PGAV Destinations’ List of “Must-see” Fantastic Creatures
Some of the Incredible Living Animals that Exist Today
With the widely anticipated November 16 release of the latest adventure into the world of wizards, we at PGAV Destinations were inspired to think about all the incredible living animals around us in America today.
In the first film, Jacob Kowalski and Newt Scamander venture to New York City in the 1920s to track down magical creatures.
Fortunately, for regular public “muggles” like us, there are plenty of opportunities to actually see some truly amazing animals that will excite you… and we think might even excite Jacob and Newt.
PGAV Destinations, a global leader in the planning and design of unique destinations, compiled a list of 13 animals and places to find them to help the public discover and enjoy these “wow” animals in your local zoos and aquariums. Check them out:
Giant River Otters
At Zoo Miami, you can find the endangered giant river otter, the largest and most vocal of all otter species. Originally from South America, these can grow up to six feet long!
Leucistic Alligators
Purely white alligators, there may only be a dozen Leucistic Alligators in the whole world! You can find these “ethereal, ghostly and, most frequently, beautiful alligators with translucent white skin and deep blue eyes” at New Orleans Audubon Zoo.
Stellar’s Sea Eagle
You can find the world’s heaviest eagle at the Louisville Zoo, with a wingspan up to eight feet!
Blue Lobster
With a chance in finding only one in two million, you can see the incredibly rare blue lobster at the Chicago Shedd Aquarium!
Okapi
Also known as the “forest giraffe,” you can find this endangered, seemingly mix of a giraffe and a zebra at the San Antonio Zoo.
Giant Panda
Notoriously difficult to breed but famously adorable, you can see three Giant pandas at the San Diego Zoo – they even have a live “panda cam” so you can check in on them right now!
Whale Sharks
Found at Atlanta’s Georgia Aquarium, whale sharks are the largest fish in the world, and the Georgia Aquarium is the only place in the Western Hemisphere to exhibit them. Not a whale, but a toothless shark, these gentle giants are elusive and beautiful.
Scimitar Horned Oryx
Potentially behind the legend of the unicorn, this type of Oryx is currently extinct in the wild, but efforts at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo are working to bring these populations back to sustainable levels.
Hellbender
Also known as the “snot otter,” the Hellbender is one of the largest salamanders in the world at two feet long! Males uniquely do most of the egg-raising and parenting, and you can find them at the Saint Louis Zoo!
Japanese Giant Salamander
You can find the world’s second largest salamander at the Detroit Zoo. They can reach 4’ long, 88 pounds, and can go weeks without eating (if they need to)!
Snow Leopard
Like using Harry Potter’s Cloak of Invisibility, Snow Leopards are one of nature’s best camouflagers, but you can spot them easily at the New York Central Park Zoo. These big cats have also recently, successfully gone from “endangered” to “vulnerable.”
Mexican Grey Wolf
The El Paso Zoo in Texas is home to three of the critically-endangered Mexican Grey Wolves. Also called “lobo,” there may be fewer than 100 left in the wild, and the Zoo has a robust and successful breeding facility to bring these populations back to stable levels.
Peacock Mantis Shrimp
At Baltimore’s National Aquarium, you can find one of the world’s most fascinating crustaceans. The Peacock Mantis Shrimp can detect ten times more color than a human can, and it can punch with the speed of a .22 caliber bullet – knocking out prey or even shattering glass!”
