Jon Hall

Mammalwatching Expert

Jon Hall is a mammalwatching expert based in New York City. Jon first began mammal watching in Zambia in 1991 and coined the term 'mammalwatching' before setting up his site, mammalwatching.com, in 2005 as a way to build and connect a new community and share help resources and information. He has traveled to around 120 countries and likely seen more species of wild mammals than anyone else in the world, over 2,500 and counting, including discovering new species entirely. Alongside Dr. Charles Foley, Jon also hosts the Mammalwatching podcast, speaking with mammalwatchers, biologists, and conservationists about observing and protecting the world’s wild mammals.

Professional Achievements

  • Introduced the concept of mammalwatching in 1991
  • Has seen more wild mammals than anyone ever has
  • Mammalwatching - through the thousands of people who enjoy it - is now providing benefits to conservation and science

Favorite Piece of Advice

Mammalwatching is much easier than most people imagine and can be done almost anywhere. Pick up a pair of binoculars and head out to your local park and see what you can find.

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Forum Comments (1)

How do you identify animal tracks?
It’s about being aware and keeping your eyes on the ground, as well as in the trees, though I admit this isn’t my speciality. Nearly always, when I go into remote places, there are good local guides who have grown up around the animals and are confident in their knowledge of the animals' signs and tracks, so you can always learn from the people around you.

There’s also an organization in the US that offers courses on tracking, and I believe they offer a weekend course on learning about mammal tracks.

It’s often about practice – taking photographs, getting measurements, and posting your findings online to get others' perspectives is a great way to get help identifying tracks and learning along the way.

Co-authored Articles (4)