The Seven Cutest Animals You’ve Never Seen
Red Panda
More closely related to raccoons and weasel, the adorable red pandas frolic in the forests of the Himalayas, Burma and central China. These adorable creatures hardly grow bigger than a house cat and spend most of their time in trees. Their numbers, however, have been dwindling thanks to deforestation.
Long Tailed Chinchilla
These cute and cuddly critters are native to South America. In the 1950s, the species was considered to be extinct, but they were rediscovered in the late 1970s. Since then, they have, unfortunately, appeared consistently on the most endangered species list. Conservation efforts are in effect, but numbers continue to dwindle.
The Tree Kangaroo
Closely related to the Aussie native, kangaroos, the tree kangaroo is found in rainforests across Australia and Papua New Guinea. There are 10 different species of the tree kangaroos. Though clumsy on the ground, tree kangaroos, naturally are very adept and agile on trees. Their powerful hind legs are used for climbing and enable them to drop down from great heights.
Baiji Dolphin
Known as the “Goddess of the Yangtze”, the Baiji dolphin was a species that frolicked in China’s Yangtze River. They were recognizable by their stocky body, long, thin snout, small eyes and tiny ear openings where other dolphin’s eyes should be. Unfortunately, the species was declared extinct in 2006. The species rapidly declined due to China’s heavy industrialization and frequent use of the river. Although there was a sighting of a lone Baiji dolphin in 2007, the species is still considered functionally extinct because a few are not enough to save the whole species from full extinction.
American Pika
The American Pika is the smaller relative of rabbits and hares. They are typically found in rocky areas in western United States and southwestern Canada. They are distinguished by their grayish brown fur, short, round ears and no visible tail. Pikas generally collect and store food to last them throughout the winter months and are sometimes seen gathering wildflowers. Unfortunately, global warming is playing a huge part in their dwindling numbers.
Black-footed Ferret
The black-footed ferret is the only ferret species native to North America. They beautiful creatures were brought back from near-extinction in 1986, and now thrive (albeit in small numbers). The furry ferrets live off a diet of prairie dogs, can sleep up to 21 hours and are solitary creatures.
Kinkajous
Kinkajous are adorable little seen, often heard nocturnal species also known as the honey bear. They are native to Central America and South America. They are closely related to the raccoon and look so furry and cute thanks to communal grooming. They are blessed with a long tail that doubles as an extra hand and sometimes blanket and their feet can turn in both directions for easy running.
