Animals

[Khandro]

What would be your favourite six of all the world's wildlife of land, sea & air that you either love, admire, are fascinated by, or scare you - in order? - include mammals, birds, fish & insects.

Domesticated & farm animals can be included, but I take cats & dogs as a given.

This isn't a fatuous question, I would really like to know for a project, thanks! :0)

[pat2604]

Walt Whitman

Song of Myself.

I love that Khandro. It says it all. Humans are definitely my biggest fear. They are the animal that will eventually destroy the earth!

[pastafreak]

Like lottie, I put big cats at the top of my list. Having had *domesticated * cats all my life, comparing them is fascinating.
Also elephants for their family units and what seems an ability to empathise.
For their shear majestic beauty, the American Bison.
As a child, I spent endless hours studying the Japanese beetles that fed on my parents rose bushes...beautiful with iridescent wing cover...to my shame, I also helped in eliminating them. My garden friends were the praying mantis and frogs that lived in the damp places.
Scary but cute...bats.
Though I find slugs disgusting to the point of feeling panic at the sight of them, I find snails both scary and strangely fascinating...maybe helped by the fact that I allowed my daughter to keep a giant African land snail as a child. In the same creepy category are sea slugs.
Looks like I've gone over my allotted numbers...

[pat2604]

I must agreed with pasta on slugs! But the birds love them

[Ken4155]

The very rare, almost extinct hipporhinosacowbullephantkangrillapig has to be my favourite animal.
I'd keep one at home but they're a tad on the large side and they defecate wherever they want. So a Jack Russell it is, then.
One of my favourites is a goldfish. They swim round and round their bowls and always look surprised to see you on every lap.
I also have lots of time for spiders, providing they keep their webs clean. Some are as scruffy as teenagers when it comes to keeping their living quarters tidy.

[ladybirder]

What a lovely question Khandro. Thank you.
I love Yellow Tailed Bumblebees. They set up a nest in my garden and I collided with one which was heading towards some tasty flowers. I read that if a bee bumps into you it is on purpose. It means get out of my way LOL. Bless.
Orangutans I love as well. How could anyone not adore their faces. Love watching them on Monkeyworld.
Ordinary garden birds bring light into my days.
Watching the elephants in Botswana on the link in AB is also a joy. Such wonderful creatures. Breaks my heart when I read or worse see when they have been killed for their horns.
Dormice, who could not love them. Beautiful little creatures.
And, last I love my foxes, probably the only one who does. I love the way they sit on top of the shed waiting for me to put food out for them in the evening. And if I'm late they move to within a couple of metres from my patio doors and I can see their eyes shining in the dark waiting for me. My dog's not too happy about that though!

[Arksided]

Cats and dogs are a given for me, Huskies, Wolves etc.. big cats like leopards and Panthers fascinate me also. insects, spiders etc don't bother me but like Indiana Jones I do have a fear of snakes.

[Arksided]

Blimey I just gave myself goosebumps just thinking about them.

[youngmafbog]

Bears - I think they are just great.
Kangaroos - such fascinating creatures
Whales - Such great big wonders
Bees - I can watch the bees all down round my flowers
Birds of Prey - again such magnificence.
Lambs - so very tasty.

[Khandro]

I didn't anticipate such a great response, thanks, all are being written down.
Surprisingly so many fans of wales, an animal few people will have ever seen in nature, - well I haven't.

[pastafreak]

Lottie...the slimey wonders are no longer considered pests.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/mar/04/planet-friendly-rhs-to-no-longer-class-slugs-and-snails-as-pests

I used to dread late night dogwalks in summer...had to dodge the wee horrors.

[campbellking]

Love all of these - warthogs, giraffes, tigers, chipmunks, kudus and domestic kitties

[puzzled54]

Elephants, warthogs, butterflies, pandas and hippos

[Maydup]

I've been thinking about this all day! Its hard to decide between beautiful animals, great, grand or scary ones, but I realised its those creatures closest to home and that give me the greatest pleasure, that top my league.

Robins - and their unconditional love of my gardening!
Swans - just beautiful, graceful, but fearsome.
Kingfishers - wow, did you see that?
Bees - and the sound of them buzzing on a sunny day
Dragonflies - and damselflies basking in the sun
Butterflies - and in particular the rare Swallowtail

[Khandro]

To sum up. Great responses, & some surprises. After adding my own: Frogs, Dragonflies, Woodpeckers, Pine Martens, Hedgehogs & Unicorns (yes, I know) ;

Bees, (honey) 3 votes plus 1 Bumble
Butterflies 4
Bears 1
Bison 1
Bats 1
Clown fish 1
Capybara 1
Crocodiles 1
Dolphins 3
Dragonflies 3
Ducks 1
Dik Dik (?) 1
Dormice 1
Elephants 6
Echidna 1
Flamingo 1
Frogs 3
Foxes 1
Giraffes 3
Geckos 1
Gorillas 1
Goldfish 1
Horses 2
Huskies 1
Hippos 1
Hedgehogs 1
Kangaroos 1
Kingfisher 1
Lions 1
Leopards 1
Meerkats 3
Mongoose 1
Owls 2
Orcas 1
Orangutans 2
Otters 1
Polar Bears 2
Pika 1
Pallas Cat 1
Praying Mantis 1
Panthers 1
Pandas 2 Red 2
Pine Marten 1
Red Kites 1
Rhinos 1
Rusty spotted Cat 1
Robins 1
Scottish Wildcats 2
Sea Otter 1
Starlings 1
Seahorse 1
Secretary Bird 1
Snow Leopards 1
Snakes 1
Snow Owl 1
Spiders 1
Sea Slugs 1
Spiders 1
Swans 1
Tigers 1
Unicorn 1
Wolves 4
Water Beetles 1
Whales 4
Warthogs 2
Woodpeckers 1

Thank you everyone !

[aelmpvw]

elephants 6 tigers 1, that rather surprises me