Of course, readers will say, "We already know what kind of animals these are—kittens, puppies, rabbits, and other adorable creatures!" In fact, there are some adorable animals in the wild, too.

20. Sloth.

Slothful and placid, the sloth lives in the tropical forests of South America. But the sloth isn’t lazy. It’s just very, very slow. So slow, in fact, that this calm, deliberate nature makes it truly endearing.

19. Pygmy Hippopotamus.

Like its larger cousin, the pygmy hippopotamus has squat legs, a broad snout, and exceptional swimming skills. But unlike its cousin, the pygmy hippopotamus isn’t one of the most dangerous animals in Africa. Without the threat of being snatched by a huge mouth full of teeth, it’s easy to see that a hippopotamus, even when dwarfed, can be quite cute. The pygmy hippopotamus is an endangered species, so it’s much easier to find them in zoos than in the wild.

18. Loris.

The incredibly large-eyed loris is native to the tropical jungles of Southeast Asia and is distinguished by its plush-looking yet powerful paws. Lorises can hang from trees for several hours, clinging to a tree with just one limb. And they do so often. Despite their incredibly cute appearance, this animal is venomous. The venom comes from glands in the elbow and is injected through the teeth. However, it is not potent enough to save the loris from the illegal pet trade. Therefore, the animal is listed as endangered.

17. Chameleon.

The chameleon is one of the most attractive reptiles, perhaps due to its bulging eyes, sadly twisted mouth, prehensile tail, or very long tongue. It also has the remarkable ability to change color depending on its mood and the ability to move like a seafaring sailor. Not the most efficient form of transportation, but certainly an eye-catcher. About half of the world’s chameleons can be found in Madagascar.

16. Meerkat.

Meerkats are members of the mongoose family and live in the Kalahari and Namib deserts, in South Africa, and in parts of Angola. Meerkats are not so cute for their faces, which, while far from ugly, are almost indistinguishable from the familiar mongoose face. The charm of meerkats lies in the way they stand, like a human – upright and with their paws folded modestly on their stomachs.

15. Koala

Koalas aren’t nearly as cute as they look. Experts say these animals’ moods constantly fluctuate between mildly angry and downright vicious. Their enduring popularity demonstrates that, in this day and age, good looks can blind us to our own personality flaws. Most koalas live in Australia. Tourists can get up close and personal with them—hopefully at their friendliest—at Lone Pine Koala Park.

14. Happy Feet Penguin

Madagascar Penguin, Mr. Popper’s Penguins—these squat waterfowl have become a staple of pop culture. There are 17 species of seabirds. Most are colored some variation of black and white, none can fly, and all are excellent swimmers. Surprisingly, penguins are also excellent runners. Six species of these birds live in Antarctica, so the best way to admire them is to take a cruise. A team of naturalists on board will help you identify which penguins you’re seeing—Adelie, King, or Emperor.

13. Red Panda.

Red pandas have very little in common with their cousins, the monochrome giant pandas. With a thick, ringed tail like a raccoon’s, pointed ears, reddish-brown coloring, and short legs, these arboreal animals were very difficult to classify. These cute little creatures are very few in the wild. They are also very shy, so meeting one is a real stroke of luck. The safest bet is to visit one of the panda research centers in China.

12. Beluga Whale.

About four meters long, white, with a baby-like face, the beluga whale, which inhabits the cold Arctic seas, is about one-fifth the size of a blue whale. With its relatively small size, distinctive muzzle, and bump on its forehead, the beluga is undeniably charming. In captivity, beluga whales can chirp on command and blow bubbles.

11. Clownfish.

Of course, real clownfish can’t talk or comically bulge their eyes, as shown in Pixar. But they can do a ton of other cool things! For example, they can change gender. You can find clownfish near their underwater friends – sea anemones. The sea anemone’s venom doesn’t affect the bright orange fish and protects them from predators. The clownfish pays for its protection by eating the remains of the anemone and keeping the area clean. In the Philippines, there’s a marine reserve with a veritable city of clownfish, where you’ll encounter hundreds of species.

10. Chinchilla.

These native South American rodents are a prime example of the dangers of being cute. They were mercilessly hunted for their plush fur, leading to their near-extinction in the 19th century. Their fur is so soft because a chinchilla has 50 hairs per follicle. In humans, for example, each follicle serves only one hair. Chinchillas are rare in the wild, living in the mountains. A relatively large population remains in the Las Chinchillas National Reserve in Chile.

9. Roe Deer.

Roe deer are chestnut-colored, about the size of a goat, and native to England. According to the British, roe deer are easy to spot while walking in the woods: “If you walk very quietly through relatively dense forest no later than an hour after sunrise, you’re likely to encounter them.”

8. Bottlenose Dolphin.

In captivity, bottlenose dolphins are praised for their intelligence and therapeutic properties—swimming with dolphins has been shown to improve mental health. In the wild, dolphins can become aggressive and form gangs. However, this doesn’t matter to most people—they are so charming. Bottlenose dolphins can be found in warm oceans around the world.

7. Alpaca.

Alpacas are prized for their magnificent curly wool, which is used to make sweaters. Alpacas are also very sweet, although they can be quite feisty. You can interact with alpacas at any of the many farms in Peru. Machu Picchu is a wonderful place to see wild alpacas.

6. Hummingbird.

The hummingbird is the smallest bird in the world. It’s also the fastest, flapping its wings 80 times per second. Slightly larger than a bee, hummingbirds even act similarly. They help plants reproduce by carrying pollen, flitting from branch to branch, and sipping nectar. You can admire hummingbirds in Cuba.

5. Sea Otters:

Sea otters are as smart as they are cute. They use stones as tools to crack open clams and mussels and sleep face-up on the surface of the water, wrapped in kelp. Sea otters are sociable and swim together in groups of up to 100 individuals.

4. Harp Seal.

It’s no coincidence that many of the animals on this list are threatened with extinction. After all, part of what makes them so endearing is often their soft, beautiful fur. Harp seal pups are covered in fluffy, snow-white fur, making them a traditional target for the fur industry. Even though importing their fur has been banned in Europe since 1983, and seal hunting in Canada was banned in 1987, hundreds of thousands of these animals still die annually at the hands of poachers.

3. Giant Panda:

A black and white coat, a plump bottom, and an incredibly thoughtful look while eating bamboo—these are the qualities that make the giant panda so charming. Although the panda has the digestive system of a carnivore, it feeds as a herbivore, consuming up to 38 kilograms of bamboo a day. Therefore, the panda is extremely dependent on its habitat. According to the World Wildlife Fund, only 1,600 of these adorable bears remain in the wild.

2. Philippine Tarsier.

The world’s smallest primate, the Philippine tarsier, possesses all the essential qualities of a cute creature: enormous eyes, a tiny body no larger than a human fist, and tiny paws for grasping tree branches. Tarsiers are extremely unhappy in captivity. According to experts, these animals require at least one hectare of space, and captive tarsiers can even commit suicide. Therefore, tarsiers can only be seen in the Corella Forest Sanctuary in the Philippines.

1. Fennec Fox

The fennec fox, a nocturnal desert creature, was immortalized in Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince as a fox who wanted to be tamed. The smallest of the foxes—smaller than a domestic cat—with large ears and a tiny, pointed muzzle, the fennec fox looks adorable and alluring. Unsurprisingly, commercial trapping poses the greatest threat to these coveted pets. For those who prefer to observe this cuddly creature in the wild, there’s the Sahara and other dry, sandy regions of North Africa, from Morocco to Egypt.