by Lisa Reddy
Squirrels on skis, food-stealing birds, and grumpy cats — animals provide us with endless hours of entertainment, companionship, and the occasional laugh. And while newsfeeds fill with tales of scandal, corruption, and crime, a sliver of humour can work wonders for the brain and mental health. Whether it was for their looks or antics, click through for 20 times animals made the world laugh.
Seagull steals ice cream on camera
Tara Dalyntara was visiting the UK when she snapped a photo that became newsworthy. The Thailand resident had just bought some ice cream while sightseeing in Brighton, a city located south of London, when a staged photo of her towering ice cream cone was intercepted by a hungry seagull.
Officers help sloth cross the road
When one of the world’s slowest creatures couldn’t cross a road in Ecuador, it wasn’t long before the internet found out. Photos of a Transit Commission officer helping the sloth, who was clinging to a pole in the province of Los Rios, went viral in January 2016, being shared over 20,000 times on Facebook. The Transit Commission brought the animal back to its natural habitat after a check by veterinarians.
Raccoon rides subway train
A regular Tuesday morning commute in Toronto was delayed when a raccoon scurried onto a subway train in February 2016. Once the animal boarded the train, it was seen sniffing commuters’ purses and shoes, before it escaped into the subway tunnel. The Canadian city is no stranger to the furry masked creatures, and a similar incident took place in December 2017, when a raccoon calmly walked onto a busy morning train, again halting service.
Photographer sets up squirrels for Olympics of their own
Ahead of February’s Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, a Swedish photographer captured his own version of the Winter Games, with the help of a few wild red squirrels outside his woodland home. Geert Weggen used nuts to lure the creatures and set them up with different poses and props, such as a pair of skis, a snowboard, and a medal podium.
Photographer captures ‘headless’ penguins
British photographer Paul Goldstein could barely keep his camera still long enough to snap a shot of seemingly-headless penguins on Saint Andrews Bay in 2013. The king penguins had bent their heads back behind them to scratch, which the photographer managed to capture.
Hokey the hedgehog
Once a regular sight in British gardens, the hedgehog has experienced a massive drop in population, from more than 1.5 million in 1995 to less than one million in 2010. But one lucky hedgehog lives a pampered life in Manchester with his adopted owners. Hokey was adopted at eight weeks old by couple Col Skinner and Beki Smith, who told the Daily Mail they chose the tiny creature because they discovered hedgehogs make great pets, with funny daily habits.
“He loves swimming in the bath then getting wrapped in a flannel,” Skinner told the Daily Mail. “They’re natural swimmers.”
Larry the cat
Few felines hold an official designation, but Larry, the rescue cat living at 10 Downing Street, is one of them. Upon his adoption from the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, the now 12-year-old cat was bestowed with “Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office,” a job given to him by former British Prime Minister David Cameron. Though Larry’s position and home have remained the same under Britain’s new prime minister, Theresa May, he is often labelled “Lazy Larry” in the British tabloids, due to his poor skills at catching mice.
Stache the cat
When Christine Gonzalez heard of a young Oriental shorthair with unique markings, she couldn’t believe her luck.
“He’s got the moustache and literally looks like somebody took a Sharpie pen and put it on him,” the cat’s owner told ABC News. “I couldn’t believe I actually got him and that nobody wanted him.”
Stache, who shares an account with three other cats and boasts 236,000 Instagram followers, has been compared to Tom Selleck and Groucho Marx.
Dog licks Prince Charles
It’s not too often a human, let alone an animal, breaks royal protocol. But Bella, a black Labrador puppy, did just that during a royal visit to Devon and Cornwall in July 2017. The playful pup was captured lunging forward to give Prince Charles a lick on his forehead.
Dog photobombs model Gigi Hadid
Supermodel Gigi Hadid took a risk when posing next to a New York City hydrant in April 2016. Siberian Husky Ziggy Stardust Marley Stern considers the spot his favourite bathroom, so when he stopped to do his business, owner Scott VanderVoort wasn’t too bothered, even if an SUV was unloading the model and her three companions.
What followed was a snap that made the front page of the New York Post — Ziggy, midstream, and an unsuspecting supermodel. Thankfully, the Post reported, there was around a one-metre (three-foot) distance between the two.
Man rides pig instead of driving a car
A 68-year-old pig farmer from Chongqing, China, decided to try a different form of transportation when a bout of bronchitis sapped him of his energy to walk. The man, who has been herding pigs for 30 years, decided to take one of his herd for a ride — which proved much smoother than he thought.
Giraffe spills water over a bird
A giraffe made news when it was captured spilling water over a bird that had been pecking at ticks and parasites on the creature’s long neck. The giraffe was bent down, drinking water in Chobe National Park in Botswana, when an abrupt movement caused the animal to douse one of the oxpecker in water.
“They just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time,” British photographer James Gifford said of the bird’s unexpected shower.
Taylor Swift takes cat for a walk
Tabloids and online magazines are rife with photos of celebrities walking their dogs, but spotting a well-known name clutching her cat in NYC’s streets is a little less common. Taylor Swift was photographed in 2014, holding her Scottish fold kitten, Olivia Benson, in the crook of her arm. The singer made headlines for her unusual sidekick but explained the situation simply: “The kitten freaks out about being put in the cat carrier. So I was just like, ‘Okay, all right, we’re gonna just do this!’”
Dog rides tricycle in the UK
Barry is a Bedlington terrier who loves to ride a tricycle. A video posted in June 2015 shows the adventurous dog sitting atop the tricycle, gliding along a road, his owner, Wayne Sowerby, trailing behind or pushing him. Though Barry took to the tricycle naturally, he does need a bit of help; Sowerby steers the trike from behind, with two thin ropes attached to the handles.
Giuly, the fat cat
Giuly, the Italy-based exotic shorthair, made a name for herself after owner Chiara Bagnoli’s snaps of the portly feline went viral in 2010. The 6-kilogram (13-pound) cat is often captured sprawled on her back in her Italian home, and as Bagnoli says, “She’s quite playful, but very lazy.”
Maru the dog
Maru, a Japanese Shiba Inu, has been called not only the internet’s happiest hound, but also the best dog in the world — not surprising when you join the 2.6 million followers and scroll through his Instagram. His newsfeed is filled with silly smiles, playful adventures with owner Shinjiro Ono, and hilarious bursts of energy.
Bodhi the menswear dog
Where Maru is all smiles and playfulness, Bodhi, a New York Shiba Inu, plays the sartorial card. His owners, Dave Fung and Yena Kim, turned their weekend hobby of dressing Bodhi in suits and ties into a business opportunity, signing the pup to work with designers like Coach and Salvatore Ferragamo. In 2014, the stylish canine was making a reported $15,000 a month.
Amy Trotter the Pig
After 20 years of training dogs, Lori Stock decided to branch out — with a mini pig. In 2015, after puppy manners classes, Amy the pig made her debut at the Seattle Kennel Club Dog Show, at six months old.
“She is the smartest dog I’ve ever trained,” Stock said, adding that the tiny pig, motivated by food rewards, was quick to learn.
Hanzo the surfing dog
Playing fetch, barking on command, and shaking paws are all common canine skills, but skateboarding and surfing? Not so much. For Hanzo, a boxer, both came naturally. Hanzo’s owner Eric Felland told local news the dog started skateboarding at 10 weeks old, and it was a natural progression to surfing. Hanzo went on to win many awards, including “Crowd Pleaser” in his first surfing competition in 2009 and first place at the Surf Dog Surf-a-Thon in Del Mar in 2016.
The world’s ugliest dog
A three-year-old Neapolitan mastiff has earned the honour of being crowned 2017’s world’s ugliest dog. Martha, boasting a pair of long-hanging cheeks and bloodshot eyes, beat out 13 other homely canines to win the top spot at the California competition in June 2017.
