50 Astonishing Animal Photos of 2016

  • A horse makes its way through a cloud of smoke rising from fumigation being done to prevent mosquito-borne diseases in Allahabad, India, on Sept. 9, 2016.
    Rajesh Kumar Singh—AP
    1 of 50
  • Flamingos migrate after thousands of flamingo chicks have emerged from their nests at Salt Lake, which is home to the biggest flamingo colony in Turkey and the Mediterranean basin, in Aksaray, Turkey, on June 28, 2016.
    Murat Oner Tas—Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
    2 of 50
  • A pair of tigers soak in a shallow pool at the Tiger Temple, a controversial Buddhist monastery where paying visitors can interact with young adult tigers, in Kanchanaburi, Thailand, on March 16, 2016.
    Amanda Mustard—The New York Times/Redux
    3 of 50
  • Villagers watch as bulls fight during the Maghesangranti festival at Talukachandani village in Nuwakot district near Kathmandu, Nepal, on Jan. 15, 2016.
    Navesh Chitrakar—Reuters
    4 of 50
  • A Thai veterinarian takes a DNA sample from an unconscious wild monkey during a health treatment program at Phra Nakhon Khiri Historical Park in Phetchaburi province, Thailand, on April 5, 2016.
    Rungroj Yongrit—EPA
    5 of 50
  • From left: Maria Silva, Milena Cortes, Maria Arteaga, Jackeline Bastidas and Gissy Abello at the Famproa dogs shelter where they work, in Los Teques, Venezuela, on Aug. 25, 2016.
    Carlos Garcia Rawlins—Reuters
    6 of 50
  • Several wild horses escape as a helicopter is used by the Bureau of Land Management to gather wild horses into a trap along Highway 21 near Garrison, Utah, on Feb. 26, 2015.
    Jim Urquhart—Reuters
    7 of 50
  • A giant panda cub falls from a stage while 23 giant pandas born in 2016 are seen on a display at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Chengdu, China, on Sept. 29, 2016.
    China Daily/Reuters
    8 of 50
  • A penguin named Nils Olav inspects the Guard of Honour formed by His Majesty the King of Norway's Guard at Edinburgh Zoo in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Aug. 22, 2016.
    Mark Owens—AFP/Getty Images
    9 of 50
  • An Indian elephant takes a dust bath amid rising temperatures at Zirakpur Chattbira Zoo, near Chandigarh, India, on April 18, 2016.
    STR/AFP/Getty Images
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  • A dog wanders through a flooded neighborhood in Gonzales, La., on Aug. 16, 2016.
    Brendan Smialowski—AFP/Getty Images
    11 of 50
  • Azat Shajbyrov reacts to a baby falcon in the village of Bokonbaevo, Issyk-Kul area, Kyrgyzstan, on June 22, 2016.
    Igor Kovalenko—EPA
    12 of 50
  • Valerie Nunes-Atkinson and CJ, a German shorthaired pointer, pose after CJ won best in show at the 140th Westminster Kennel Club dog show at Madison Square Garden in New York City, on Feb. 16, 2016.
    Seth Wenig—AP
    13 of 50
  • One of three sperm whales, which were found washed ashore, lays on a beach in Skegness, England, on Jan. 25, 2016.
    Dan Kitwood—Getty Images
    14 of 50
  • A monkey raises its hand in class at a monkey training school in a zoo in Dongying, China, on Jan. 26, 2016.
    Wang Zhao—AFP/Getty Images
    15 of 50
  • Australian dog trainer and former surfing champion Chris de Aboitiz rides a wave with his dogs Rama and Millie off Sydney's Palm Beach, Australia, on Feb. 18, 2016.
    Jason Reed—Reuters
    16 of 50
  • Male chimpanzee Chacha screams at a man trying to capture him on power lines in a residential area of Sendai, Japan, on April 14, 2016.
    Kyodo/AP
    17 of 50
  • Alister Shipman, right, and Hannah Simpson, winners of an Airbnb competition, pose in a bed of an underwater room structure installed in the Aquarium of Paris, on April 11, 2016.
    Chesnot/Getty Images
    18 of 50
  • Employees save pigs from a flooded farm in Lu'an, Anhui Province, China, on July 5, 2016.
    Reuters
    19 of 50
  • An emu runs to escape an approaching wildfire as it burns near Potrero, Calif., on June 20, 2016.
    Mike Blake—Reuters
    20 of 50
  • Bruno, a bearded collie cross, walks in the wind in Cornwall, England, on Feb. 8, 2016.
    Matt Cardy—Getty Images
    21 of 50
  • Birds on a track during the 2016 Rio Olympics, Men's High Jump Final in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Aug. 16, 2016.
    Kai Pfaffenbach—Reuters
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  • Twiggy the Water Skiing Squirrel gets in some practice runs before her shows at the Toronto International Boat Show in Toronto, Canada, on Jan. 7, 2016.
    Steve Russell—Getty Images
    23 of 50
  • Caroline and David Cuthbertson prepare their Highland bull Altruedh of Crannich for the Royal Highland show at Ingliston showground in Edinburgh, Scotland, on June 22, 2016.
    Jeff J. Mitchell—Getty Images
    24 of 50
  • A man watches buffalos cross a river as they head to another grazing area in Nanchong, China, on Aug. 10, 2016.
    China Daily/Reuters
    25 of 50
  • Larry, The Downing Street Cat, stands outside N10 Downing Street in London, on June 24, 2016.
    Facundo Arrizabalaga—EPA
    26 of 50
  • A diver dressed in a monkey costume featuring animal signs from the Chinese zodiac calendar, performs with sardines, in conjunction with Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations at an aquarium in Seoul, South Korea, on Jan. 12, 2016.
    Kim Hong-Ji—Reuters
    27 of 50
  • Azalea, a 19-year-old female chimpanzee whose Korean name is "Dallae," smokes a cigarette at the Central Zoo in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Oct. 19, 2016.
    Wong Maye-E—AP
    28 of 50
  • Musher Justin Savidis' dogs wait in a truck before the restart of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Willow, Alaska, on March 6, 2016.
    Nathaniel Wilder—Reuters
    29 of 50
  • A female baby polar bear is fed by her mother in Bremerhaven, Germany, on March 9, 2016.
    Carmen Jaspersen—AFP/Getty Images
    30 of 50
  • A worker feeds a crocodile named Shaquille at an enclosure at the Malabon Zoo in Manila, Philippines, on March 3, 2016.
    Noel Celis—AFP/Getty Images
    31 of 50
  • Sheep take part in the "Lamb National" race during the Prince's Countryside Fund Raceday at Ascot Racecourse in Ascot, England, on April 3, 2016.
    Max Mumby—Getty Images
    32 of 50
  • A tiger yawns next to a piglet at the Sriracha Tiger Zoo, in Chonburi province, Thailand, on June 7, 2016.
    Chaiwat Subprasom—Reuters
    33 of 50
  • A poodle is groomed by its owner on the first day of Crufts Dog Show in Birmingham, England, on March 10, 2016.
    Ben Pruchnie—Getty Images
    34 of 50
  • Jason Wurtz of Van Nuys, Calif., holds his dog Sweepee Rambo after winning the 2016 World's Ugliest Dog contest at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma, Calif., on June 24, 2016.
    Justin Sullivan—Getty Images
    35 of 50
  • A baby giraffe of Niger named Kenai, right, born on Aug. 25, 2016, kisses his mother Dioni at the zoo of La Fleche, France, on Aug. 31, 2016.
    Jean-Francois Monier—AFP/Getty Images
    36 of 50
  • Pierre Thivillon, right, director of the zoological park of Saint-Martin-La-Plaine and his wife Eliane look at Digit, an 18-year-old female gorilla in Saint-Martin-La-Plaine, France, on Aug. 19, 2016.
    Phillipe Desmazes—AFP/Getty Images
    37 of 50
  • A wildebeest herd is pictured during the annual wildebeest migration on the Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, on Sept. 13, 2016.
    Carl de Souza—AFP/Getty Images
    38 of 50
  • An arctic weasel runs on the snowy beach of Unstad, Lofoten Island, in the Arctic Circle, on March 8, 2016.
    Olivier Morin—AFP/Getty Images
    39 of 50
  • Cloned dogs in a glass-fronted pen at a care room of the Sooam Biotech Research Foundation, a world leader in pet cloning, in Seoul, on June 29, 2016.
    Jung Yeon-Je—AFP/Getty Images
    40 of 50
  • A specimen of the newly-discovered Australian Peacock spider, Maratus Bubo, shows off its colorful abdomen in Australia, on June 6, 2016.
    Reuters
    41 of 50
  • Soldiers of the Chinese People's Liberation Army salute as they perform with their dogs before a dog training competition, in Heihe, China, on Aug. 16, 2016.
    Reuters
    42 of 50
  • An owner takes a picture of her dog as it climbs up on a glass panel while swimming at a pool for dogs in Chengdu, China, on Aug. 16, 2016.
    Reuters
    43 of 50
  • Bjorn, aged 5, smiles as he poses with owl butterflies during an event to launch the Sensational Butterflies exhibition at the Natural History Museum in London, on March 23, 2016.
    Dylan Martinez—Reuters
    44 of 50
  • A group of Indian Runner ducks march past farm buildings at the Vergenoegd wine estate near Cape Town, South Africa, on May 11, 2016.
    Mike Hutchings—Reuters
    45 of 50
  • An Iberian lynx named Mistral jumps in a field after being released by Portugal's Minister of Environment Joao Matos Fernandes and others in the Mount Milhouro region in Mertola, Portugal, on May 13, 2016.
    Nuno Veiga—EPA
    46 of 50
  • A stray dog stands among outboard motors that were used by refugees and migrants to reach the Greek northern island of Lesbos, in Mytilene, on Feb. 23, 2016.
    Aris Messinis—AFP/Getty Images
    47 of 50
  • Villagers gather to watch two sheep fighting in a sheep competition during a temple fair at Lihejing Village in Hua County, China, on March 22, 2016.
    VCG/Getty Images
    48 of 50
  • A little girl takes a picture of a lion in the zoo in Frankfurt, Germany, on Sept. 13, 2016.
    Michael Probst—AP
    49 of 50
  • A man, whose house is covered with snow tries to clear the path in front of his barn in Van, Turkey, on Jan. 21, 2016.
    Ozkan Bilgin—Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
    50 of 50
By TIME Photo , Kenneth Bachor and Bianca Silva

In a year that proved to be more eventful than anticipated, the world of animals provided a sense of comfort. Their cuteness and capacity to entertain by acting out in unexpected, affectionate ways or by mimicking human gestures remain understated.

Whether they’re winged or furry, big or small, a few critters made the headlines such as a giant panda cub adorably falling off the stage in China or a penguin of merit inspecting the guards of honor in Scotland. Heartbreaking photographs of starving dogs at a shelter in Venezuela and workers rescuing their pigs from a massive flood in China to the head-scratching 19-year old chimpanzee smoking a cigarette also made waves.

TIME presents a collection of standout images from the animal kingdom shot and shared over the past 12 months.

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