Particularly if you live in a town or city, it can be easy to forget that parts of the UK are home to some outstanding natural beauty, and a wide variety of wild animals. Though we’re all stuck inside for the moment, car leasing firm LeaseCar have put together an animal spotting roadtrip route around the UK - meaning you’ve got plenty of time to plan your post-lockdown adventure.
5. Basking sharks
Not half as scary as they sound, basking sharks are big - they typically grow to 8 metres in length - but harmless, as they only feed on tiny fish and plankton. They’re placid, and relatively unperturbed by divers, if you fancy getting up close. They can be found in the Hebrides, Lyme Bay in Dorset, Cardigan Bay, the Cornish coast, and the Isle of Man’s southern coast. Photo: Photo: Shutterstock
6. Otters
Though they’re not entirely uncommon, otters are relatively elusive and tend to be difficult to come across out in the wild. Your best chances to see them are in Aughton Woods in Lancashire, Ranworth Broad in Norfolk, the Wolseley Centre in Staffordshire and Cricklepit Mill in Devon. Photo: Photo: Shutterstock
7. Wild horses
You might well be familiar with domesticated horses, and while they’re certainly impressive creatures, there’s something somewhat magical about seeing the wild horses that live on the moors of Dartmoor National Park and Exmoor, or The New Forest in Hampshire. Photo: (Photo: Shutterstock)
8. Killer whales
Among the rarest and most elusive creatures on this list, we might typically associate killer whales - or orca - with Seaworld, but there are places right here in the UK where you can spot them in the wild. Try your luck at Cardigan Bay, the Shetland Islands and Orkney for a chance to spot one of the ocean’s deadliest hunters. Photo: Photo: Shutterstock