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This adorable Great Dane pup is only four months old, in spite of its really big size, and it is still very clumsy and not well coordinated. Although he is a very tall dog even at such an early age, he can't reach things that are very high, because he does not know how to jump! He tries, but fails miserably, although his attempts are hilarious and adorable! In spite of its name, Great Danes are actually from Germany. They were originally called "Boar Hounds", because wild boars were what they were bred to hunt. The name was changed in the 16th century to "English Dogges". Later in the 1600s, German nobles began keeping the "best" ones for themselves, refining the breed to the well-balanced, elegant and gentle dog we have nowadays. The name "Great Dane" appeared in the 1700s, when a French naturalist saw one in Denmark that was slimmer and more Greyhound-like than the original ones, and called it "Grand Danois", and the name stuck, even though it had nothing to do with the breed's development. But much has changed since then. Even though they may look imposing and intimidating, often being used as guard dogs, they are actually very sweet, affectionate, eager to please, and gentle with kids. They are also easy to house train, responding well to positive reinforcement, and love the play! They are often referred to as the "Apollo of dogs", Apollo being the Greek god of the sun. Great Danes have an athletic and muscular body, with a massive, long and narrow head, and a long neck. They love attention and often nudge people with their head, and many of them think they are lap dogs. Unfortunately, due to its huge size, the lifespan of a Great Dane is around eight years old, possibly reaching ten years of age.

These cheetahs had to be rescued, rehabilitated at a wildlife sanctuary, and now live in a pre-release area, waiting to get released back into the wild, where they belong. They still need to get fed, which means that they do not hunt, so they need to chase the car in order to get the food and exercise a little. Also, because it is such a big area, sometimes it takes a very long time for all of them to arrive. The Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), is native to Africa and Asia, although it has been extirpated from nearly all of its Asian range. They could once be found from the shores of the Mediterranean and the Arabian Peninsula, west through central India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and north to the northern shores of the Aral and Caspian Seas, but nowadays are limited to the central deserts of Iran. Although cheetahs still occur in several African countries, they now only occupy 10% of their historic range. Five subspecies are recognized: Acinonyx jubatus hecki, in Northwest Africa; Acinonyx jubatus earsoni, in East Africa; Acinonyx jubatus jubatus, in Southern Africa; Acinonyx jubatus soemmerringi, in Northeast Africa; and Acinonyx jubatus venaticus, from Northern Africa to central India. Cheetahs are classified as Vulnerable, although the subspecies Acinonyx jubatus venaticus and Acinonyx jubatus heckii are listed as Critically Endangered. They can be found in dry forest, thick scrub, grassland and hyperarid deserts. They are only absent from montane and tropical forests. Cheetahs are mostly known as the fastest land mammals, however, they are only able to sustain top speeds for a few hundred meters. If they don't succeed at their hunt by then, they need to give up and rest, otherwise they overheat. Unlike other cat species, female cheetahs are solitary, accompanied only by their young, and males can be solitary or live in coalitions of two or three, usually consisting of brothers, but not necessarily.

This young rescued Wild Dog was sick, and had to be kept in quarantine before getting moved to a big enclosure, to live with a companion, but like every young canid, she is very active and playful, so having someone to play with, even if through the fence, makes her day! The young Kudu was rescued when he was just a baby, and had to be hand-raised until he is old enough to return to the wild. The kudu doesn't live in an enclosure, and walk around the sanctuary as he pleases. He likes attention, and as he saw the wild dog being played with, he decided to try and steal the spotlight, and stood right in front of the camera! Animals are hilarious! The African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus), also known as African Painted Dog, is one of the most endangered mammals in the world! It has been considered endangered for over twenty years, and with an estimate of about 6,600 remaining in the wild. They are not only shot or poisoned by farmers, for being accused of killing livestock, but their main threat is habitat fragmentation, which not only subjects them to disease outbreaks, but increases the human-wild dog conflict. Wild Dogs are highly social animals, and almost exclusively live in packs, usually of up to ten individuals, but packs with over 40 members have been recorded. A lone Wild Dog has a very slim chance of survival, and packs don’t accept new members. The Greater Kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) is one of the largest species of antelopes, and it's known for its fence-jumping abilities, being able to easily jump fences that are 3 meters high, and even 3.5 meters, if needed! It is also known for its beautiful horns, making them the most commonly hunted species in Southern Africa.

This two-month-old Golden Bengal Tiger might be little, but she's got quite the personality! On this warm Summer day, she found herself a nice hole in the sand to cool down and observe the world around her from the shade. Every baby animal is cute, and cats in particular, so it's no surprise that she looks absolutely adorable, and one could spend hours just looking at her… I mean, just look at that face! Did you know that, even though that are quite a few "types" of tigers, they all belong to the species, Panthera tigris? Nine subspecies were confirmed based on distinctive molecular markers: Amur/Siberian (Panthera tigris altaica), Northern Indochinese (Panthera tigris corbetti), Malayan (Panthera tigris jacksoni), Sumatran (Panthera tigris sumatrae), Bengal (Panthera tigris tigris) and South China Tiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis) still exist, and Bali (Panthera tigris balica), Javan (Panthera tigris sondaica) and Caspian Tiger (Panthera tigris virgate) are now extinct. The Bengal Tiger usually have the classic orange "tiger look", but recessive genes can change color mutations, like the white Bengal tiger and the golden Bengal tiger, as seen in this video. So in spite of being different colors, they are all Bengal Tigers (Panthera tigris tigris). Golden tigers, however, tend to be larger and have a softer fur. Tigers are native to Asia, and can currently be found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, and Thailand, even though they used to occur in many other countries. They occur mainly in the forests of tropical Asia, although historically they used to be found in drier and colder climes. Tigers are solitary and territorial animals. A male's territory will usually overlap with the territories of three females, but females' rarely overlap with each other. After a century of decline, the numbers of individuals in the wild is finally starting to increase, but the species is still listed as endangered species, being at risk of extinction.

This little baby baboon lost her mother and had to be rescued; now she is hand-reared at a Wildlife Sanctuary. There are many animals in a similar situation there, but because she is still so tiny, she still spends the whole day with her carers, only interacting with other baboons in their presence. She is absolutely adorable and loves to play! Just look at her! Doesn't she act like a human toddler?! It's fascinating to watch! The Chacma Baboon (Papio ursinus), is one of the five species of baboons, along with the Yellow baboon (Papio cynocephalus), the Olive baboon (Papio anubis), the Guinea baboon (Papio papio), and the Hamadryas baboon (Papio hamadryas). With the exception of the Hamadryas Baboon, which also occurs in the southwestern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, they are all native to the African continent. The Chacma Baboon occurs all over southern Africa, up to the Zambezi valley, Caprivi, and southern Angola. Two subspecies of Chacma Baboon are recognized: Papio ursinus griseipes, occuring in south-west Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique; and Papio ursinus ursinus, occuring in all provinces of South Africa and throughout Namibia. They have the need to drink water daily, making water a limiting factor for their range, but they occupy subdesert and steppes, savanna, all types of woodland, montane regions, Cape Fynbos and Succulent Karoo. Chacma Baboons live in troops of usually 20 to 50 members, but up to 130 individuals have been recorded together. The troops contain adult males, females and the babies, and it has a complex social structure, and are ranked by dominance. Baboons are omnivorous and opportunistic, which means that they eat a little bit of everything, and will take whatever they can get their hands on, even though they might show a preference for bulbs, shoots, roots, seeds, and fruits. They can also eat fungi, lichen, invertebrates, small vertebrates and, occasionally, even small antelopes, or lambs and small stock, in some ranching areas. They are usually considered pests, for raiding crops and livestock, which makes people shoot and poison them. They are also hunted for bushmeat, captured for the pet trade and can be used for medical research, but victims of urbanization as well, getting hit by cars or electrocuted.

After getting fed in the morning, these flamingo chicks get herded to their outside pen, where they can be in the sun, bath in a pool and play around! The flamingo parade is so cute that everybody wants to watch it, everyday! Over 2,000 flamingo chicks were abandoned, when their parents fled to save themselves from the drought, as the dam dried up. The chicks got sent to bird rehabilitation centers, but they were extremely young and many were very weak and dehydrated, and didn't even survive the trip. The birds received round the clock care, and the surviving chicks started growing stronger. This video was shot over a month later, and the remaining flamingos are now out of the woods, and love spending the day outside. The Lesser Flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor) is the smallest species of flamingo, and occurs in sub-Saharan Africa and from the Arabian Peninsula to Pakistan and India. They make extensive movements in response to environmental conditions, and are partially migratory. The Lesser Flamingo is one of the only two species of Old World Flamingos, along with the Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus). Both species used to belong to the same genus, Phoenicopterus, which they shared with the Chilean Flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis), the American Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber), the Andean flamingo (Phoenicopterus andinus), and the James's flamingo (Phoenicopterus jamesi). However, in 2014, a publication reclassified the six species into three genera: the Lesser Flamingo was moved to the Phoeniconaias genus, of which it is the only member; and the Andean and James's Flamingos are now in the Phoenicoparrus genus, as Phoenicoparrus andinus, and Phoenicoparrus jamesi, respectively. Lesser Flamingos have a highly specialized diet, feeding almost exclusively on microscopic blue-green algae, and benthic diatoms, although they can also eat small aquatic invertebrates. In spite of its blue-green color, the algae contain beta carotene, a reddish-orange pigment that gives flamingos their pink coloration.

These young Barn Owls were rescued as chicks, which means that they have to be fed until they are old enough to be released back into the wild and hunt for themselves. They are not always cooperative, though, and it might take many tries until they actually take the piece of meat in front of their beaks. The Common Barn Owl (Tyto alba) used to be considered to occur all over the world, but since 2008 the species was split in three: the Western Barn Owl (Tyto alba), found in Eurasia and Africa; the Eastern Barn Owl (Tyto javanica), found in Southeast Asia and Australasia; and the American Barn Owl (Tyto furcata), found in the Americas. Some people, however, still consider the American Barn Owl and the Eastern Barn Owl to be subspecies of the Common Barn Owl (Tyto alba), and not two separate species. The Tyto genus is still shared with fourteen other species, from all over the world: the Greater Sooty Owl (Tyto tenebricosa), the Lesser Sooty Owl (Tyto multipunctata), the Minahassa Masked Owl (Tyto inexspectata), the Taliabu Masked Owl (Tyto nigrobrunnea), the Moluccan Masked Owl (Tyto sororcula), the Manus Masked Owl (Tyto manusi), the Golden Masked Owl (Tyto aurantia), the Australian Masked Owl (Tyto novaehollandiae), the Sulawesi Masked Owl (Tyto rosenbergii), the Red Owl (Tyto soumagnei), the Andaman Masked Owl (Tyto deroepstorffi), the Ashy-faced Owl (Tyto glaucops), the African Grass Owl (Tyto capensis), and the Eastern Grass Owl (Tyto longimembris). The Barn Owl is a medium-sized pale owl with a white heart-shaped facial disc. It avoids dense forest, but it is a common resident in most open habitats, such as lowlands, semi-arid and some arid regions, cliffs and rocky coasts, open marshes, mudflats, farmland with hedges, around towns, suburbs, and villages. It roosts in old buildings, hollow trees, caves and mine shafts.

This cheetah had to be rescued and now lives in a pre-release area. In spite of the area being really big, it is still an enclosed area, so the cheetah can't hunt, since there are no preys in there, which means that it still needs to get fed. Of course, feeding time is its favorite time, and it enjoys devouring its meaty lunch, like a wild carnivore! The Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), is native to Africa and Asia, although it has been extirpated from nearly all of its Asian range. They could once be found from the shores of the Mediterranean and the Arabian Peninsula, west through central India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and north to the northern shores of the Aral and Caspian Seas, but nowadays are limited to the central deserts of Iran. Although cheetahs still occur in several African countries, they now only occupy 10% of their historic range. Five subspecies are recognized: Acinonyx jubatus hecki, in Northwest Africa; Acinonyx jubatus earsoni, in East Africa; Acinonyx jubatus jubatus, in Southern Africa; Acinonyx jubatus soemmerringi, in Northeast Africa; and Acinonyx jubatus venaticus, from Northern Africa to central India. Cheetahs are classified as Vulnerable, although the subspecies Acinonyx jubatus venaticus and Acinonyx jubatus heckii are listed as Critically Endangered. They can be found in dry forest, thick scrub, grassland and hyperarid deserts. They are only absent from montane and tropical forests. Cheetahs are mostly known as the fastest land mammals, however, they are only able to sustain top speeds for a few hundred meters. If they don't succeed at their hunt by then, they need to give up and rest, otherwise they overheat. Unlike other cat species, female cheetahs are solitary, accompanied only by their young, and males can be solitary or live in coalitions of two or three, usually consisting of brothers, but not necessarily.

Over four years of saving money to make her dream come true and go and work with whale sharks... She spent four weeks there, but didn't see a single one! On her very last day, she went on an ocean safari, for her very last chance to see one before leaving... they spotted one from the boat!! Everybody geared up and they jumped in the water (it was on the other side of the boat), but as soon as she did, one of her fins came off!! Everybody swam towards the shark, and she had to swim in the opposite direction, to try and find the lost fin, in the hopes that the animal would still be there when she came back! She wasn't looking at them; she just wanted to put her fin back on as quickly as possible, but her camera was still recording... and she I finally looked, she got an amazing surprise: the whale shark was actually swimming straight towards her!! It took a very long time, but it was totally worth it! The Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus) is the largest fish species in the world, reaching 10 meters in length, and weighing 9 tons! But in spite of its impressive size, the whale shark is a filter feeder, which means that it only eats plankton, and it is harmless to us. It is the sole species in the Rhincodon genus, and the only member of the Rhincodontidae family, although it shares the Orectolobiformes order with a diverse group of sharks from all over the world, including the 30 cm long Barbelthroat Carpet Shark (Cirrhoscyllium expolitum), with a total of 43 species. Whale Sharks are endangered, and major threats include fisheries catches, bycatch in nets, and boat strikes. Unfortunately, recent studies show that Whale Shark fins are now demanding high prices, which should result in increased targeting.

This baby Chacma Baboon is an orphan, having to be rescued and hand-reared at a wildlife sanctuary. If it can be hard to give baths to pets, you can't expect it to be easy in wild animals! Thankfully, the baby baboons don't get bathed regularly; only when they get lice or other ectoparasites, in which case they need to get bathed with a special shampoo. The bath itself doesn't bother them; what makes them scream is not being attached to their carer's body. The Chacma Baboon (Papio ursinus), is one of the five species of baboons, along with the Yellow baboon (Papio cynocephalus), the Olive baboon (Papio anubis), the Guinea baboon (Papio papio), and the Hamadryas baboon (Papio hamadryas). With the exception of the Hamadryas Baboon, which also occurs in the southwestern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, they are all native to the African continent. The Chacma Baboon occurs all over southern Africa, up to the Zambezi valley, Caprivi, and southern Angola. Two subspecies of Chacma Baboon are recognized: Papio ursinus griseipes, occuring in south-west Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique; and Papio ursinus ursinus, occuring in all provinces of South Africa and throughout Namibia. They have the need to drink water daily, making water a limiting factor for their range, but they occupy subdesert and steppes, savanna, all types of woodland, montane regions, Cape Fynbos and Succulent Karoo. Chacma Baboons live in troops of usually 20 to 50 members, but up to 130 individuals have been recorded together. The troops contain adult males, females and the babies, and it has a complex social structure, and are ranked by dominance. Baboons are omnivorous and opportunistic, which means that they eat a little bit of everything, and will take whatever they can get their hands on, even though they might show a preference for bulbs, shoots, roots, seeds, and fruits. They can also eat fungi, lichen, invertebrates, small vertebrates and, occasionally, even small antelopes, or lambs and small stock, in some ranching areas. They are usually considered pests, for raiding crops and livestock, which makes people shoot and poison them. They are also hunted for bushmeat, captured for the pet trade and can be used for medical research, but victims of urbanization as well, getting hit by cars or electrocuted.

Have you ever stopped to wonder how sea turtles manage to dig perfect, deep nests in the sand, if they only have flippers? Well, here is a video that shows how, and their ability is very impressive! The video is dark because only red light can be used on nesting sea turtles, so that it won't scare them away. There are seven species of Sea Turtles in the world: the Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas), the Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta), the Hawksbill Sea Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), the Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea), the Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys kempii), and the Flatback Sea Turtle (Natator depressus). The animal in the video is an Olive Ridley, the second smallest species, but the most abundant one, although it is listed as a Vulnerable species. When they hatch, sea turtles crawl to the ocean, where the survivors spend the rest of their lives. Males never go back to land, but females have to, so that they can nest. They find their way back to the same beach where they hatched, decades later, then crawl up the beach, usually when it is dark, and when they find the perfect spot, the digging begins. It can take a whole hour to dig a nest, then lay the eggs, cover it up, and make sure nobody finds it, because that is all the parental care they are going to get: making sure the eggs are as safe as possible before the mother goes back to the ocean. It is truly impressive how they can dig such a perfect nest, having only flippers. They slowly scoop the sand out with one hind flipper, throw it away, then make sure there's no sand left on the other flipper before putting that one down in the hole to repeat the process. Pay attention when watching the video and you'll be able to observe that meticulous process.

This young rescued Wild Dog was sick, and had to be kept in quarantine before getting moved to a big enclosure, to live with a companion, but like every young canid, she is very active and playful, so having someone to play with, even if through the fence, makes her day! The African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus), also known as African Painted Dog, is one of the most endangered mammals in the world! It has been considered endangered for over twenty years, and with an estimate of about 6,600 remaining in the wild. They are not only shot or poisoned by farmers, for being accused of killing livestock, but their main threat is habitat fragmentation, which not only subjects them to disease outbreaks, but increases the human-wild dog conflict. Their scientific name means "painted dog", due to their mottled coat, which has brown, yellow, white and black colors. And even though that is true for every Wild Dog, each of them will have a unique pattern, which makes it easy to be visually identified. Unlike other canids, they have no underfur, and it's entirely consisted of stiff bristle-hairs. The fur is gradually lost with age, making old individuals nearly bald. Wild Dogs are highly social animals, and almost exclusively live in packs, usually of up to ten individuals, but packs with over 40 members have been recorded. A lone Wild Dog has a very slim chance of survival, and packs don’t accept new members. There is monogamous alpha mating pair in charge of the pack, but the pups are the ones who get to feed first, and the rest of the group has to patiently wait for their turn. The pack shares a very strong bond and when a member is injured or ill, and is unable to hunt, the other ones will care for it and feed it, making sure it doesn't die. Because the pack has such a coordinated nature, they have an 80% success rate with hunts, making them extremely effective predators!

Over 2,000 flamingo chicks were abandoned, when their parents fled to save themselves from the drought, as the dam dried up. The chicks got sent to bird rehabilitation centers, but they were extremely young and many were very weak and dehydrated, and didn't even survive the trip. The birds received round the clock care, and the surviving chicks started growing stronger. This video was shot over a month later, and the remaining flamingos are now out of the woods, and love spending the day outside. In fact, they love it so much that as soon as they are out, they start doing the most adorable happy dance! Still highly uncoordinated, they run, jump, and flap their wings in excitement! It does not get much cuter than this! The Lesser Flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor) is the smallest species of flamingo, and occurs in sub-Saharan Africa and from the Arabian Peninsula to Pakistan and India. They make extensive movements in response to environmental conditions, and are partially migratory. The Lesser Flamingo is one of the only two species of Old World Flamingos, along with the Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus). Both species used to belong to the same genus, Phoenicopterus, which they shared with the Chilean Flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis), the American Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber), the Andean flamingo (Phoenicopterus andinus), and the James's flamingo (Phoenicopterus jamesi). However, in 2014, a publication reclassified the six species into three genera: the Lesser Flamingo was moved to the Phoeniconaias genus, of which it is the only member; and the Andean and James's Flamingos are now in the Phoenicoparrus genus, as Phoenicoparrus andinus, and Phoenicoparrus jamesi, respectively. Lesser Flamingos have a highly specialized diet, feeding almost exclusively on microscopic blue-green algae, and benthic diatoms, although they can also eat small aquatic invertebrates. In spite of its blue-green color, the algae contain beta carotene, a reddish-orange pigment that gives flamingos their pink coloration.

This adorable Sea Lion pup had to be rescued and cared for at a wildlife sanctuary, until he is old enough to be released back into the wild. Since the goal is to return him to his natural habitat, we can't let him get tame, or he'll have to spend the rest of his life in captivity, so we can't pet him or cuddle him, no matter how much he begs for attention. In fact, no time is spent with him more than necessary. When this video was recorded, his enclosure was getting repaired, so he had to be distracted, to let people work. It might break your heart to refuse the attention he craves, but it's for his own good! The South American Sea Lion (Otaria byronia, but also known as Otaria flavescens) belongs to the suborder Pinnipedia, a group of marine mammals in the order Carnivora that have front and rear flippers. Pinnipeds are split into three families: Phocidae, the earless seals (true seals and elephant seals); Otariidae, the eared seals (sea lions and fur seals); and Odobenidae (walrus). Sea lions not only have external ears, but have the ability to walk on all fours, due to their long front flippers. South American Sea Lions are heavy-bodied and stocky, and have a strong sexual dimorphism, with males reaching up to 350 Kg and 2.6 m in length, and females being no longer than 2 m and weighing 170 Kg. It is a widespread species around the South American continent, being found in Peru, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Southern Brazil, and it has even been observed in Ecuador and Colombia. Adult males have been recorded at over 300 Km from the coast, but juveniles won't venture beyond 80 Km. Dives are usually between 100 and 120 m, although the maximum depth recorded was of 320 m, and lasted five minutes.

This old cheetah was rescued many years ago, and having spent most of her life at a wildlife sanctuary, she became very used to people and starts purring as soon as she sees someone. She not only purrs throughout the whole encounter, but she keeps on purring for a little while after the person is gone! So cute! Did you know cheetahs can purr like house cats? The Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), is native to Africa and Asia, although it has been extirpated from nearly all of its Asian range. They could once be found from the shores of the Mediterranean and the Arabian Peninsula, west through central India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and north to the northern shores of the Aral and Caspian Seas, but nowadays are limited to the central deserts of Iran. Although cheetahs still occur in several African countries, they now only occupy 10% of their historic range. Five subspecies are recognized: Acinonyx jubatus hecki, in Northwest Africa; Acinonyx jubatus earsoni, in East Africa; Acinonyx jubatus jubatus, in Southern Africa; Acinonyx jubatus soemmerringi, in Northeast Africa; and Acinonyx jubatus venaticus, from Northern Africa to central India. Cheetahs are classified as Vulnerable, although the subspecies Acinonyx jubatus venaticus and Acinonyx jubatus heckii are listed as Critically Endangered. They can be found in dry forest, thick scrub, grassland and hyperarid deserts. They are only absent from montane and tropical forests. Cheetahs are mostly known as the fastest land mammals, however, they are only able to sustain top speeds for a few hundred meters. If they don't succeed at their hunt by then, they need to give up and rest, otherwise they overheat. Unlike other cat species, female cheetahs are solitary, accompanied only by their young, and males can be solitary or live in coalitions of two or three, usually consisting of brothers, but not necessarily.

This adorable jaguar cub lost her mother and had to be rescued. She loves to get attention, but that doesn't mean she can be trusted. Jaguars are not pets. They are wild animals, and even when humanized, they still have that wild nature inside. It's OK to give her a scratch through the fence, as long as you watch your fingers, but nobody goes in with her, as she has left her previous caretaker with some big scars when she didn't let her have her backpack. This is a temporary enclosure, because she was able to climb out of her big one. The Jaguar (Panthera onca) is the largest cat species in the American continent, and the third largest in the world. It shares the Panthera genus with four other big cats: the Lion (Panthera leo), the Tiger (Panthera tigris), the Leopard (Panthera pardus) and the Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia). It has a stocky body and short, thick and powerful limbs, making the jaguar a great climber and swimmer. The proportionally bigger head grants it an extremely powerful jaw, being able to bite through any prey and drag it. Although the jaguar is often confused with the leopard, it is considerably sturdier and heavier than its African cousin, and it has a rounder head. The rosettes are also different, being larger, sometimes darker, and fewer in number; the contours are thicker and there is a small spot in the center. Each animal has a unique coat pattern, like finger prints. The head and neck generally have solid spots instead of rosettes; and the same happens on the tail, where they may merge and form a ring. Females are usually 10 to 20% smaller than males, but the smallest male recorded weighed only 36 Kg, and the largest male 158 Kg. Sizes vary according to regions and habitats. The largest jaguars occur in open flood plains areas, in Venezuela and Brazil, and the smallest jaguars are found in the dense forests of Central America.

All of these baby baboons lost their mothers, so they had to be rescued and now live at a wildlife sanctuary. As all baby animals, these little ones love to play, and in spite of their sad beginning, they have many play mates and life the best life possible, receiving lots of love from their carers, environmental enrichments, and getting take on daily walks, where they can be wild again! The Chacma Baboon (Papio ursinus), is one of the five species of baboons, along with the Yellow baboon (Papio cynocephalus), the Olive baboon (Papio anubis), the Guinea baboon (Papio papio), and the Hamadryas baboon (Papio hamadryas). With the exception of the Hamadryas Baboon, which also occurs in the southwestern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, they are all native to the African continent. The Chacma Baboon occurs all over southern Africa, up to the Zambezi valley, Caprivi, and southern Angola. Two subspecies of Chacma Baboon are recognized: Papio ursinus griseipes, occuring in south-west Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique; and Papio ursinus ursinus, occuring in all provinces of South Africa and throughout Namibia. They have the need to drink water daily, making water a limiting factor for their range, but they occupy subdesert and steppes, savanna, all types of woodland, montane regions, Cape Fynbos and Succulent Karoo. Chacma Baboons live in troops of usually 20 to 50 members, but up to 130 individuals have been recorded together. The troops contain adult males, females and the babies, and it has a complex social structure, and are ranked by dominance. Baboons are omnivorous and opportunistic, which means that they eat a little bit of everything, and will take whatever they can get their hands on, even though they might show a preference for bulbs, shoots, roots, seeds, and fruits. They can also eat fungi, lichen, invertebrates, small vertebrates and, occasionally, even small antelopes, or lambs and small stock, in some ranching areas. They are usually considered pests, for raiding crops and livestock, which makes people shoot and poison them. They are also hunted for bushmeat, captured for the pet trade and can be used for medical research, but victims of urbanization as well, getting hit by cars or electrocuted.

These manatees were found on the beach when they were just tiny babies, so they had to be rescued and now are cared for at a rehabilitation center, waiting to go back to the ocean once they are old enough. They get bottle-fed five times a day, with a special formula containing the fat and nutrients they need. Because there are too many animals, they can't all get fed at the same time, and the one seen drinking his formula in the video is the big bully that will try and still everyone else's bottles when he is not the one getting fed. Well, this time the tables have turned, and one of the manatees that always gets bullied decides to get back at him, and try to steal his bottle for a change! It wasn't a very successful attempt, but it was worth the try! Manatees are such funny animals! The West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus) is the largest species of Sirenians alive. The Sirenia order also includes the Amazonian Manatee (Trichechus inunguis) and the African Manatee (Trichechus senegalensis). The West Indian Manatee is currently divided into two subspecies, the Florida Manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) and the Antillean Manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus), although recent data indicates three separate lineages: one in Florida and the Greater Antilles; another in Western and Southern Gulf of Mexico, Central America, and Northwestern South America, West of the Lesser Antilles; and the third one on Northeastern South America, East of the Lesser Antilles. Evidence indicates that there might be hybridization with the Amazonian Manatee, in some areas near the mouth of the Amazon. In 2017 the West Indian Manatee’s status has been downgraded from endangered to threatened, but it's essential to have stronger emphasis on preserving and restoring warm water habitats, and increase the reports of manatee boat strikes, in order to sustain this progress.

These adorable baby porcupines had to be rescued and cared for at a wildlife sanctuary, in the hopes of being released back into the wild once they are old enough to survive on their own. The Cape Porcupine (Hystrix africaeaustralis), also known as South African Porcupine, is a widespread species that occurs all the way from South Africa to Southern Uganda, and it's found from sea level to 2000 m. It belongs to the rodent family Hystricidae, and shares the Hystrix genus with the Sumatran Porcupine (Hystrix sumatrae), the Sunda Porcupine (Hystrix javanica), the Phillipine Porcupine (Hystrix pumila), the Crested Porcupine (Hystrix cristata), the Thick-spined Porcupine (Hystrix crassispinis), the Malayan Porcupine (Hystrix brachyuran), and the Indian Crested Porcupine (Hystrix indica). The Cape Porcupine is the largest porcupine species in the world and the largest rodent in the African continent. It is found in most of the types of Southern Africa vegetation and have been recorded in the coastal parts of the Namib Desert, but are generally absent from forest. It has banded quills and spines that can reach up to 50 cm in length. Some in the tail are open-ended and hollow, and make a rattling sound when shaken, as a warning. When threatened, the porcupine will erect them, to make it look bigger, and then it backs towards the threat. They are very sharp and come off easily when touched, so careless predators may even get fatal wounds from them, but contrary to popular belief, porcupines do not shoot their quills. Lost quills will quickly grow back, and shed just like hair. Cape Porcupines are monogamous animals and mate throughout the year. Litters consist of two to four babies, which the male plays an important role in raising. It is a nocturnal and territorial species, and usually forages alone.

This baby Woolly Monkey has lost her mother and now lives at a rescue center. Primates in general are extremely social animals, and the babies need to be with a mother, even if a foster one. The moment she met her caretaker, she instantly adopted her as her foster mom, and wants nothing more than to spend the whole day with her. But her foster mom has other animals to care for, so after a few hours spent with the baby, she needs to leave. The baby is far from understanding, though, and throw massive temper tantrums when that happens! Even when the caretaker is away, if she sees her, she screams to get her attention, and if the caretaker looks at her, she screams even harder! Babies aren't easy… The Poeppig's Woolly Monkey (Lagothrix poeppigii), also known as Red Woolly Monkey and Silvery Woolly Monkey, shares the Lagothrix genus with four other species: Common Woolly Monkey (Lagothrix lagotricha); Peruvian Woolly Monkey (Lagothrix cana); Colombian Woolly Monkey (Lagothrix lugens); Peruvian Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkey (Lagothrix flavicauda). Although recent studies suggest that the Poeppig's Woolly Monkey and the first three species are actually all different subspecies of Lagothrix lagotricha, and the only separate species should be the Peruvian Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkey. This species of Woolly Monkey is endemic to the Amazon Forest, and studies show that its populations have decreased by at least 30% in the last three generations (45 years). It can be found in Brazil, Peru, and Ecuador. They tend to live in medium-sized groups of 23, 25 individuals, although smaller groups between 10 and 23 have been recorded. All species of Woolly Monkeys (Lagothrix sp.) are at risk of going extinct; from "vulnerable" to "critically endangered", they are all disappearing because of humans. Do not support the pet trade! Monkeys should be free!

People love otters! And how could they not?! I mean, otters are some of the most adorable animals in the world! They just make you want to snuggle with them!! However, that would probably be a very bad idea… otters are super cute, that's a fact, but that doesn't mean they are cute all the time. Otters are carnivores; they eat mainly fish, but also crustaceans, insects, amphibians and molluscs, so they must have specialized teeth for it… have you ever seen an otter eating?! It looks more like a maniac than the fluffy animal we're used to seeing! A bite like that can chop off a finger, so I would refrain from trying to pet an otter if I were you! The animal in the video had to be rescued at a young age, and it was rehabilitated at an otter center, where it now lives. Although it is very used to people feeding it, its wild nature remains. The Neotropical Otter (Lontra longicaudis) is a river otter native to South and Central America. There are three recognized subspecies of Neotropical Otters: Lontra longicaudis annectens, Lontra longicaudis enudris, and Lontra longicaudis longicaudis. However, this classification is still uncertain, and there are three other possible subspecies: Lontra longicaudis colombiana, Lontra longicaudis incarum, and Lontra longicaudis raferrous. They share the Lontra genus with the North American River Otter (Lontra canadensis), the Southern River Otter (Lontra provocax), the Marine Otter (Lontra feline), and the extinct Weir's Otter (Lontra weiri). Otters belong to the very diverse Mustelidae family, the largest family in the order Carnivora, along with weasels, badgers, martens, mink, wolverine, tayra, grisons, polecats, fisher, and ferret-badgers. In spite of the varieties, all members are short-legged, have round ears and a thick fur. Next time you want to keep an otter as a pet, remember this video! Otters are wild animals, and should remain like that!

Even though this animal may resemble a cat, a ferret, and even a mongoose, it is neither. In fact, it doesn't even belong to the same family as any of them. This is a Small Spotted Genet (Genetta genetta), also known as Common Genet, a small-sized carnivore, with a long and lean body, and a tail that sometimes is even longer than its body. It has semi-retractable claws, almost like those of cats, and it is extremely flexible and an excellent climber. The one in the video was rescued, with the rest of the litter, after they lost their mother. They are still young and will grow up at a wildlife sanctuary, where they can be safe. The Small Spotted Genet is widespread species, occupying most of the African continent, as well as coastal regions of Arabia, Yemen and Oman. It can also be found in a few European countries, where it has been introduced. It prefers wooded habitats, often associated with rivers and brooks, but it can be found in other habitats, as long as there is available prey for it. It may even occur in small fragments of woodland in farms or near villages, although it avoids open areas. Genets are generally solitary and territorial. Individuals of the same sex have separate territories, although male's and female's may overlap. The territories of both males and females and scent marked. Adults are nocturnal animals and are seldom seen during the day. Young individuals may also be active during the day. They are arboreal animals, and tend to rest in hollow trees or among thickets. Mating occurs during the wet season, and 10 to 11 weeks later, the female gives birth to one to three kittens. They get weaned at about 8 weeks, and become sexually mature at two years of age.

This adorable Woolly monkey lost her mother when she was petite and had to be rescued from the black market. Ever since, she has been living at a rescue center, where she will have to spend the rest of her life because she wouldn't be able to survive in the wild. She is a particular monkey, and barely behaves like a monkey at all. She is afraid of heights, very quiet and is terrified of everything; even a butterfly, flying outside of her enclosure would make her scream. For about a month and a half, she would spend most of her time curled up somewhere, would scream if you even looked at her, and pee and poo if you tried approaching her. She didn't run or jump or play... She got a human foster mom, and it took her two weeks to start trusting her, and after two more weeks, she started finally showing improvement! She wasn't as terrified of everything anymore, and one day, she finally started playing, for the very first time!! What an emotional moment it was! She doesn't have the best motor skills, but she is trying, and that is amazing! Maybe someday she will be like the other monkeys… we can't tell for sure whether she was born this way or it was all the trauma in her early days that affected her brain… but what matters is that she is making progress! Baby steps for a <a href="https://rumble.com/v67zrv-orphaned-baby-monkey-doesnt-want-caretaker-to-leave.html" target="_blank">baby monkey</a>! But her condition is what makes her so unique, and we love her all the same! I mean, look at that face! How could it not steal your heart?! All species of Woolly Monkeys (Lagothrix sp.) are at risk of going extinct; from "vulnerable" to "critically endangered," they are all disappearing because of men. Do not support the pet trade! Monkeys should be free! <a href="https://rumble.com/v6vrsb-capuchin-monkey-missed-grandma.html" target="_blank">Monkeys</a> live everywhere throughout the world and come in different shapes, sizes, and hues. They are adorable and brilliant. There is something sweet in monkeys. They are playful, cute and brilliant. Baby monkeys are the same as human monkeys, they are sweet and helpless, and that makes them irresistible. They are playful, and they can be so much fun to spend time with. We are delighted that this monkey was saved from the black market, and now can enjoy a happy life, surrounded by people that will love her and cherish her!

These beautiful cheetahs lost their mothers and had to be rescued when they were just little cubs, so now they will have to spend the rest of their lives at a wildlife sanctuary, but considering their enclosure is so big that it actually has a dune in it, and they get food without having to work for it, and don't have to worry about other predators, it is not a bad life at all! The Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), is native to Africa and Asia, although it has been extirpated from nearly all of its Asian range. They could once be found from the shores of the Mediterranean and the Arabian Peninsula, west through central India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and north to the northern shores of the Aral and Caspian Seas, but nowadays are limited to the central deserts of Iran. Although cheetahs still occur in several African countries, they now only occupy 10% of their historic range. Five subspecies are recognized: Acinonyx jubatus hecki, in Northwest Africa; Acinonyx jubatus earsoni, in East Africa; Acinonyx jubatus jubatus, in Southern Africa; Acinonyx jubatus soemmerringi, in Northeast Africa; and Acinonyx jubatus venaticus, from Northern Africa to central India. Cheetahs are classified as Vulnerable, although the subspecies Acinonyx jubatus venaticus and Acinonyx jubatus heckii are listed as Critically Endangered. They can be found in dry forest, thick scrub, grassland and hyperarid deserts. They are only absent from montane and tropical forests. Cheetahs are mostly known as the fastest land mammals, however, they are only able to sustain top speeds for a few hundred meters. If they don't succeed at their hunt by then, they need to give up and rest, otherwise they overheat. Unlike other cat species, female cheetahs are solitary, accompanied only by their young, and males can be solitary or live in coalitions of two or three, usually consisting of brothers, but not necessarily.

These rescued animals were together to keep each other company, and have no idea they're not even the same species; to them, they're the same, and on the inside, they are: two babies who want nothing more than play! Except that the hyena is a bit more energetic and eager to play-fight! How adorable is that?! Lions and hyenas in general, occupy the same geographic range, in the African continent, although different species of hyenas inhabit different areas, and the Striped Hyena (Hyaena hyaena) is also native to the Middle East, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Indian subcontinent, where lions no longer occur. Since they are both carnivores and top predators, they are always competing for food, making them enemies in the wild. Although lions are three to four times larger than hyenas, the teamwork of a hyena clan can often intimidate a lion away. Both species are also extremely territorial and aggressive when it comes to one another, killing each other's young when given the chance. In 1999, a two-week-war between the two species was recorded in Ethiopia, leaving 35 hyenas and six lions dead. However, don't always have to fight each for food. As we all know, hyenas are also scavengers, which means that they don't always hunt their own food, despite being perfectly capable of doing so; sometimes they eat the leftovers of someone else's kill. So a lion may hunt his meal, eat all the parts that he likes, and then abandon it; the hyenas then come and eat the rest, without having to fight the lion, that already has a full stomach. As top predators, they don't have predators of their own, except for humans, who keep decreasing their populations. But these two innocent babies are completely ignorant of that old rivalry, and proceed to do what children do better: play!