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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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 🐑 🥹
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
In Switzerland it is illegal to own only one Guinea Pig as they get lonely
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.
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!!"
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?).
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
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.
Dogs evolved the ability to move their eyebrows to better communicate with humans.
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.
Cows have best friends
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!!"
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.
When my cat kneads on me I suffer in silence and I'm happy. It's a thing only cat-parents understand!
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.
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."
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
Some Sharks will let divers pet them, and then drive away other Sharks who try to get cuddly with 'their' Human.
When it comes to the friendliest ocean dwellers, dolphins take the cake. These incredibly intelligent creatures are among the smartest and friendliest species. They often travel in large groups called pods, as they love to stick with their friends and even play games with one another. They can be trained to perform or help the military as divers, and they have even been known to protect humans from shark attacks by scaring them away. These friendly swimmers can be found in many parts of the world, including salt and freshwater, and they can even have beautiful pink skin, as seen on Amazon River Dolphins.
Sometimes dogs in movies have had to have their tails replaced with CGI because their real ones were wagging too much.
This is my favorite example of a movie where they probably should have CGI'd the dog's tail. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaWtWAvUb-4 It's called "The Summer of Sam" and is about the Son of Sam killer. The demonic black dog tells David to kill, and then happily wags his tail when David says he will.
Cats sleep on your shoes because they are comforted by your scent. They may also sleep on your sheets or laundry.
My neighbour had a cat who would always sit on my Uggs. No other pair of shoes. Now I know why. RIP Oscar.
Crows have been known to drop hard nuts onto zebra crossings so that cars run over them cracking the nut and then waiting for people to cross to stop the traffic before retrieving said nut. Smart af
It happened to me yesterday ! I was leaving my house with my landlord to go to his car. There was just a crow with a nut and she threw it near the car, but a little too far. She took it back and left because my landlord wouldn't get in his car 😁
And how could I bring attention to some of the world's most wholesome animals without mentioning man's best friend? We all know dogs are loyal, intelligent, loving and caring, but did you know they can actually smell our emotions? Considering that their sense of smell is about 100,000 times stronger than ours, it should be no surprise that they can smell it immediately when we become frightened. Even if we don't notice it, our bodies start to perspire when we're scared, and our dogs will pick up on the scent and come to protect us. Even if you're not a dog lover, it's pretty cool to know that they're looking out for us whenever they're around.
There’s an aquarium in Japan that has eels who are antisocial, but because of the constant exposure to people, they’ve learned to be comfortable with humans. But due to the pandemic, eels went back to being isolated creatures, until the aquarium decided to FaceTime the eels. Yes, FaceTiming eels.
They eventually went back to be comfortable to humans.
Bees stay in their hives and don't go out during the winter. Since they want to keep the hive clean, they don't excrete either.
Once the weather gets warmer, they free themselves and shower the planet with their massive load of poop.
Cats don’t meow to other cats. They meow to people to get their attention
Only kittens meow and their mother meows back due to kittens ears not being developed and they cannot hear other communication. Cats meow because we respond to it. Feral cats don't generally meow.
We hope your face is hurting from smiling as you read all of these wholesome animal facts. I'm not saying you should rush out to adopt a beaver or a giraffe after reading this article, but if you're feeling more inclined to bring the pigeons in the park some bread, I think my colleagues and I have done our jobs. Keep upvoting the pics and facts that warm your heart, and then feel free to share even more wholesome animal facts down below. And if you're interested in learning more sweet facts about animals, I recommend checking out this Bored Panda article next.
When they hear running water, beavers will automatically start to build a dam. We know this because people put a speaker playing sounds of running water next to beavers, and the first thing they did was start building a dam on the speaker.
I saw saw some photos of a baby rescue beaver being fostered in someone’s house, and it started building dams all over the house using random items: laundry basket, mops, pillows…you name it, it damned up all of their doorways.
A lot of animals love Capybaras cause they're just so chill and lay around. It's basically the animal kingdom equivalent of that one pothead you hang around because they're mellow 24/7.
The Saimaa seal, native to the Finnish lake Saimaa, is making a slow recovery and will likely cease from being extremely endangered in a few years. The population has doubled to 300 in 20 years.
Humans aren't the only species to be found to keep other animals as pets/livestock in a way that resembles us much more than you might think. Some spiders have pet frogs. Some types of ants will raise aphids like livestock. In captivity the list expands--Like how many cheetahs in captivity have emotional support service dogs to help them with anxiety and other issues, especially in breeding programs where a happy cheetah is MUCH more likely to be able to carry to term. Even species that don't exhibit the behavior yet show that they could if presented with the right option of pet--See elephants getting excited about cute things, and being very gentle with anything they know is smaller/weaker than them.
Foxes aren't as solitary creatures as people think. In fact (especially in urban situations), Vixens will often group up together and take care of each other's babies. One watches over the kits, while the others go out and hunt.
Vixens are also known to simply adopt orphaned kits and raise them as their own.
A few years back I was trying to trap a 13 year old cat that had escaped from its owner on the other side of the city. He just turned up in my area one day and. I had all the kit to do it. Also in the area was a mama fox who had not long had her cubs and was out teaching them how to hunt. I couldn't figure out where the cat was going - I needed to know to set the trap - but he was always turning up with the mama fox at the time she would get the food from the neighbours (it's urban and she lost a major food source so everyone clubbed in to make sure she was fed) one night I decided not to feed the cat so I could get him hungry enough to go in to the trap where there was food. I noticed one day that mama fox put food in front of the old cat. I followed them back to her fox den and it turned out he had been living in the fox den with mama fox and her cubs for at least two months. She was looking after the old boy like one of her cubs. Was blown away by that.
Pigeons are not wild animals, they are feral. Every pigeon in your city is descended from escaped domesticated birds. You could catch and tame a pigeon just like any stray dog or cat.
Some weeks ago I watched a female pigeon do something really crazy. She was... well... harassed by a male pigeon and was not interested at all. I was sitting in front of an elementary school, and you know how little kids are. They love to scare pigeons so that they fly away. So that one female pigeon saw a family with a toddler walking towards them, so she started to walk towards the toddler, the male pigeon following close behind. When they got close of course the kid started to run towards them, and jump and stomp and shout. Male bird got scared and flew off, female one just turned around and slowly walked away. I am convinced that that she used that toddler to get rid of that unwanted male attention.
I really think pigeons don’t deserve the bad reputation they got. They can be very pretty birds and their intelligence alone is fascinating.
We feed bird in our garden and always leave a bit on the ground for pigeons. Because they find every kernel so we don't get rats. One of them (a reddish one) had learned to raid the birdfeeder by clinging to it like the tits and sparrows do (looks ridiculous). The others waited undernesth for falling kernel. Now, we have ALL of the pigeons raid the feeder. Yes, they're pretty smart. Also wait for us in thee morning when it is time to feed them.
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Somehow the word "feral" doesn't seem any more reassuring to me, how about "undomesticated"?
Technically they're "feral domestics," like feral cats
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Thinking about how pigeons are considered pests in some places makes me so sad. They're domesticated. They are our friends! They are so smart and beautiful
One of the reasons they are considered pests is that they can have mites that are harmful to people. Not their fault, of course, but people who want to make friends with undomesticated pigeons should be aware of that.
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Every time I see post about pigeons I'm reminded of Saint-14 from Destiny 2 and the flock of pigeons he feeds in the hanger. It's always unreal to see this big, armored, robotic man cooing at his birds while he gives them hand mixed bird seed. The Russian accent and him calling them his "boyds" is just a bonus.
I was working in a skyscraper in San Francisco when a pigeon calmly and determinedly walked in through the doors, across 40 ft of bustling lobby and just stood at my feet looking at me expectantly. I picked it up and discovered it had a sprained wing. I had done some rehab/ veterinary work in the past, so took it into the loading dock, placed it in an open box with some water in a cup. He chilled out in there until it was time to drive home. He lived in my guest bathroom for a week, then was doing well enough to be released and I took him back to the office and let him go. He looked at me a few, then flew off. Everyone started calling me Ms. Doolittle after that.
Please be nice to them. They're really poor souls because they're actually abandoned creatures. Until a couple of decades ago they were held and used as a good source of meat. The high breeding rate isn't natural at all, humans made them breed all year because it was profitable. Nowadays they have to live in surroundings offering very little to them. Pigeons suffer from poor living conditions in cities, facing starvation, diseases, injuries and high mortality rates. They basically depend on eating our trash, that's why their poop is so fluid and unhealthy. Pigeons are really intelligent and social birds, they deserve so much better.
The rock dove, from which domestic pigeons have been bred, is a wild bird. People often devalue pigeons because they are not seen as wild, when, in fact, they just have been exceptionally good at cohabiting with human populations.
Now that is extremely interested. Although, cats domesticated themselves. So is this even the same category? Idk I am asking, because I do not know. However, now I want to go to a city and get a pigeon.
Mine came to me by way of rescue when my university closed down their life lab. Prior to that he lived with the wildlife rescue group who took him in as a fledgling. He’s a perfectly lovely bird and, except for the frequent molts that carpet my lining room floor with tiny feathers, is clean and a joy to keep. His only failing is that he has absolutely no clue how to fly, although (contrary to what I was told), he physically can. He panics and crashes every time. I love my Billy.
We've had carrier pigeons for over a century. Some were awarded medals for bravery in the first World War, for carrying important messages to and from the frontlines. I live in Yorkshire, UK and I know a lad that races them. You drive off somewhere and release them, and the first person's pigeons to arrive home wins. Some of the best ones go for tens of thousands of pounds for breeding. A bit like feathery, winged racehorses.
Same with hogs and horses. They are all descended from domesticated stock and are therefore feral not wild. And invasive.
There are wild rock pigeons (the wild version of pigeon) near me (rural area with creek/trees). I wonder if those are also ex-domesticated ones?
Here's a fun fact for you, sunshine: "wild" and "feral" are synonyms.
Not exactly. Feral is animals in the wild that are descendants of domesticated animals.
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how to train your dragon; no, how to tame your pigeon; yes (Love both of them!)
Sorry. Pigeons are Rock Doves. Feral animals are wild animals, just not native animals.
I had a baby pigeon that fell out of his nest. I raised him, then released him. He stayed by the house for a long time and would dive bomb my now ex-husband every time he would go outside. Smart bird!
We have a flock of what is often referred to as dove who hang out in our tree.
This explains a lot. My cat brought me a pigeon chick as a gift, unharmed. I now have a new pet and he is a real sweetheart and doesn’t want to fly away.
Despite all the weirdness that is the Platypus, they are still discovering weird things about it.
Within the past two years it was discovered that platypus fur glows [blue-green](https://www.sciencenews.org/article/platypus-glow-blue-green-ultraviolet-light-fluorescent-fur) when exposed to ultraviolet light.
Dogs look at you when they're pooping because they feel they're in a vulnerable position and they trust you enough to protect them if something dangerous happens.
Similar to cats, goats have scent markers on the top of their head that they will use to rub against their favorite humans to “claim them.”
1/3 of all giraffes are thought to be gay or have gay relationships
English mastiffs sailed on the Mayflower:
Most people wouldn't consider dogs that can weigh nearly 200 pounds an "essential," but most people weren't John Goodman.
The 25-year-old pilgrim brought his English mastiffs on the Mayflower with him, and they sailed to the New World. Though the master didn't last long, the community adopted his dogs, and cared for them.
Domestic kittens need to remain with their mother for four months because they need education. They'll live more than twenty years, but only if you give them proper (expensive) food and you don't let them roam the streets.
Note: this post originally had 58 images. It’s been shortened to the top 40 images based on user votes.
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.
Aww I had no idea! I never had a hamster, but this is so wonderful. I love learning new things.
Load More Replies... I wanted to comment on every one of these threads. Animals are absolutely amazing!
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 ☺️
Horses are very comforting for abused or special needs children. I heard a story of a boy who was horribly physically abused to the point that all his teeth were crooked and he didn't like to smile. He went to a place that did horse therapy and the first horse that met him wrapped itself around his body trying to hug him because it could tell he had been through a lot. When it stopped, the kid was grinning from ear to ear!
I lived on a cattle ranch as a kid, and we had one horse for riding. The horse adopted the cows as her herd, and would go everywhere they went. Sometimes we'd have to put her in the paddock, though, to keep her from eating too much grass, as it can sometimes make a horse sick. One year, a very young calf was orphaned and had to be bottle fed. We put it in the paddock with the horse just so it would be closer to the house. This led to the calf adopting the horse as its mother, and it would constantly try to suckle the horse, despite the horse having never given birth to a foal. She was patient with the calf, though, and seemed to accept it as her own, even if she couldn't actually produce milk for it.
We have ducks for the first time on our micro farm, and as dramatic as they can be, my husband has witnessed them on TWO separate occasions saving little wrens who have fallen into their little kiddie wading pool. TBH, it does come across more like irritation than compassion, like, "hey, this isn't your pool. Go somewhere else." And a duck will grab the tiny drowning birb by the feathers and toss them out of the pool. We have had a few drownings over the past few years, but none this year. It's the sweetest thing ever!
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.
Aww I had no idea! I never had a hamster, but this is so wonderful. I love learning new things.
Load More Replies... I wanted to comment on every one of these threads. Animals are absolutely amazing!
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 ☺️
Horses are very comforting for abused or special needs children. I heard a story of a boy who was horribly physically abused to the point that all his teeth were crooked and he didn't like to smile. He went to a place that did horse therapy and the first horse that met him wrapped itself around his body trying to hug him because it could tell he had been through a lot. When it stopped, the kid was grinning from ear to ear!
I lived on a cattle ranch as a kid, and we had one horse for riding. The horse adopted the cows as her herd, and would go everywhere they went. Sometimes we'd have to put her in the paddock, though, to keep her from eating too much grass, as it can sometimes make a horse sick. One year, a very young calf was orphaned and had to be bottle fed. We put it in the paddock with the horse just so it would be closer to the house. This led to the calf adopting the horse as its mother, and it would constantly try to suckle the horse, despite the horse having never given birth to a foal. She was patient with the calf, though, and seemed to accept it as her own, even if she couldn't actually produce milk for it.
We have ducks for the first time on our micro farm, and as dramatic as they can be, my husband has witnessed them on TWO separate occasions saving little wrens who have fallen into their little kiddie wading pool. TBH, it does come across more like irritation than compassion, like, "hey, this isn't your pool. Go somewhere else." And a duck will grab the tiny drowning birb by the feathers and toss them out of the pool. We have had a few drownings over the past few years, but none this year. It's the sweetest thing ever!
