Animals
8 Viral Animals That Are More Popular Than You
Step aside, Hollywood celebs, and make room for the furry, feathery, and scaly stars of cyberspace. These viral animals are as cute as they are talented. It’s no wonder their careers are doing so much better than yours.
By Missy Baker · May 1, 2024
Embark on a hilarious journey through the zoo-niverse of viral animal celebs!
From radical rats to picture-painting pigs, we'll uncover how these critters clawed, bit, and oinked their way to internet stardom.Get ready to laugh, 'aww', and perhaps feel a twinge of envy for these online animal icons. It hurts knowing you'll never be as cool and popular as a skateboarding cat, doesn't it? Sturm/Wikimedia Commons
Pigcasso the Painting Pig
A painting pig, appropriately named Pigcasso, gained international attention for her amazing artistic skills. Her abstract artworks have been sold for thousands of dollars, with proceeds going towards animal welfare.Even with her unprecidented success as an artist, her parents were still disappointed she didn’t become a doctor. pigcassohoghero/Instagram
April the Pregnant Giraffe
April became an internet sensation in 2017 when millions of really bored people tuned into a live stream, eagerly awaiting her to give birth at Animal Adventure Park in New York.With numerous false starts and stops, April's labor was so drawn out that even the tortoises were like, "Dang, hurry up." aprilthegiraffe.aap/ Instagram
Koko the Gorilla
Known for her ability to communicate using sign language, Koko was a western lowland gorilla who learned over 1,000 different signs, and was an A-List animal celebrity. She was even besties with Robin Williams.Koko will forever be a legend. To humans, she became a symbol of interspecies communication and cognitive abilities in animals. To other gorillas, she became "an overachiever who's making us all look bad." kokoandthegorillafoundation/Instagram
Didga the Skateboarding Cat
If you were already feeling like a slacker, Didga the Skateboarding Cat is going to make you feel a whole lot worse. This famous feline is multitalented. She not only shreds like a miniature Tony Hawk covered in fur, but she also holds a Guinness World Record for performing 20 tricks in a minute.While other cats are chasing mice, Didga's out there chasing thrills. She skateboards, she swims, and she crushes all 9 of her lives. What's your excuse? CATMANTOO/YouTube
Eddie the Slam Dunking Sea Otter
Eddie, the Slam Dunking Sea Otter, gained notoriety when videos of him dunking a basketball at the Oregon Zoo went viral online. Once known as the Michael Jordan of Sea Otters, Eddie's deal with Nike sadly fell through when the shoes kept slipping off his webbed feet. Oregon Zoo/YouTube
Fritz the Dog
Fritz the Dog has become a legend in the realm of failure; this Golden Retriever skyrocketed to fame with his impressive inability to catch food in his mouth. His awe-inspiring lack of coordination even scored him coveted TV appearances on shows like Good Morning America and World's Funniest Dogs.Hey, I'm pretty terrible at stuff too. Where's my TV credit? FritzDog/YouTube
Einstein the Talking Parrot
Einstein is a famous African Grey parrot who belongs on SNL. (Loren Michaels, if you're reading this, hello!) Einstein gained internet fame when their killer impersonation of Matthew McConaughey went viral! Alright, alright alright.Einstein has a vocabulary of over 200 words, sounds, and impressions. When someone says "Good job, Einstein" to this parrot, they are surprisingly not being sarcastic. Einstein Parrot/YouTube
Pizza Rat
A video of a rat dragging a slice of pizza down the stairs of a New York City subway station went viral in 2015, capturing the hearts of animal lovers, pizza aficionados, and germ enthusiasts alike.Pizza Rat is truly proof of the power of pizza. Without pizza, he's just a gross rodent, but with pizza, he's a national treasure. We salute you, Pizza Rat. You are the hero we all deserve.
(Paid for by Pizza Rat for President, 2024.) Matt Little/YouTube