13 Cutest Animals in the World (2024)

For a daily dose of dopamine, there's nothing quite like photos of cute animals. Fuzzy, chubby, and sweet, the cutest animals in the world run the gamut from silly to snuggly, and provide humans with the ultimate company during our more

. Depending on where you live, you may not even be aware of some of the adorable animals that make up our global wildlife population.

Animals

by spreading seeds and encouraging plant growth, regulating

and pest populations, and reducing disease transmission. Unfortunately, many of the animals that bring us so much joy simply by existing are

due to habitat loss caused by

and human land use. It’s important that we learn about how we can protect these animals to help them thrive and keep them from

.

The

is an adorable mountain-dwelling animal that can be found in Asia and North America. With its stumpy limbs and round and short body, the pika is undeniably cute—and

only adds to the effect. Pika’s waddle and are known for carrying around small bunches of flowers to eat during the winter.

are small antelopes that live in Eastern and Southern Africa. With their diminutive hooves (only the diameter of a dime), big ears, and doe eyes, they’ve got all the makings of a super-cute mammal.

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The

—aka a pocket monkey or a dwarf monkey—is a miniature monkey that inhabits the Amazon rainforests of South America. It’s one of the smallest primates in the world and is the smallest monkey—which is what makes it so adorable. Its fluffy fur and curious expressions help, too.

Harbor seals are among the most common (and the cutest) marine animals on the U.S. coast. The chubby friends are akin to sea puppies with their playful positions and big round eyes, and are (fortunately) protected by the

.

The

is a small, delicate fox (the smallest of all canids) with an adorable baby face, fluffy paws (the better to protect from the scorching sand), and huge ears. Native to the Sahara Desert, the fennec fox's enormous ears help it shed heat which helps it keep cool in such hot climates.

The

, also known as the mouse deer, is the world’s tiniest hooved mammal (about the size of a rabbit, weighing in at 4-33 pounds). Native to Southeast Asia, India, and parts of Africa, the chevrotain is nocturnal and has undergone minimal evolution over the last 30 million years, earning them the nickname of "living fossils."

Videos of

have been going viral for years—and for good reason. Sea otters are native to the Northern coast of the Pacific Ocean, where they float, collect rocks, snack on crabs and urchins, and even hold hands. Seriously? Come on.

The meerkat is an adorable cat-like mongoose. Native to Southern Africa, the meerkat’s big eyes and mischievous face, combined with its vertical, two-legged stance, make it adorable enough to inspire cult-followed

. Though the meerkat has a commanding presence while surveying its surroundings, the mammal is a small one, standing at around 14 inches tall.

, native to the Eastern Himalayas and Southwestern China, look like a cross between a fox, a giant panda, and a raccoon—combining all of the cutest elements of each. Their thick red fur and striped, bushy tails, and small size (slightly larger than a housecat) make them particularly memorable.