From a huge baby penguin to a pet octopus who laid 50 eggs and a whale that might have been a Russian spy, here is a look at some of the most famous animals of 2024.
These 10 animals range in species from beluga whale to snow leopard and are located all around the world.
Also featured are four new additions to Utah’s Hogle Zoo this year.
Viral animals around the world
Moo Deng the pygmy hippo
Moo Deng is a pygmy hippo who was born this summer at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo and became a viral internet sensation due to videos taken by zookeepers and visitors, per Forbes.
According to Forbes, the name Moo Deng translates to “bouncy pork.”
The baby hippo became known for her shiny skin, rolls of baby fat, expressive face and videos of her squealing.
Moo Deng also made The New York Time’s “The 63 Most Stylish People of 2024” list: “She bit. She screamed. She conquered hearts the world over.”
Pesto the penguin
A young king penguin at the Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium in Australia, Pesto became famous because of his size.
In September, at just 9 months old, Pesto weighed 50 pounds and was bigger than both of his parents, per CNN.
Pesto was also known for his fluffy brown feathers, which baby king penguins have and eventually shed when they learn how to swim, per CNN.
The baby penguin became so well known that he was visited by multiple celebrities such as Katy Perry and Olivia Rodrigo.
Peanut the squirrel
Peanut the squirrel was an internet sensation who lived in rural New York with his owner Mark Longo.
The squirrel and a raccoon named Fred were confiscated from the home by state officials and were later euthanized for rabies testing, as previously reported by the Deseret News.
Peanut’s death caused many people on the internet to be upset, especially when it was released that the squirrel did not have rabies.
Peanut went viral on social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok and was known for doing tricks, nibbling on waffles and wearing tiny hats.
Terrance the octopus
The Clifford family in Oklahoma purchased Terrance the octopus and all the things needed to take care of her late last year, because of their 9-year-old son’s love of octopi, per NPR.
Shortly after Terrance arrived, the family was surprised to discover she was pregnant and had laid many eggs.
It was assumed that the eggs were unfertilized but soon the family had 50 hatchlings to take care of.
The family documented their journey with Terrance and the hatchlings on TikTok and thousands of people followed along.
Terrance died in April and the family rehomed the baby octopi to educational centers and aquariums around the country, per Daily Mail.
Hvaldimir the beluga whale
Hvaldimir was another viral animal who died this year. He was a beluga whale that was often spotted in the waters around Norway.
It is suspected that Hvaldimir might have been used by Russians for espionage, due to a harness found around the animal, according to NPR.
Hvaldimir became well known across Norway as he was spotted often and was very social and friendly with people.
The whale was first spotted in Norway in 2020. In September of this year it was found dead, but his death was deemed to not be from natural causes, per NPR.
Hua Hua the giant panda
Hua Hua is a 4-year-old giant panda at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in China who has gone viral.
“The panda’s notoriety is partially due to the fact that its body shape is said to resemble an onigiri, which is a Japanese rice ball wrapped with seaweed,” according to Today Online.
She has a few developmental delays so Hua Hua is smaller and slower than the pandas around her.
Fans of Hua Hua love her for her laidback demeanor, despite the fact that her food is frequently stolen by the bigger pandas, per Today Online.
Wakan Gli the white buffalo
Wakan Gli is a white American bison, also referred to as a buffalo, who was born in June in Yellowstone National Park’s Lamar Valley.
To several Native American tribes, “the calf’s appearance was both the fulfillment of sacred prophesy and a message to take better care of the Earth,” per The Associated Press.
In June, a ceremony was held to celebrate and honor the animal and to name it; the name Wakan Gli means “return sacred” in Lakota, per the AP.
The ceremony also featured singing, drumming and dancing.
Animals in Utah
William the Chinese red panda
In November, Utah’s Hogle Zoo received William, a 1-year-old Chinese red panda from Lincoln Children’s Zoo in Nebraska.
According to the zoo’s website, William came to Utah because of the zoo’s recent transition to Chinese red panda care, which will give William future breeding opportunities.
“William’s care team describes him as a smart panda who enjoys training and learning new behaviors, and especially loves snack time with fruit or bamboo,” according to the zoo’s website.
Pavlova and Bhutan the snow leopard cubs
Two snow leopard cubs Pavlova (female) and Bhutan (male) were born at the Hogle Zoo on June 4.
The two cubs were named by donors to the zoo.
The mother, Babs, is 4 years old and came to Utah in 2021 from the Toledo Zoo, on a breeding recommendation as a part of the Snow Leopard Species Survival Plan, according to the zoo’s website.
Addo the gorilla
Addo, a baby male western lowland gorilla, was born on May 30 at the Hogle Zoo.
“His name is as strong and remarkable as he is, coming from the African Ga language of Ghana, where it means ‘King of the Road,’” per the zoo’s website.
Addo’s mother Pele is 22 years old and has been at the Hogle Zoo since 2022. She came to Utah from Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida, with her mother Mary.
Gaia the black-footed cat
Gaia arrived at the Hogle Zoo earlier this year and quickly stole the spotlight becoming one of the zoo’s most popular animals, per Fox 13.
Even though Gaia weighs less than three pounds, black-footed cats are considered the deadliest cats in the world because of their high success rate while hunting.
Black-footed cats are Africa’s smallest cat and despite being deadly “Gaia has big eyes, rounded ears and soft fur, and barely exceeds the size of your average teapot,” as previously reported by The Deseret News.
Gaia came to Utah to breed with another black-footed cat, but after he died, Gaia was moved from the Hogle Zoo to Cameron Park Zoo in Waco, Texas, in November, per Fox 13.