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Fluffy, furry, scaly, fuzzy, prickly, spiky, slimy, feathery, or hairy, there is no shortage of variety in the animal kingdom. And while we may have our preferences of favorite animals based on how easily they can be domesticated, how intelligent they are, how well they hunt their prey or how adorable we find them, today we’re here to celebrate another feature that animals can exhibit: being wholesome.
They might not be able to post heartwarming dedications to their loved ones on social media or bring their partners breakfast in bed on a Saturday morning, but animals still manage to show that they love and care for each other and their environment in their own special ways. Reddit user Pancakebunny15 recently reached out asking for people to share wholesome animal facts they know, and boy, did their answers warm our hearts.
We’ve gathered some of the sweetest facts down below that might change how you view some of these species, so I’ll warn you right now, you might feel the temptation to adopt an elephant or a raven after reading this article. Be sure to upvote all of the facts that bring a smile to your face, and then let us know in the comments if you have any more wholesome animal facts to share. And then if you’re on the hunt for even more precious animal facts that might make you say “awww”, check out this Bored Panda article next.
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#1
During the Australian wildfires, wombats started extending their burrows to other animals in need even including birds and reptiles and had different “rooms” set up for each species to stay safe and even started digging their “entryways” bigger for bigger animals like sheep 🐑 🥹
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#2
There are reports of elephants finding humans sleeping under trees and the elephants think they're dead. People have woken up with elephants gently stroking them with their trunk and in some cases they try to cover them with branches and sticks as a "burial"
Elephants are one of the few animals who mourn their dead and have rituals.
#3
I saw a video not too long ago of some research ravens given small toys to play with. When the researchers came to collect the toys the ravens hid the toys and tried to trick the researchers into looking in fake hiding spots so they wouldn't find and take the toys away.
There are plenty of reasons to love animals, from the companionship they can provide us with to the joy that we receive from observing them. But we sometimes forget that many creatures, aside from cats and dogs, are out there spreading joy and positive energy all the time. Elephants, for example, are often considered one of the world’s most wholesome animals because they are one of the only species that is known to grieve the death of their loved ones.
They have funeral traditions, such as touching the diseased elephant with their trunks, having moments of silence and covering the body with leaves and branches. These rituals to honor the dead can even last multiple days after an elephant has passed. On a lighter note, elephants are also considered wholesome due to their fear of bees. Despite how tiny bees are compared to them, they flee when they hear the buzzing sound and are always sure to warn one another when a bee is near.
#4
Orcas have incredibly complex social structures. They have different languages and regional dialects. They have names. They sing and dance. Pods that are close and speak the same language will mourn deaths and celebrate births together, even from other pods, other families. Their young are largely taught by the matriarch(s) of the pod, and they're able to teach verbally, rather than by showing.
This means they have *culture*. Traditions, not just instinct or patterns. One of the only animals in the world that has that.
#5
In a recent study, researchers put one rat in an uncomfortably small, confined space that can be opened by another rat on the outside. The Outside Rat would figure out how to release the Trapped Rat when they made sounds of distress. Even when the researchers distracted the Outside Rat with treats, it would save a treat for the Trapped Rat when it let it out. Basically proving that rats have empathy.
Which I already knew, I love rats. They make amazing pets, clean & smart. It's just a damn shame that they only live about 3-4 years on average. Plenty of time to break your heart, but definitely not long enough.
Bored Retsuko 2 years ago
4 years, I'd be the happiest person ever! Sadly, 2-3 is more common.
#6
Mama cats can sense when their kitten(s) are having nightmares, so they tightly pull them into a hug and lick their faces to aid them
When it comes to the world’s friendliest wild animals, the capybara is certain to make it on the list. These giant rodents weigh about 150 pounds, but they are filled with love and compassion. They are known to be friendly towards a variety of other species, including humans, cats, birds, camels and even crocodiles. In fact, they often serve as a mode of transportation for birds and monkeys who don’t feel like walking or flying.
In the United States, it is actually legal to have a capybara as a pet in Texas and Pennsylvania, but if you’re looking to adopt, keep in mind that you’ll need to get at least two. They’re extremely social animals who will get lonely without a companion, and they need plenty of space to roam around, ideally with a pool or lake to wade into as well. But if you come across one in the wild, be careful not to get too close. Not because they’re likely to harm you, but because they might be hosting ticks who won’t be as friendly towards you.
#7
In Switzerland it is illegal to own only one Guinea Pig as they get lonely
E Menendez 2 years ago
Guinea pigs are social animals and need that interaction to have a good life as they can die of loneliness. It should be illegal everywhere.
#8
My father in law worked for a commercial plumbing company. They got a job putting in all the water related stuff for the primate enclosures at the local zoo. While working near orangutans, they had to not leave their tools unattended, and take inventory when they left. The orangutans would try to use the tools to take their enclosure apart.
Bonus Wholesome: Years later, my son got a book on animals at the book fair. Reading it together, when we got to the part about orangutans it said, "orangutans are so smart, plumbers working on their enclosures at the (Hometown) Zoo had to be careful not to get their tools taken when working on their enclosure."
I said, "Holy c**p, they are talking about your grandpa!!"
#9
Bearded dragons wave to communicate greeting and that they aren't a threat. When you wave to a bearded dragon and it waves back at you, you're literally speaking the same language with the same intent.
Another one of the world’s friendliest animals that might surprise you is the bearded dragon. Although they do not always bond with their own species, they have been known to be kind to humans. They enjoy being held by people and those that are kept as pets will often spend a few hours hanging out on their owners’ shoulders. Their diets consist of a variety of foods, including greens, fruits, leaves, meat and insects, but we have no reason to fear they'll go for a bite of us. In fact, you can even tell how they’re feeling based on how their colors change, so you might say they wear their feelings on their sleeves (or their scales, same thing right?).
#10
Zebras can’t sleep alone which leads to my theory Marty spent like 80% of the Madagascar movies as a raging insomniac hence explaining his erratic personality at times
#11
deer adopt baby deer. like if a mom deer gets hit on the road, and another mom deer is around, which is likely because they are herd animals. they just like "i guess i got two now🤷♀️". i think a lot of animals are all "not my kid, not my problem" but not deer.
#12
Dogs evolved the ability to move their eyebrows to better communicate with humans.
E Menendez 2 years ago
This is through selective breeding by humans. A lot of time it is not conscious but if you have an animal that has more desired traits, you are going to favor it. And through that, these animals will be given more resources. It is similar with natural selection in nature. Desired traits get you resources.
Another friendly animal that will probably not come as a surprise to all of you pandas out there is none other than, the giant panda! These huge, fluffy bamboo eaters are known to be quite friendly to humans, despite being related to the much more aggressive Grizzly bears. And while they have thankfully been upgraded from endangered to vulnerable in recent years, after being endangered for decades, they still need to be looked out for. In fact, to preserve their national animal, the Chinese government has even created a Giant Panda National Park that is three times the size of Yellowstone National Park in the United States. (Sounds like the park and the pandas are giant!) So if you're a panda lover, you might want to add a trip to China to your bucket list to visit these beautiful, friendly creatures.
#13
Cows have best friends
River Webb 2 years ago
do you think they gossip about cows they dont like? "oh moo god have you SEEN how buttercup is sucking up to the bulls next door, she's soo annoying!!"
#14
Cats will knead throughout life because of when they were kittens with their mother. If a Cat kneads on you, I know it may hurt, but they see you as their parent/family and they have a somewhat deep connection with you.
troufaki13 2 years ago
When my cat kneads on me I suffer in silence and I'm happy. It's a thing only cat-parents understand!
#15
Otters hold each other’s hands when they are sleeping so they don’t float away.
Another animal that people might not expect to be too wholesome, due to a similar species being much more aggressive, is the swan. These beautiful birds are actually quite friendly towards humans, compared to geese, as long as you don't mess with a mother's babies. They're romantic as well, as they mate for life, and both partners share responsibilities when it comes to building and taking care of their nest. They also deeply love their families, so they would do anything to protect their partners and children.
#16
Wild wolf packs and murders of crows form bonds over time. The crows help lead the wolves to live prey and in return and crows get the scraps after the wolf pack has eaten their fill. Crows have been seen playing with wolf pups and bringing them sticks and feathers as gifts. These same crows and wolf pups reunite as adults and do the deal time and time again. Sometimes the birds and carnivores just hang out together, supposedly just to enjoy each other's time.
Like Hood Nature (Casual Geographic) once said, "There's a Disney movie in here, I just know it."
René Studer 2 years ago
A friend told me whenever her two cats are outside on the balcony, some crows would appear and just watch the cats. Sometimes the crows leave little gifts like bones or sticks. They don't really get anything in return. Maybe they just enjoy watching kitties.
#17
if a cat blinks slowly at you it’s giving you a hug and if you blink slowly back you can give it a hug in its language
Bored Retsuko 2 years ago
I always do that when I meet a new cat, probably making whoever sees me think I'm completely nuts, but it works! Blink at it repeatedly for a while, and it will eventually respond and trust you.
#18
Vampire bats will share food with other vampire bats who haven't fed in the last day or two (their metabolism means they die if they don't eat roughly every three days). This helps support members of the colony, even though it puts the sharer at risk. It is considered one of the few forms of altruism observed in non-human animals.
Another sweet animal that can make a great pet is the guinea pig. They are actually rodents, rather than pigs, but they got their names due to their physical resemblance to pigs. These cute and friendly creatures make for great companions as they respond well to handling and feeding, and they love to play. They are very vocal as well, which can make it easier to determine how they're feeling when they express themselves. If you're interested in adopting a guinea pig, just make sure you have room for two. They need to have at least one friend, as they will become lonely without a fellow guinea pig by their side.
#19
Dogs love us just as much as we love them.
Scientists studied their brainwaves and they showed a significant difference between being shown the image of a stranger and the image of their owner. Furthermore, the “pleasure center” of their brain shows more activity with humans than it does with other dogs
#20
Not really a fact, more whatever the opposite of a fact (as in lack of knowledge) is. A lack of knowledge with wholesome implications: I'm not aware of any animal that doesn't like to be petted (species, individuals have varying preferences of course). You can pet lizards, fish (including sharks), a friend of mine even pet a spider and when he stopped it came closer, indicating that it wanted more. Every animal seems to share this one trait, they all want to be loved.
What do you think ?
My O My 2 years ago
When hamsters are still small they start shoving stuff in their cheek pouches but they can't always get all of it out. So mommy hamster has to frequently help the babies empty their pouches or else whatever is in there will turn bad.
IsItNapTimeYet 2 years ago
Aww I had no idea! I never had a hamster, but this is so wonderful. I love learning new things.
Load More Replies... IsItNapTimeYet 2 years ago
I wanted to comment on every one of these threads. Animals are absolutely amazing!
PenguinQueen 2 years ago
Rabbits have scent glands under their chins, they often rub their chins against human items that they find exciting or interesting that they intend to come back too to explore again later. They also chin shoes, as they think we too (humans) can smell all the other outdoorsy scents on them and they don't want 'their human' to forget them when we go outside without them ☺️
My O My 2 years ago
When hamsters are still small they start shoving stuff in their cheek pouches but they can't always get all of it out. So mommy hamster has to frequently help the babies empty their pouches or else whatever is in there will turn bad.
IsItNapTimeYet 2 years ago
Aww I had no idea! I never had a hamster, but this is so wonderful. I love learning new things.
Load More Replies... IsItNapTimeYet 2 years ago
I wanted to comment on every one of these threads. Animals are absolutely amazing!
PenguinQueen 2 years ago
Rabbits have scent glands under their chins, they often rub their chins against human items that they find exciting or interesting that they intend to come back too to explore again later. They also chin shoes, as they think we too (humans) can smell all the other outdoorsy scents on them and they don't want 'their human' to forget them when we go outside without them ☺️
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