How many animals would you expect to see if you went on a nature hike in North America? Surprisingly, there are more types of critters and majestic beasts than you could imagine. The best part about spending time in nature is how much it opens your eyes. Wildlife is all around us, yet we rarely pay attention to it like it deserves.
To focus some of the attention where it belongs, the Midwest National Parks Facebook page stepped up to the plate. They realized that many people are unable to correctly identify the animals they spot on wildlife trails. So, in order to help the public out, MNP came up with a clever idea. Perhaps a visual challenge would be a fun way to educate the public!
And that’s exactly what they did!
How Many Animals do you See in This Image?
Below, we are going to share with you the image from MNP. All you have to do is count how many animals you see. If you can name them all, even better! Ready? Let’s take a look at this picture and good luck!
According to World Atlas, “North America is home to over 457 species of mammals, 914 birds, 662 reptiles, more than 300 amphibians and 4,000 known arachnids.” That’s a lot of living beings! Not surprising that we can’t identify all of them. However, it is fun to give it a try!
Looking at the image above, you can see the outline of a Bison in the very back. Move forward from there, and pay attention to the details. Those are the only hints we will be giving you for this little challenge. Take your time, grab a pen and some paper, and do your best to come up with the correct answer. How many of these iconic wildlife creatures are you able to spot?
The Answers, and Some Debate
Truthfully, we noticed some debate around the answers to this challenge. It turns out, the human brain is a tricky thing. We see what we want to see, and sometimes the brain connects patterns to present an image that isn’t really there. That being said, the comments revealed the majority of people saw the same animals, while only a few mentioned spotting silhouettes of animals that others didn’t see at all.
Someone mentioned seeing a “baby dolphin” in the image, even though dolphins aren’t notorious for being in the Midwest park system. Another person seemingly gave up before even trying, by giving the answer “I see a lot of animals.” So, how many animals do you see?
Official Answer from Midwest National Parks
The official answer made some people a bit upset since they were certain they saw animals not mentioned. So, if you did spot a random outline or animal, let us know!
The correct answer is 12 animals are in this image. “The graphic also includes interesting historical facts on each of the animals shown, including the National Mammal of the United States, the American bison, which was designated as such in 2016.”
How did you do? Did you get them all right? Let us know in the comments. If you liked this challenge, you’ll love these too!
