If you live in a bustling and grey metropolis, you can spend entire days without meaningfully interacting with nature. However, if you slow down to appreciate your surroundings, you’re lucky enough to live in the suburbs or the countryside, or you take a trip out of town, you realize just how much biodiversity is around you.
Our animal-loving team at Bored Panda has traveled all over the internet to bring you some of the most wholesome wildlife encounters that took people completely by surprise. Scroll down to see some heart-warming photos, upvote the ones you loved the most, and consider what you can do to help your local wildlife conservation charities.
#1 This Little Guy Started Hanging Around My Brother While He Was Working On A Car. I Believe It’s An American Kestrel. Which Means My Brother Made Friends With A Falcon
Image credits: AdolescentAlien
#2 I Think Someone Spilled A Bag Of Ducks Near Aisle 6
Image credits: thomasya13
#3 The Neighborhood Fox And Her Kits Are Living Under My Front Deck Right Now
Image credits: cyberentomology
The amount of biodiversity around us is incredible. Even if you live in a primarily urban environment, you’ll still encounter lots of different bugs and insects, different types of birds (not just pigeons!), probably rats, as well as stray dogs and cats.
If there are any parks or wooded areas in between your local skyscrapers, the odds are that you might also spot some squirrels, foxes, and raccoons. Of course, the specific animals you encounter are going to depend heavily on what part of the world you’re in!
#4 Urban Fox Doing A Full Sploot In My Sunny Scottish Garden
Image credits: oscarx-ray
#5 Mountain Lions Moving Back Into Boulder During Lockdown
Image credits: clicktosave
#6 Rare "Silver Fox" At My House Today
Image credits: FlopAtop
If you live further away from the city center and you’re surrounded by more and more untouched nature, the animals you encounter are also going to be more varied. You might encounter entire groups of deer, different species of birds, insects, and amphibians.
If you’re living really remotely, you may even find some larger animals paying you a visit. Imagine drinking your first cup of morning coffee only to see a bear or a wolf walking past your front porch!
#7 Albino Deer I Spotted Walking Into Work Last Week
Image credits: boBByHiLL-4prez
#8 Bird Sitting On Its Own Info Board
Image credits: Yoskeh
#9 Not A Creature Was Stirring, All Through The House - Except For This Mouse Living In Our Christmas Tree, Apparently
Image credits: Wolferesque
However, it isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. As people expand their urban environments, they massively affect the local wildlife population. Suddenly, animals are forced to flee their homes or look in other areas for food. Some fail to adapt altogether. Others are forced to change their entire behavior not only to survive but to thrive around people. (E.g., think of how wild raccoons live vs. suburban raccoons stealing food from trash cans.)
#10 The Stray Cat I’m Feeding Has Made Friends With A Hedgehog
Image credits: piggledy
#11 I Came Into My Kitchen To Find A Lizard Using A Sponge As A Raft In The Sink. I Live In New Mexico
Image credits: bassmansrc
#12 A Family Of Raccoons In My Yard
Image credits: Duskav3ng3r117
Earth.org, reporting on the data collected by the World Wildlife Fund, notes that the most endangered animal in the world is the Amur Leopard. Between 2014 and 2015, barely 92 individuals were left in the world.
Now, this number is even lower, standing at a mere 84. These leopards are at risk mainly due to poachers who value their coats and boats to be sold to Asian medicine practitioners. Natural fires, as well as those caused by people, also destroy their habitats. Meanwhile, the changing climate means that they have less prey to catch.
#13 Baby Skunk, Which My Son Found In The Driveway, Fell Asleep In My Hand Yesterday As I Returned It To Its Burrow
Image credits: Sweatyrando
#14 So This Happened To Me Today
Image credits: acnh_nanaland
#15 We Fed Our Backyard Squirrel Once... Meet Frankie At Our Backyard Door Waiting For More Nuts
Image credits: chebstr
Rhinos are also incredibly vulnerable. Poachers and traditional Chinese medicine practitioners value their horns very much, which means that these animals are constantly under threat of being hunted down. Unfortunately, their horns are very lucrative.
The black rhino, Javan rhino, and Sumatran rhino are three of five rhino species that are among the most endangered species on Earth. For instance, there are barely 60 Javan rhinos left. Meanwhile, the black rhino population stands at 5.5k.
#16 Friend's Mom Nearly Had A Heart Attack When She Looked Out The Back Window This Morning
Image credits: downwarddawg
#17 Mom Had A Stranger On Her Deck This Morning
Image credits: china_rider
#18 Surprise Snoozing Seal Pup
Image credits: Roy4Pris
Bornean and Sumatran orangutans are also in trouble. There were roughly 230k+ orangutans in the wild a hundred years ago. However, due to deforestation for palm oil, they’ve been losing their habitats. As it stands now, there are 104.7k Bornean orangutans and around 13.8k Sumatran orangutans living.
#19 A Polar Fox Escaped From A Small Zoo In Germany But Got Tired On The Way. A Zookeeper Took Him Back. I Hope That Didn’t Disturb His Slumber
Image credits: LanChriss
#20 A Hummingbird Chilled On My Phone Today
Image credits: andyman686
#21 This Fox That Lives At The Top Of My Granny's Hedge
Image credits: Baretal
There are no easy fixes. If you want to protect wildlife on a global scale, you’d have to change how people interact with nature so they can co-exist with animals.
That would probably include fundamentally changing the perspective on trade and economics: instead of limitless growth and profits, everyone would ideally aim for sustainable growth.
#22 Thankfully I Saved This Little Guy From My Lawnmower Today
This is what my lawn looked like, so he was pretty lucky that I saw him.
Image credits: pbmax542
#23 The Wife Opened The Back Door And Immediately Gasped, Then Shut It. A Little Guy Had Been Stashed There By His Mommy For About 10 Hours Before She Came Back And Got Him
Image credits: BigBiffTannen
#24 Christmas Eve Visitor
Image credits: sarin77
Meanwhile, we would all ideally change how we look at a life worth living, pursuing deep relationships instead of materialistic wants. That means consuming less, buying fewer products, changing our eating habits, and recycling more.
As a result, we’d need to destroy fewer natural habitats for farms, factories, mines, and homes. The more people vote with their wallets, the more big corporations will have to adapt and embrace a greener mindset.
#25 Echidna We Rescued At Work. This Little Guy Got Stuck In The Bottom Of A Shallow Mineshaft. We Could Only See His Little Spikes Sticking Out Of The Dirt
It took us about 30 minutes to get him out because he could burrow faster than we could dig. However, we managed to relocate him to a safer spot.
Image credits: derpyderpderp27
#26 Two Baby Bears On My Grandparents' Deck
Image credits: Grouchy_Raccoon_6681
#27 My Friend's Dad Found A Crab Holding A Donatello PEZ Dispenser
Image credits: soFREAKINboss
At the end of the day, we’ll still see quick economic expansion so long as it’s profitable. If you’re angry about pollution, destroyed habitats, and climate change, then you can and should look at the problem as a political one.
Vote for political representatives who represent your values. Boycott companies and brands that go against what you believe in. Write to your current political representatives asking them to take a tougher stance regarding conservation.
#28 A Hummingbird Built Its Nest On My Hanging Hummingbird Figurine
Image credits: lovemymaltese
#29 A Pine Marten I Saw While Walking Through The Woods
Image credits: Intagvalley
#30 The Housekeeping Staff Found An Owl In The Room Of A Guest Who Checked Out Yesterday
Image credits: http9
Meanwhile, you can support wildlife organizations financially or by volunteering your time. However, on a more personal scale, you could help your local wildlife by wilding your garden if you have one or by being courteous and non-intrusive when you spend time in nature.
What’s the best or most unexpected wildlife encounter you’ve ever had, dear Pandas? How often do you see animals in your day-to-day lives? What do you do to support conservation efforts? Tell us all about it in the comments!
#31 Found A Baby Hawk At Work Today
Image credits: gaigemeister
#32 This Random Koala Is On The Side Of My House
Image credits: Welpiminterested
#33 A Sleepy Barn Owl Found Camouflage On My Back Porch
Image credits: MonkeyPic
#34 Saw A Blonde Squirrel At The Park Yesterday
Image credits: Borats_Gypsy_Tears
#35 Found A Stray Cat In My Garage This Morning
Image credits: larson627
#36 This Lizard Lives In My Birdhouse
Image credits: The_One_Who_Meeps
#37 I Found A Baby Rabbit While Mowing The Lawn
Image credits: TheDESTROYER976
#38 Found This Angry Unit In The Wild At Work Today. Wanted To Have A Piece Of Me Every Time I Walked Past The Tree
Image credits: Wild-Newspaper833
#39 Capybaras Invaded My Garden
Image credits: Fitgirllatina
#40 I Was Sitting At A Red Light When A Peregrine Falcon Landed On The Hood Of My Car
Image credits: Astrofluke
#41 We Had An Unexpected Guest Today
Image credits: Sugarkrill
#42 When You Spend Your Whole Life Rolling Your Eyes At Ignorant Foreigners Thinking You Have Kangaroos In Your Front Yard, And You Live In The Suburbs
Image credits: deejaymorgan
#43 A Bird Made A Nest And Had Babies In Our Holiday Wreath
Image credits: ZKK161820
#44 I Was Dashing & Driving With My Windows Down When I Felt Something Hit My Head. I Pulled Over To See What Happened & Noticed A Bird Flew Into The Car As I Was Driving
Image credits: I_Only_Have_One_Hand
#45 Found A Friend. Millard Canyon Falls Trail, Angeles National Forest, California
Image credits: gio_dude17
#46 Found This Little Guy Running Across The Train Tracks. I Was Able To Get Him Into The Box So He Didn't Overheat In The Sun And Get Hit By A Train
Image credits: DR_SKITTLES1234
#47 Woke Up To A Swan Peering Through My Front Door
Image credits: reddit.com
#48 Our Friendly Magpie Visits Us Every Morning! This Morning, She Showed Up With A Mouthful Of Bugs. She Walks Right Up, Sits With Me, And Steals Little Bits Of Our Dog's Food
Image credits: islandpsychedelia
#49 Is This Armadillo Old Enough To Be On Its Own?
I know they're not ideal to touch, but this little guy was death-rolling through my yard, and I didn't want my pitbull to get him.
Image credits: blueberrybunny24
#50 So, Some Bees Decided To Build A Hive Between The Window And The Shutters
Image credits: Flaneur_7508
