
Throughout the year, several animal influencers have made the world smile.
We saw the rise of Moo Deng, the unflinchingly moist, perpetually pissed off, pygmy hippo. She became a star in a Thailand zoo, with her plump little form live-streamed for all to see.
Perpetually moist queen. Image: Khao Kheow Open Zoo.
Then there was Pesto the penguin, a ginormous king penguin chick living in Sea Life Aquarium in Melbourne. His inexplicably fluffy brown coat, combined with the fact that he towered over his foster parents, made him an instant internet success.