Whether it’s the fluid movements of a jellyfish or the antics of an ape, observing wildlife can reduce stress. Tune into these live animal cams for a bit of zen.
Maybe it’s because I’m a Pisces, but the sound of waves lapping at the beach is the most soothing sound in the world. And I could watch fish swim all day long without a care in the world.
But because I live in the most landlocked state in the union (the Sunflower State of Kansas), it’s hard to get my fix at home. That’s why I often have ocean sounds playing in the background while I write or have live camera feeds of aquariums on my second computer screen.
If you are feeling a little overwhelmed (or just need a little wild in your life), then check out these live animal camera feeds from around the world.
What's Your Favorite Animal?
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African Wildlife
Gaze at the giraffes, rhinos, and other exotic animals in the Kijamii Overlook at the San Diego Zoo via this live animal cam. Or travel to Africa and take a virtual safari courtesy of the Africam remote cameras placed in the African wild.
Sage Advice: To enjoy an African safari (without leaving home), travel to the Masai Mara Game Reserve in Kenya with Sarah from The Winged Fork.
Alligators
While many kids prefer cuddly animals, like giant panda bears and puppies, my daughter Charlotte has always loved alligators. If you can relate, then you’ll love this live camera feed from the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park in Florida.
Apes
Focused on the orangutans and siamangs that make their home at the San Diego Zoo, this live animal cam brings you apish antics in real-time. And in case you’re wondering about siamangs, they are black gibbons found in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. (Yes, I had to Google it.)
Fun Fact: The fastest way to tell the difference between an ape and a monkey is to look for a tail. Like humans, apes don’t have tails. But, most monkey species do. You can read more about the differences here.
Baboons
If you prefer primates with tails, then observe two types of baboons living at the San Diego Zoo — hamadryas and gelada (although the gelada “baboon” isn’t technically a baboon). Here’s how to tell the two species apart when you watch this live camera feed: Hamadryas have distinctive skin-like red faces and rear ends while geladas sport their scarlet-colored skin patch on their chests.
Bald Eagles
When it comes to watching the world-renowned American emblem online, I can recommend two live animal webcams. Just north of me in the neighboring state of Iowa, the Raptor Resource Project in Decorah has a live camera feed on a bald eagle nest. Or you can travel to Florida and look in on the eagle’s nest at the Marco Island Nature Preserve and Bird Sanctuary.
Beluga Whales
If you’d prefer to leave the skies and dive underwater instead, watch putty-colored beluga whales at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta.
Bison
Hundreds of years ago, before Europeans migrated to the “new” world, herds of bison roamed North America. The continent’s biggest land mammal was nearly extinct when the Smithsonian Institution’s chief taxidermist, William Temple Hornaday, founded the National Zoo, in large part to save them from extinction. If you enjoy watching the wooly beasts graze on tall grass, then this live animal cam from the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie in Illinois is for you!
Bobcats
When I was finishing college at Kansas State University, I lived near Sunset Zoo. And every time I took a long walk or went for a run, I seemed to find myself stopping by the bobcat’s cage. Today, I feel lucky to live in a neighborhood where bobcats occasionally stroll through my yard. And when I want to be sure to see the slightly-larger-than-domesticated-cat creatures, I tune into the Big Cat Rescue’s bobcat feed.
A word of warning about this live animal feed: Because this sanctuary helps bobcats that can be rehabilitated enter the wild, you may occasionally see them feasting on small animals like mice and rabbits.
Brown Bears
Speaking of animals chowing down, listen to white water rapids flowing over a waterfall while watching brown bears fish for their salmon supper in this live animal camera feed from the Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska.
Fun Fact: If a brown bear lives along the coast, it’s typically called a brown bear. But brown bears that live inland, like in Montana and Wyoming, are known as grizzlies. Grizzly bears are essentially a subspecies of brown bears.
Dolphins
If you enjoyed Dolphin Tale, then you’ll want to check out the live animal camera feeds from Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Florida. Check in on Winter, Hope, and PJ via several zoned web cameras.
Fish
Watch a variety of colorful saltwater fish swim past coral and dart in and out of rocks in this live feed from the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California. Or, if a kelp forest is more your thing, watch fish, sharks, eels, and other ocean dwellers in this zoo cam.
If you find relaxation in the pumping, breaststroke motion of a jellyfish, then check out the zoo cams pointed at jellies at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta or the Pacific sea nettles at the Vancouver Aquarium in British Columbia.
Elephants
When you watch wildlife at home, go big by gazing upon the earth’s largest land mammals on an elephant cam. In the nation’s capital, see Asian elephants in Washington, DC. Or, look in on a herd of African elephants at the San Diego Zoo.
Giraffes
Standing 14 to 19 feet tall, these long-necked, tree-eating herbivores are my daughter Juliette’s favorite animal (which seems appropriate since she’s my tallest kiddo). Check in on the giraffes at the Greenville Zoo in South Carolina — in the giraffe barn or out in the paddock — on a giraffe cam. (And since giraffes don’t sleep much, there’s a good chance they’re up when you are too stressed to sleep!)
Hummingbirds
In contrast to the majestic American bald eagle, hummingbirds are small and delicate. Log into this live animal feed to look at a hummingbird nest and feeder in La Verne, California, when you need a feathered friend.
Koalas
If you’ve ever watched your newborn child sleep for an extended period of time, your heart spilling over with love, then you understand the fascination of watching koalas on zoo web cameras. These cuddly-looking creatures from Down Under typically sleep between 18 and 22 hours a day, a feat that almost puts my big, fat orange tomcat to shame (key word: almost).
Lemurs
Looking like a cross between a monkey and a raccoon, lemurs are primates native to the island of Madagascar. Observe their antics via live camera feed at the Reid Park Zoo in Arizona.
Lions
Channel your inner Simba and be crowned king of the jungle by watching the live animal webcams pointed at these fierce cats. See them at the National Zoo in Washington, DC, at the University of North Alabama in Florence, or at the Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, Florida.
Meerkats
And I can’t mention meerkats without a nod to The Lion King’s Timon. Tune into the Zoo Miami live streaming webcam to see if their meerkats are as sassy as the famed animated version.
Pandas
If you loved the television series Madam Secretary, then you know that Chief of Staff Russell Jackson tuned into the National Zoo’s panda cam to try to reduce his stress, lower his blood pressure, and keep another heart attack at bay. You can also spot the adorable black-and-white Chinese natives on the Zoo Atlanta panda cam.
Penguins
From the first time I saw the animated version dance with Mary Poppins on the big screen, I’ve loved watching penguins. Fortunately, there are several zoo web cameras that will let me watch them at any time. The California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco has a penguin cam focused on their colony. Or check out the gentoo penguins at the Kansas City Zoo in my hometown.
Polar Bears
Cute and cuddly as a Coca-Cola mascot, but fierce as heck in real life, polar bears are pretty cool to watch on zoo cams. Travel to the San Diego Zoo to watch polar bears or stay with me here in the Midwest where Berlin the polar bear is my youngest daughter’s favorite animal.
Puffins
To me, puffins look like penguins that got smooshed to pint size. If you want to mix up your at-home bird watching, then travel to the Georgia Aquarium where you can observe these seabirds diving into and paddling around the water.
Rhinos
With their pointed keratin horns, rhinos remind me of a less threatening triceratops. To watch these critically endangered African creatures go about their day, check out the Houston Zoo’s live webcam.
Sea Otters
With her soft, silky fur and playful demeanor, my long-haired Siamese cat sometimes reminds me of a sea otter (well, if she liked water and didn’t sleep 22 hours a day). Part of the mink family, these adorable sea mammals were nearly hunted to extinction in the 1800s, but today you can watch sea otters that are unable to live in the wild on the Monterey Aquarium’s live cams.
Sage Advice: These six places along the West Coast are the best places to spot sea otters in the wild.
Tigers
With their black-and-orange striped coats and intense gazes, tigers are gorgeous members of the big cat clan. Watch them at the San Diego Zoo’s live webcam.
Wolves
To watch wolves via a live webcam, travel to the International Wolf Center in Ely, Minnesota, on the southern edge of Shagawa Lake, about four hours north of Minneapolis.
Do You Have a Favorite Live Camera Feed of Wild Animals?
What critters do you enjoy watching most? Are there any top-notch live animal cams missing from this list? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
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This is a cool idea. Almost as good a traveling.
The key word is almost. LOL!
This is really cool and will definitely help with the cabin fever! We’ve been watching the San Diego Zoo feed, but this is a nice addition!
What a fun post!! Watching animals is always a good idea. I love the sea otters, they always seem like they’re having a good time. Or napping, which I can relate to lol
Yes, they are so stinkin’ cute!
A very interesting concept. Here in Australia governments have closed some schools as part of the COVID-19 response. With kids at home, this is a great way to keep them engaged for a while!
Yes, my college kids and my middle schooler are all shifting to online learning until the fall semester starts in August. Stay safe!
I just saw my share of monkeys earlier this month in Malaysia!
That would have been so cool! Stay safe!
My favorites are the beluga whales. We got to meet some at the Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut. We were in Alaska when they were migrating through, but we missed them by a few days.
It would be sooooo cool to see beluga whales in the wild!
This is one of the best resource at this time when travel is banned. Thanks for sharing this amazing feeds of wildlife. I will watch these over the weekend.
Such cute animals! One can never get bored at home when looking at these 🙂
I’m with you. The best place to be is by the ocean. I do the same….when trying to sleep I play music with ocean sounds. My favourite animal to watch use to be the elephant, but when I went whale watching recently and saw the whales in the ocean, they are now my fav. They were so fun to watch. And you’re completely right, when you are watching animals everything else leaves your mind.
You totally get me! Stay safe, my friend!