What is it about humans and animals that we’re able to forge these special bonds between us? Sometimes it feels like we don’t deserve their affection and love. Yeah, no, we definitely don’t, but these creatures are still loyal to us no matter what!
Throughout our history there have been hundreds of astounding animals worthy of getting their own bronze statues but only few were immortalized in such a way. The rest will have to get by on some photos, name plaques, and mentions in the history books.
Here are 10 world famous animals you need to know about!
1. Hachiko
Hachiko was a living legend. This Japanese Akita dog kept waiting for his master for over NINE years, every day at the same spot, not knowing his owner Hidesaburō Ueno died in an accident years ago.
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2. Belka and Strelka – Russian Space Dogs
You know why we haven’t had a Disney movie about dogs going to space? Because the Russians did it first and they have all the bragging rights. This happened sometime in the 1950s and 1960s when the Reds sent over 50 dogs to Earth’s orbit. Most survived, with Belka and Strelka being the pioneers.
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3. Darwin’s tortoise Harriet
It is said that Darwin picked up wee little Harriet in 1835, while visiting Galapagos. She’s lived a long and happy life in Australia until June of 2006, when she was approximately 175 years old.
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4. Churchill’s parrot Charlie
This little feathery bandit named Charlie was a real hoot! Can you believe that this blue-and-yellow macaw Churchill used to call “the Curser” lived up to be 105 years old? If stories are real, Churchill taught her to shout curses at the Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. What a fun couple!
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5. Balto
Balto’s loyalty and bravery literally saved hundreds of lives in 1925. This good boy lead a sled with diphtheria antitoxin serum from Anchorage to Nome. One of the most heroic dogs to ever bard at the moon.
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6. Koko the gorilla
Hanabiko or “Koko” for short was the first gorilla to have learned a substantial number of hand signs from a modified version of American Sign Language (ASL). Her true fame, however, came after she adopted a kitten and even gave it a name.
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7. Grumpy Cat
Her actual name is Tardar Sauce but you know her as Grumpy Cat. She’s a star! A real celebrity-kitty, an internet-favorite, and just a cutie-pie. This cat has already won some awards, got a few monuments made, and people will probably remember her for decades thanks to the memes.
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8. Kabosu
Do you recognize this cute boy? It’s the original “doge”, which in turn inspired Dogecoin and like a bajillion memes. I don’t know about you but if I wrote the history books, I’d definitely include this fluffy doge into a few sections.
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9. Maru the Cat
And last but not least, we have the most adorable internet celebrity ever – Maru the Scottish Fold cat. Thanks to his owner Maru’s YouTube videos have gathered way over 300 million views in a short amount of time. Frankly, I can watch this fat boy trying to fit his cat butt into tiny boxes all day every day.
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