16 February 2021

“The New Big 5” – follow up

Hello all,

Many thanks to everybody who commented with suggestions on my last post, the final version is now out there:

https://shoestringsafari.wordpress.com/2021/02/16/the-new-big-5-five-animals-that-are-bldy-difficult-to-spot-in-the-wild/

I expect there will probably be disagreements about what’s on there, and it is a highly subjective topic. As some comments rightly pointed out, a list like the Big 5 is a blend of difficulty of spotting and iconic-ness, both of which aren’t exactly quantifiable. I kind of backtracked on making it purely about difficulty, plus one of the intended audiences is broader wildlife tourists so I had to exclude more obscure species that they may not have heard of like giant otter shrew or bush dog.

Anyways, thanks again to everyone who commented with advice and with their own personal takes, and a broader thanks to everybody who’s submitted info in their trip reports on finding these animals!

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2 Comments

  • 16 February 2021
    Ian Mackenzie

    The Caracal is worthy of inclusion.

  • 17 February 2021
    Ian Thompson

    This got me thinking. Currently the 5 most difficult mammals to see in Canada:
    1. Black-footed ferret – impossible at present as the re-introduced population in Grasslands has died out.
    2. Alaskan marmot – rumoured to be present in western Yukon, but no specimens collected, to the best of my knowledge
    3. Ribbon seal – 1 BC record as far as I am aware.
    4. Least weasel – widespread but very rarely seen.
    5. Wolverine – again, widespread but hard to see apart from Thelon river and a mine site or two in the Arctic.

    Honourable mention – Sasquatch/Bigfoot – more commonly seen than any of the above, but tangible evidence hard to come by.

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