donate one of his teeth, after Liz did her most incredible, and surprisingly accurate seal impression.

Hungry Ocelot, Costa Rica 

This pretty lady gave us her best "Blue Steel," at least until we presented her with a plate of perfectly sliced beef hearts that we'd spent the morning cutting up.

 










 Millions of Jellyfish, Palau 
Swimming in a hidden mountain lake with millions of stingless jellyfish should be on everyone's list. And Palau is one of the only places to do it. 

Feeding Mother Leopard, Serengeti 
Watching this mother leopard drag a wild boar carcass across the road, up into a tree, and feed it to her two leopard cubs is as close to live National Geographic as we will ever get. And it was awesome. 

Sharks, Palau

The ocean in Palau is the purest we've ever seen. And with lots of fish, come lots of sharks. And we got to see lots of them up close and personal, including this curious grey-tipped reef shark.

Baby sloth,Costa Rica
When visiting Cahuita, Costa Rica, you're bound to see a sloth or two. After all, it is the sloth capital of the world. We caught this little guy napping just outside of our bedroom window.

HANGING WITH ORANGUTANS

A baby orangutan hangs high above the ground in Semenggoh Nature Reserve.

Ever wanted to see an orangutan in the jungle? If so, Borneo's the place to do it.

Home to more than 90 percent of the world's orangutan population, Borneo is the only spot, other than the Indonesian island of Sumatra, where the ginger-colored apes live in the wild.
Since Kip often acts like a big ape, at least according to his lovely wife, he really wanted to see one, perhaps to look for behavioral similarities, perhaps to learn a few new circus tricks for his ever-growing repertoire. We also felt it would be a fitting tribute to the species itself, since Duchess, the oldest Bornean orangutan in North America, died just the week before in the Phoenix Zoo (from cancer at the age of 52).

From Kuching, we hopped a bus to the Semenggoh Wildlife Center less than an hour south. Since 1975, the Center has taken in orangutans and other animals that have either been orphaned, found injured in the forest, or were previously kept as illegal pets. It's now one of the best places on the planet to get up close and personal with wild orangutans.

Feeding time in Borneo's Semenggoh Nature Reserve. Kip has since tried, quite unsuccessfully, to eat like this.

There are no cages or fences, so wildlife sightings aren't guaranteed. However, regular feeding times provide fairly predictable wildlife viewing opportunities while ensuring the orangutans have the food they need until they're able to fend for themselves in the Semmengoh Nature Reserve, which conveniently surrounds the Center. We got extremely lucky during our visit when a female walked slowly out of the trees carrying her recently-born baby on her back. As Mom ate, the curious baby climbed down and, after a few glances up at his mother to make sure he was OK, started playing like a little kid at his first visit to a playground. 

Fun times.