Wildlife photography is a major genre of the field. From wild elephants to migrating birds and butterflies, wildlife presents an ever-changing scenario for the photographer. There are a number of demands with wildlife photography that make point and shoots are poor choice. The main issues are shutter lag and the limitations on lenses. There are several excellent DSLR’s in cost effective price range. My recommendation would be to focus on Canon and Nikon as these two have more lens and accessory options. A few options are the Canon XTi, the Canon XT or the Nikon D40. My experience is with Canon but I am confident that the Nikon’s would be equally good.