What were the European explorers reactions to New World animals?

by JackC1126

I was reading up on the Age of Exploration and I wondered what Europeans thought about the wildlife they encountered on their expeditions. Are there any accounts of the first Europeans to come across exotic animals like jaguars and orangutans? What about animals like white tail deer and gray wolves that seem so similar to their European counterparts?

Snipahar

Hi Jack,

You may be interested in these previously answered questions:

Were early European visitors to the New World puzzled to find familiar species, like bears and wolves, living there? Answered by /u/sunagainstgold.
What did European settlers think of the alligators? Answered by /u/sunagainstgold.
During the Age of Discovery, how seriously did mariners take stories of sea monsters, mythical creatures, and other perils? Answered by /u/611131.

You may also be interested in this answer from one of the Tuesday Trivia threads:

Tuesday Trivia: Tell me about relationships between people and animals in your era! Answered by /u/drylaw.