The most famous animals that went down in history. The most famous animals in history Soulful Laika Kamchatka

We all love exciting stories about pioneers and discoverers - people who were the first to do what humanity could only dream of before. However, not all discoverers are human. Among our younger brothers there are also many pioneers. Here are just a few animals that were able to leave a significant mark on history.

Dolly the Sheep

This furry animal proved to the whole world that cloning is a very real achievement of science. In 1996, Dolly was born in a completely traditional way. What was a unique breakthrough in the field of science and genetics was its “conception.” The fact is that Dolly was actually an exact genetic copy of the donor sheep, which had already died at the time of the experiment, and the cells containing the genetic material were frozen in liquid nitrogen.

The cloning technique used to create Dolly involved transplanting the nucleus of an adult somatic cell into the cytoplasm of an egg devoid of the donor's genetic material. That is, Dolly has only one “parent”. Dolly died at the age of six from a lung disease, but her birth proved the feasibility of cloning large warm-blooded mammals.

Dove Cher Ami

This homing pigeon managed to save the lives of hundreds of American soldiers during the First World War. She was one of several carrier pigeons for an infantry signal battalion that found itself cut off from the main army in 1918.

The first message sent by the soldiers who found themselves surrounded contained a set of inaccurate coordinates, and because of this oversight, not only enemy artillerymen, but also their own artillery began to shoot at them.

Two pigeons sent with precise coordinates were shot down by the Germans. The soldiers only had Sher Ami left. Dove broke through the German fire, despite being wounded several times, and managed to save the lives of the soldiers.

Chimpanzee David

Until 1960, scientists assumed that only humans were intelligent enough to create and use tools in everyday life. However, in November 1960, Jane Goodall noticed a chimpanzee named David using a long blade of grass to catch termites. After David stopped being afraid of being watched, Goodall noticed that the chimpanzee regularly used various tools to make it easier for him to get food.

Lioness Elsa

The amazing story of this lioness marked the beginning of an active social movement for the protection of wildlife.

In 1956, a Kenyan couple adopted a tiny lion cub, whom they named Elsa. The couple raised the lioness and taught her to hunt on her own and survive in the wild. Eventually the couple had to release the young lioness into the wild, and to everyone's surprise, she managed to survive.

In 1960, a documentary book about Elsa was published, and six years later a film was made that won the hearts of critics and viewers.

Dog Balto

In 1925, the town of Nome, located on the far western coast of Alaska, was facing a terrible diphtheria epidemic. Only a medicine developed in Seattle could save the city. Unfortunately, during a severe snowstorm, the medicine could not be delivered to the city by plane, and there were no trains to Noum. Officials developed a complex plan, according to which the serum would be transported to the city by several dog sleds. The last and most difficult part of the journey was carried out by a team led by a Siberian husky named Balto. Balto led the team in the dark, late night, through a terrible snowstorm, and he managed to deliver the serum in the morning. Thus, Balto saved the lives of many residents of the northern city. He even has a monument, not to mention a popular cartoon.

Horse Jim Key

At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries in America, the show of Handsome Jim Key and his owner and trainer Dr. William Key was especially popular. All newspapers wrote about the unique horse and thousands of people in every city came running to see it. Not bad for a draft horse and a former slave, right?

William Key's humane training methods resulted in his horse "learning" to read, write, count, add, tell time, use the telephone, mail and cash register. During his entire tour of the states, several million people looked at the miracle horse.

During a time of strict segregation, when whites and blacks rarely appeared in the same places, Handsome Jim Key's show brought Americans together to get a glimpse of a unique animal.

Even President William McKinley was amazed by what he saw when he saw the performance in Tennessee. He stated that the Handsome Jim Key show was the most interesting and amazing spectacle he had ever seen.

Snowball the Cat

This cat helped the police solve a murder. In 1994, the small island of Prince Edward off the coast of Canada was rocked by the brutal murder of a 32-year-old woman. Her ex-husband was suspected of the murder, since the man had a harmful character and a tendency towards domestic violence. However, the police did not have enough evidence to charge the man.

The murder remained unsolved until a bag of bloody clothes was found in the forest, on which, in addition to the blood of the murdered woman, there were also hairs of a white cat. It turned out that the ex-husband of the murdered woman had a snow-white cat named Snowball. By that time, science was already quite developed and a forensic specialist was able to extract enough DNA from the hairs and prove that it belonged to Snowball.

Thus, Snowball was the first cat whose DNA helped solve the crime.

Sheep Montosiel

The name of this sheep is translated from French as “climb to the sky” and it’s not surprising! She was the first animal balloonist in history. Long before Belka and Strelka went into space, and even before the Wright brothers made their first flight, Montosiel was sent into the sky in a hot air balloon in the company of a duck and a rooster. The experts wanted to check whether the balloon could withstand a person, and were sure that if the sheep survived the flight, then a person could easily cope with it.

After the animals landed without any major injuries, except for the rooster that Montosiel kicked before taking off, the now world-famous Montgolfier brothers took off in a hot air balloon.

These animals are real heroes, screen stars, media personalities. They contributed to science, helped man, saved kings and were truly loyal friends.

20. Cat Dorotheus. The most media cat

Russia learned about Dmitry Medvedev's cat Dorofey in 2012, when all the media began writing about the fact that he allegedly disappeared. This information was refuted by Medvedev himself on Twitter, but we all learned that there really is a cat and he is a “Neva Masquerade” breed with a blue-tabby-point color. The press also wrote about the fight between Dorofey and Mikhail Gorbachev’s cat. In general, Dorofey is quite a media cat.

The most famous tiger of Soviet cinema and the favorite of the famous trainer Margarita Nazarova, who played the role of the brave barmaid Marianna in the film “Striped Flight”. Pursh was practically a domestic tiger. So, he met the year 1963 with his hostess in the restaurant of the Astoria Hotel, ate five kilos of beef, scrambled eggs from twenty eggs, washed down with two liters of milk and lay down with his paws up to rest.
Nazarova experienced the death of Pursh in 1964 very hard.

18. Young, beautiful Zemira

Catherine II loved her Italian Greyhounds very much. From the empress's letters to Friedrich Grimm, one can even trace their family tree. The most famous Italian greyhound was “young, beautiful Zemira,” named after the heroine of the opera “Zemira and Azor.” Let us note, by the way, that the name Azor has become a popular dog name in Russia.
After Zemira's death, the French ambassador Segur wrote an epitaph, which was carved on a stone installed in the Tsarskoye Selo garden. “The Great Queen’s favorite dogs” (Sir Tom Anderson, Duchess and Zemira) were buried at the Pyramid in Catherine Park.

17. Tiger with GPS

The tiger Kuzya became a media animal after he was released into the wild with two of his brothers in May 2014. A month later, two more young tigers joined them. The following became cousins: Ustin, Borya, Svetlaya and Ilona. Experts monitored the movements of the tigers using GPS collars.

Kuzya became famous for swimming across the Amur River with Ustin and visiting China, after which he returned home to Russia. Ustin settled in the Rostov Zoo. Kuzya still walks free. The last time he was “spotted” on GPS was in the Jewish Autonomous Region.

16. Stalin's dog

War trophies can be not only steel and deadly. They may also be furry. There is such a term among dog lovers as “Stalin’s dog.” This is what Russian Black Terriers are called. The ancestor of this breed was the Giant Schnauzer Roy, brought from Germany.
According to a legend that spread in the 50s, Stalin himself ordered the creation of a new breed, although the chronology introduces doubts: the Russian Black Terrier appeared in 1954, after the death of the “father of nations.”

15. Dog Arbat by Nikita Khrushchev

According to the recollections of his children, Nikita Khrushchev loved animals. Especially after the end of my political career. Khrushchev's resignation was most touched by his daughter's shepherd dog named Arbat. He began to spend a lot of time with Nikita Sergeevich, and carried him a folding chair during walks.

After the death of Arbat, Khrushchev got himself a mongrel, named her Belka, but she could not replace Arbat - she lacked tact. Khrushchev’s children offered to buy him a purebred dog, but the former secretary general refused: “Mongrels are smarter, more loyal, and more unpretentious. Why do I need a fool with a pedigree?

14. Beloved Lisette of Peter I

Lisette can confidently be called the most famous horse in Russian history. In the Battle of Poltava, she saved the Tsar from death: when Peter found himself alone in front of the Swedes, who opened aimed fire, Lisette turned to the side and saved the rider, only one bullet shattered the pommel of the saddle. Soon after the Battle of Poltava, Lisette received an honorable discharge due to her age.

After her death, Peter ordered a stuffed animal of his beloved horse. Absolutely all the canvases that depict Peter the Horseman show off Lisette. Almost all equestrian statues of Peter the Great also “are based on” the legendary Lisette.

13. Chess genius cat Chess

The Siamese cat Chess was a real talisman for the Russian chess player Alexei Alekhine, a living companion of his chess triumphs. The grandmaster took his favorite all over the world and regularly took it with him to competitions. Chess usually took a seat in the audience, on the lap of his wife or someone from Alekhine's team, and during the final series for the world title with the Dutch chess player Max Euwe, he even checked the chessboard before each game, sniffing it.

12. The most faithful dog Milord

Milord was the favorite hunting dog of Alexander II. Sabaneev wrote that this setter was presented to the sovereign by some Polish gentleman. The dog accompanied the Tsar-Liberator almost everywhere, but one day, when Alexander II went to Paris for the World Exhibition, the Tsar’s entourage convinced him to leave the dog in Russia. The king left, but Milord refused to eat and died of a broken heart.

At the dog cemetery in Tsarskoe Selo, a marble slab “Kindest and sweetest Faithful Milord” appeared. 1860–1867." My Lord's Plate was lost in 1934.

9. Bear Maryam - “real person”

The bear Maryam was raised in the Moscow Zoo and starred in the movie “Tales of a Real Man.” Maryam was transferred to the zoo by border guards, who sheltered her when she was still a bear cub.

Maryam was distinguished by her flexible character and good-natured disposition, which is rare among bears. Vera Chaplin made Maryam the heroine of her story “Maryam and Jack,” included in the collection “Pets of the Zoo.”

10. Wolf Argo - leader

Wolf Argo is the most famous wolf in Russian history. He was one of Vera Chaplina's favorite students. Argo became a real movie hero, starring in several scientific, educational and feature films. For Chaplina, Argo was a true friend, he lived to a ripe old age and, already old, retained dominance in the pack, which marked him as an experienced leader.

9. Soulful Laika Kamchatka

Alexander III's favorite dog, the Kamchatka Laika Kamchatka, was brought to the emperor by the sailors of the cruiser "Africa". She accompanied the emperor everywhere, even spent the night in his bedroom in the Anichkov Palace. But in October 1888, the husky died during a train accident. Remembering Kamchatka, the emperor wrote: “I will never forget this wonderful and only dog! I have tears in my eyes again, I remember about Kamchatka, because this is stupid, cowardly, but what can I do - it’s still so!”

8. Ingus is the most recognizable dog

Ingus can be called the most recognizable dog of the Soviet Union. He was depicted on a pack of cigarettes and “Friend” cigarettes (remember the scene from “Beware of the Car” where Smoktunovsky’s hero buys them?).
Ingus is a heroic dog. Together with border guard Nikita Karatsupa, he detained 338 violators. Interestingly, Ingus was originally a Hindu. It was renamed after establishing friendly relations with India in the mid-1950s.
When Ingus died, Nikita Fedorovich buried him, indicated his date of birth, but did not indicate the date of death. “Ingus did not die for me, he remained in my heart forever,” said the border guard.

7. Betty the Elephant of Difficult Fate

In the memory of pre-war children, Betty remained a funny circus elephant, capable of entertaining visitors with various outlandish tricks...
She survived the revolution and the Civil War, but died in the very first days of the German blockade.
Journalist Vadim Brusyanin, who survived the blockade, recalled: “The tragedy was the completely bombed house number 119 on Staronevsky - the boys and I ran to look at it, and the second misfortune was that the elephant enclosure collapsed, and a mortally wounded elephant, who found herself under the rubble, trumpeted terribly for almost three days. Eyewitnesses recalled that photographs taken later showed black furrows under her eyes, made by tears.”

6. Pavlov's dog - the heroine of science

The image of Pavlov’s dog is a collective one – the Russian scientist and Nobel Prize winner had many experimental pets, not all of them survived the experiments. But, in fairness, it should be noted that the scientist tried to alleviate the suffering of animals as much as possible; many of the academician’s dogs died a natural death, having lived a calm old age. Nevertheless, continuing to feel guilty, at the end of his life, Pavlov insisted on erecting a monument to the Dog - man’s faithful friend.

5. Chizhik-Pyzhik - bird-song

Chizhik-Pyzhik is the most famous Russian “bird”. Children all over Russia know the song:

Chizhik-fawn, where have you been?
I drank vodka on the Fontanka.
I drank a glass, drank two -
My head was spinning.

It is interesting that, although according to St. Petersburg legend, students of the school of law were called “siskin-fawns,” a variation of the famous song was written by Pushkin’s contemporary Izmailov in correspondence 10 years before the opening of this school.

4. The most famous Labrador. Connie

Labrador Connie Polgrave is the country's most famous dog - the purebred Labrador of Russian President Vladimir Putin. She was purchased by the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations through the Russian Retriever Club.
Vladimir Putin said that Connie’s favorite dish is porridge with meat, which she eats 2-3 times a day, and did not recommend giving her treats from the staol. However, one day, despite the prohibitions, Connie, behind the scenes of an official event, ate a treat intended for Boris Gryzlov and Yuri Luzhkov

3. Hero Julbars

At the historical parade of 1945, along with other branches of the military, units of military dog breeders marched. The country's chief dog handler, Alexander Mazorev, walked ahead. He was allowed not to take a step or salute - he was carrying in his arms another war hero - a soldier of the 14th assault engineer brigade - a dog named Dzhulbars.

The dog was wrapped in Stalin's overcoat. This was the order of the Commander-in-Chief. Dzhulbas was an ordinary mongrel, but, thanks to his innate instinct, he quickly became an ace in the mine-hunting service, during which he discovered 468 mines and more than 150 shells. This saved not only human lives, but also priceless architectural monuments - St. Vladimir's Cathedral in Kyiv, Palaces over the Danube, Prague castles, Vienna cathedrals.

2. Belka and Strelka - favorites of the world

Belka and Strelka are the first “cosmonauts” to return to Earth after a space flight. They became everyone's favorites, they were taken to kindergartens, schools and orphanages.
When the dogs returned from space, an international conference was held at TASS, Belka and Strelka were the heroines at it. A few months after the flight, Strelka gave birth to offspring. Nikita Khrushchev gave one puppy, Pushinka, to Jacqueline Kennedy.

1. Lonely Laika

Laika is the world's first astronaut. Her flight proved that a living creature can survive launch into orbit and the state of weightlessness, which means that the entire Universe is accessible to man. Unfortunately, the dog's fate was predetermined even before the launch. Sputnik 2 was not equipped enough to return to Earth. But Laika had everything to survive in outer space for at least a week. The experiment was not completely successful. “The loneliest, most unfortunate dog in the world,” as the Western media called it, died four hours after launch from stress and overheating due to a failure of the thermal regulation system.

Octopus Paul

The octopus became famous for its supposed ability to predict the outcome of matches involving the German football team. He first showed his “abilities” before the match between Germany and Argentina in 2010. Then it was an action to save the animal: environmentalists demanded that it be released from the zoo into the wild. However, after the successful debut, the octopus began to be asked about the outcomes of matches more and more often.

To get a prediction, two feeders were lowered into the large aquarium where the octopus lived: with the flag of Germany and its opponent in the upcoming match. It was believed that the winner would be the one whose flag was opened by Paul first.

Scientists suspected Paul the octopus of quackery

At the same time, scientists were not interested in the octopus, since experiments with it cannot be considered scientific, and it is unknown whether the octopus chose the feeder randomly or at the prompting of trainers, who could, for example, put more tasty food in one of the boxes.

Chimpanzee Ham

Ham was the first hominid in space. Named after Holloman Aerospace Medical Center, Ham was one of six monkeys trained to pull levers in response to flashing lights while the spacecraft was in flight.

Ham was selected by NASA and launched into space in the Mercury capsule; he made his short journey on January 31, 1961 - he managed to cover 250 km in 16.5 minutes.

Ham the chimpanzee was the first hominid in space

The flight had to be aborted due to oxygen problems, but Ham recovered within three hours of the end of the journey - he even ate an apple and half an orange immediately after leaving the capsule. Ham then lived for more than 17 years at the National Zoo in Washington.

Lioness Elsa

The lioness came to public attention after the publication of naturalist Joy Adamson's book Born Free. Elsa was left without a mother - she was shot by the huntsman, Adamson's husband. Then the couple decided to adopt the lion cub.

Punxsutawney Phil the Groundhog

The world's most famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, also known by his full name Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages and Greatest Weather Forecaster, has traditionally predicted the weather every year on February 2, Groundhog Day, since 1886. Surprisingly, some people believe that the same groundhog is still doing this to this day. However, it is obvious that this is impossible - these animals live on average only ten years.

The groundhog has been used to predict the weather since 1886

The groundhog is looked after by a mysterious group of people called the "Inner Circle", and at the beginning of the prediction ceremony they bring the groundhog a top hat and tuxedo. Weather forecasting using a groundhog comes from a German superstition: if a groundhog emerges from its hole on February 2nd and sees its shadow, winter will last another six weeks.

Horse Morocco

The Dancing Horse of Morocco was so famous in 1591 in the United Kingdom that it was immortalized by Shakespeare in Love's Labour's Lost, in which the playwright referenced the dancing horse. The horse could do many things, including counting coins by stomping its hooves, dancing on two or four legs, and bowing to the queen when needed. The horse was also believed to be psychic because it moved its legs in a special way in response to certain questions.

Laika dog

A young stray dog named Laika, a stray from the streets of Moscow, was destined to become the first astronaut dog. Unfortunately, Sputnik 2, in which Laika was sent into orbit, did not pass all the necessary tests, since Nikita Khrushchev wanted to launch the satellite on the day of the 40th anniversary of the October Revolution - November 7, 1957.

According to the official version, Laika died from lack of oxygen six days after the start of the journey, but in 2002 it became known that the poor thing lasted only six or seven hours, after which she died from overheating and stress, but a monument to the little dog was erected in Star City.

Belka and Strelka

This couple was luckier than Laika. Their flight took place on the Sputnik 5 spacecraft and ended safely for the animals. The launch took place on August 19, 1960, the flight lasted more than 25 hours, during which time the ship made 17 complete orbits around the Earth.

The main goal of the experiment to launch the second spacecraft-satellite, called Sputnik-5 (the fifth spacecraft of the Sputnik series), was to study the influence of space flight factors on the body of animals and other biological objects (overload, long-term weightlessness, transition from overload to weightlessness and vice versa), studying the effect of cosmic radiation on animal and plant organisms, on the state of their vital activity and heredity, developing systems that ensure human life, flight safety and safe return to Earth. Several biomedical experiments and scientific research into outer space were also carried out.

Bucephalus

Without his faithful horse Bucephalus, Alexander the Great probably would not have received the honorary nickname “The Great”: the famous horse played an important role in his life. The life of Bucephalus is shrouded in legends and speculation, but historians agree that this horse really existed.

According to legend, the first meeting of Alexander and Busheval took place when the future famous commander was 10 years old. His father, King Philip, was offered to purchase Bucephalus for 13 talents (about 340 kg of silver - fabulous money at that time). But since no one was able to pacify the wild temper of the animal, the king was thinking of abandoning the deal.

Alexander intervened and declared that if he failed to bridle the horse, he would pay for it himself. Alexander noticed that Bucephalus was afraid of his own shadow and, bucking, threw off all the riders. Jumping into the saddle, Alexander forced the horse to turn its head towards the sun so that he could not see the shadows - only then was the animal finally able to calm down.

The cause of death of the horse Bucephalus is unknown

There are different assumptions regarding the death of the legendary horse: some historians write that he died in battle, while others believe that the cause of death was old age.

Dolly

This sheep was destined to change history: born on July 5, 1996, as a result of an experiment by Ian Wilmut and Keith Campbell, Dolly became the world's first successfully cloned mammal.

Dolly's birth ended the debate about whether cloning complex living beings was even possible, and the technology used in her conception was subsequently widely used to clone mice, dogs, cats and even horses. Thus, Dolly gave a powerful impetus to the development of medicine and biology, determining their development for many years to come.

Dolly the Sheep Becomes the World's First Cloned Mammal

The sheep lived for 6.5 years, and all this time the attention of the entire world community was riveted on it: in the newspaper headlines of that time, its name appeared almost more often than the names of music and cinema stars. In 2003, Dolly was euthanized and her stuffed animal is on display at the Royal Scottish Museum.

Chimpanzee Bubbles

The chimpanzee was born in a medical laboratory and for some time served as a scientific experimental animal, but thanks to a happy accident, Michael Jackson learned about him, who bought the animal, and for several years they practically did not part.

The primate took an active part in Jackson’s concerts, accompanied him to parties and was, according to Michael, one of his few true friends. The singer even intended to transplant human ligaments into the chimpanzee so that he could speak, but he was dissuaded from the idea by scientists who believed that Bubbles would not survive the operation.

Bubbles the chimpanzee was Michael Jackson's best friend

When Bubbles grew up and became too aggressive, Michael sent him to the Ape Center in Florida, but called the ape regularly so he could hear his voice. After Jackson's death, his chimpanzee was in the public spotlight for some time, but gradually interest in him subsided. Now Bubbles still lives in Florida and, according to the Center’s staff, really misses his “star” friend.

Famous people are always visible and heard. Even after death, millions of people remember them. They are admired, they try to imitate them, they even completely copy their life and behavior. Animals are assigned a more modest role, although some of our smaller brothers were no less famous in their time. Let's remember those who were once admired by all of humanity. They also deserve a keepsake, even though they are not human.

Belka and Strelka

Belka and Strelka - Soviet cosmonaut dogs - the first animals to make an orbital space flight on the Sputnik 5 spacecraft and return to Earth unharmed. The launch took place on August 19, 1960, the flight lasted more than 25 hours, during which the ship made 17 complete orbits around the Earth.
The main goal of the experiment to launch the second spacecraft-satellite, called Sputnik-5 (the fifth spacecraft of the Sputnik series), was to study the influence of space flight factors on the body of animals and other biological objects (overload, long-term weightlessness, transition from overload to weightlessness and vice versa), studying the effect of cosmic radiation on animal and plant organisms, on the state of their vital activity and heredity, developing systems that ensure human life, flight safety and safe return to Earth. Several biomedical experiments and scientific research into outer space were also carried out.

Belka and Strelka were stand-ins for the dogs Chaika and Lisichka, who died in the crash of the same ship during an unsuccessful launch on July 28, 1960. At the 19th second of flight, the side block of the first stage of the launch vehicle collapsed, causing it to fall and explode.

Lev King

In the 70s of the last century, almost all residents of the Land of the Soviets knew Lev King. Newspapers wrote about him and films were made. Lev King was a domestic animal - he lived in the family of the Baku architect Berberov, who became famous throughout the country for his apartment menagerie. Unfortunately, this story has a sad ending. A wild animal will always remain wild, even if it is raised in a house...

In a tragic misunderstanding, King was killed while trying to play with an onlooker who was teasing him. The guy made faces at the animal, which was perceived as a call to play. Shot by a passing policeman, despite the fact that the onlooker was not injured.

Python Fluffy

Sad news came from the zoo in the American city of Columbus - the world's longest snake living in captivity has died, NewsOne TV channel reports.

Fluffy was the name of the reticulated python, which was included in the Guinness Book of Records due to its length and weight - 7.5 meters and about 135 kg.

Fluffy was 18 years old. Veterinarians from Ohio State University performed an autopsy and determined the cause of death to be a tumor.

From the very first days of moving to the Columbus Zoo in 2007, the python Fluffy attracted a huge number of visitors. People came to see the giant not only from all over America, but also from other countries.

Note that in nature, reticulated pythons can reach 10 meters in length. The previous record belonged to the female reticulated python Samantha, who was 20 cm longer than Fluffy. Samantha died in 2002. In captivity, reticulated pythons can live up to 21 years.

Chimpanzee Ham

Ham the chimpanzee was the first hominid in space and, fortunately, his story is happier than that of the first astronaut dog, which we will talk about a little later. Named after Holloman Aerospace Medical Center, Ham was one of six monkeys trained to pull levers in response to flashing lights while the spacecraft was in flight.

Ham was selected by NASA and launched into space in the Mercury capsule; he made his short journey on January 31, 1961 - he managed to cover 250 km in 16.5 minutes. The flight had to be aborted due to oxygen problems, but Ham recovered within three hours of the end of the journey - he even ate an apple and half an orange immediately after leaving the capsule. Ham then lived for more than 17 years at the National Zoo in Washington.

Hubert the Hippopotamus

Huberta was one of the most famous hippopotamuses in South African history. Huberta lived near the water source of St. Lucia Estuary in Zululand, but in November 1928 she decided to make the impossible journey of 1,600 kilometers to the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. This journey took her three years. The hippopotamus attracted the attention of a large number of people. She was pursued by curious journalists and became incredibly popular. Huberta was not timid. She crossed roads, railway lines and even looked into cities. She fed in parks, farm gardens and even grazed on golf courses.

During her journey, Huberta unexpectedly stopped at the mouth of the Mhlanga River for several weeks, apparently because she liked these places. People warmly welcomed the hippopotamus and treated her to fruits, sweets and other delicacies. Since Huberta became incredibly popular, they wanted to catch her and place her in the Johannesburg Zoo, but she turned out to be elusive, so this idea was discarded. Huberta nevertheless continued south to Durban, where she visited the beach and the local country club. Due to her fame, the local council banned hunters from catching or killing Huberta.

In March 1931, Huberta arrived in East London, South Africa. On her way, she swam across 122 rivers. A month after her arrival, she was shot by a group of hunters, despite the prohibitions. These people were caught and arrested and forced to pay a fine of 25 pounds. Huberta's body was sent to London to be stuffed. In 1933, a stuffed figure of Huberta was brought to South Africa. People were so shocked by the event that about 20 thousand people greeted the body. The effigy was placed in the Amahole Museum in King Williams Town, where it remains to this day, so everyone can come there and learn about Huberta's amazing story.

Elephant Lin Wang

“Grandfather Lin,” as he is also called, is perhaps the most famous elephant in human history. During the Sino-Japanese War, which then became part of World War II, Lin Wang “fought” for some time on the side of the Japanese invaders who invaded Burma: the elephant transported cargo and carried artillery pieces. In 1943, he, along with 12 other elephants, was captured by the Chinese Expeditionary Force and continued to serve there as a draft and “cargo” animal. There he was awarded the name A-Mei (translated from Chinese as “Beautiful”).

After the end of the war, Wang and his corps arrived in China, where he remained for the rest of his life. In 1952, the “veteran” was retired, and he became one of the main attractions of the Taipei Zoo. The zoo director felt that A-Mei's name was too feminine and renamed him Lin Wang. For many years, the elephant became a real favorite of the townspeople and their children, and after his death in 2003, he was even awarded the title of honorary citizen of the city.

By the way, according to the Guinness Book of Records, Lin Wang, who died at the age of 86, was the oldest elephant to ever live.

Dog Balto

The Siberian Husky Balto was at one time probably the most famous dog in the United States - his outstanding tenacity and scent made him a true national hero.

In 1925, a diphtheria epidemic broke out in the village of Nome, Alaska. Delivery of the medicinal serum by plane was impossible due to the onset of a storm, and the only transport capable of covering 1085 km in conditions of almost zero visibility and piercing icy winds was sled dog sleds.

On the last, most difficult section of the route, about 83 km long, the vital cargo was carried by a team led by Balto. The dogs almost died while crossing the river, overturned the sledges, almost losing a box of ampoules, and more than once risked going astray, but thanks to Balto’s instincts and tenacity, the medicine was delivered safe and sound.

The epidemic was stopped in five days, and Balto and the other dogs of the team became famous overnight. Less than a year has passed since a monument to Balto was erected in Central Park in New York, with words carved on it that could well be the animal’s motto: “Endurance, devotion, intelligence.”

Killer whale Keiko

There are probably few animals in the world who have become movie stars, and there have never been any like the male killer whale Keiko. Keiko played one of the main roles in the film Free Willy and its sequels. The film epic, which tells the story of the friendship between a boy and a killer whale, was so loved by the audience that they transferred huge sums for the maintenance and treatment of Keiko (during the filming of the film he suffered from a serious skin disease).

After the release of the film, Keiko, as they say, woke up famous: it turned out that thousands of people were concerned about his fate, who even organized a special fund to raise funds for the needs of the seriously ill “artist.” Two more films with his participation were released, after which Keiko was placed in the Newport Aquarium (Oregon). After a couple of years of intensive medical procedures, the orca returned to her homeland of Iceland, where she was being prepared for release.

Some doubted the advisability of such a step, believing that the animal would not be able to adapt to the conditions of the wild again, and, unfortunately, the skeptics were right. In 2002, Keiko was released into the wild, and, after swimming about 1,400 km, he settled in the Taknes fjord on the west coast of Norway, but in 2003, the famous “actor” died of pneumonia.

Dolly the Sheep

This sheep was destined to change history: born on July 5, 1996, as a result of an experiment by Ian Wilmut and Keith Campbell, Dolly became the world's first successfully cloned mammal.

Mongoose Mr Magoo

On November 15, 1962, a snake hunter, a mongoose named Mr. Magoo, was taken from the Duluth Zoo by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and was sentenced to death or deportation to his homeland of India. The story caused a national scandal. A foreign sailor turned him in to the zoo, but the Service decided that mongooses had no place in the United States.

Ultimately, Mister Magic was given a reprieve. Over one weekend, thousands of people visited the unlucky predator, and many wrote to the authorities, saying that they needed to get rid of the beast: the mongoose could escape and live in a region where it has no natural enemies. In the end, they decided not to kill the mongoose, and he lived the rest of his life in the zoo, eating bird eggs. The mongoose died in 1968.

Octopus Paul

Paul the Octopus can easily be called the most popular character of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. This mollusk became famous for very accurately guessing the results of matches - approximately 80% of his “predictions” were correct, football analysts and bookmakers can only dream of such indicators. Paul, who lives at the Sealife aquarium in Oberhausen, Germany, makes predictions by choosing one of two feeders with the flags of the opposing teams' countries.

Paul became a real mascot and symbol of the 2010 World Cup. Vocalist of the American pop-punk band Nerf Herder Parry Gripp dedicated a song to Paul. It's called "Paul the Octopus" and the chorus is "Paul the Octopus, we love you." Within a few days, the clip was viewed by about 250 thousand people.

Paul also has his own Facebook page; in mid-July 2010, more than 5 thousand octopus fans registered on it. Several large betting companies offer a lot of money for the shellfish. Even the President of the National Association of Bookmakers of Russia sent a request to purchase Paul. You can understand the bookmakers: if Paul could place bets, he could earn a million euros at the German games in South Africa.

Many people love animals, but some animals were loved so much by their owners or did such extraordinary things that they are remembered fondly long after their death. Here is a selection of the ten most famous animals in history.

1. Chimpanzee Ham

2. Lioness Elsa

Elsa the lioness came to public attention after the publication of naturalist Joy Adamson's book Born Free. The little lion cub's life was hard: his mother was killed by a huntsman, and Joy's husband, George, because she attacked him. Fortunately, George took Elsa and the other lion cubs, her brothers and sisters, with him, and went out to send them to zoos.

The young lioness Elsa lived with the Joy family as a pet, but people gradually prepared her to return to her natural habitat. Elsa gave birth to three lion cubs, who fully adapted to life in the wild, but Elsa herself, unfortunately, died at the age of five from a tick-borne disease. George Adamson and his assistants buried Elsa and staged a farewell fireworks display at her grave - 20 gun salvos.

3. Jonathan the Turtle

Jonathan the turtle is at least 179 years old and is the oldest known animal in the world. This is difficult to verify, but there is photographic evidence: the photo was taken during the Boer War in 1900 on the island of St. Helena, where Jonathan still lives. He was at least 50 years old at the time, and possibly as old as 70, so the turtle is now at least 179 years old.

Jonathan enjoys life in the company of five female turtles, and although he is blind in one eye, age does not seem to be a hindrance for him: he loves attention and is still aggressive enough to protect his younger wives from sexy harassment of other males.

4. Mongoose Mr. Magoo

5. Punxsutawney Phil the Groundhog

The world's most famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, also known by his full name Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages and Greatest Weather Forecaster, has traditionally predicted the weather every year on February 2, Groundhog Day, since 1886. Surprisingly, some people believe that the same groundhog is still doing this to this day. Since these animals live on average only ten years, a groundhog would have to take regular doses of the elixir of life to live for more than a century.

The groundhog is looked after by a mysterious group of people called the "Inner Circle", and at the beginning of the prediction ceremony they bring the groundhog a top hat and tuxedo. Weather forecasting by the groundhog probably comes from a German superstition: if a groundhog emerges from its burrow on February 2nd and sees its shadow, winter will last another six weeks.

6. Sam the Cat

Unsinkable Sam was a wonderful cat who survived three shipwrecks during World War II. The first sinking ship from which Sam (at that time his name was Oscar) managed to escape was the Bismarck, sunk during a naval battle on May 27, 1941. Sam survived, although 2,000 crew members died.

Then the cat ended up on the British battleship Cossack, which was hit by a torpedo and exploded that same year. All 159 crew members died, but the cat survived, swam across Gibraltar and crawled ashore. The cat received the name Unsinkable Sam (fortunately, for cats it doesn’t matter what their names are) and went to the ship Ark Royal, which was also eventually hit by a torpedo, but all the crew members except one were saved. Sam was found “angry but safe,” drifting in the middle of the ocean on a piece of wood. Fortunately, after this the cat was no longer taken on ships, and he lived to old age in a sailor's house in Belfast, where he died of natural causes in 1955.

7. Dove Cher Ami

The US Army owes a lot to the carrier pigeon Cher Ami, who did a lot for the war effort in France during the First World War. During bloody battles, British troops kept carrier pigeons to exchange important information - there were 600 of these birds in total, and Cher Ami was one of them. It delivered 12 important messages over several months in 1918, and made its last flight on the afternoon of October 4, 1918, during the Battle of Argonne.

The corps of troops was under fire and Major Whittlesey sent Cher Ami with a small note tied to his paw. Seriously wounded in the chest, blind in one eye and with one leg shot off, the bird managed to fly to its destination and thereby save the lives of 200 people. After this flight, the pigeon was cured and even given a wooden prosthesis to replace the lost paw, but he died less than a year later.

8. Horse of Morocco

This skill, however, nearly cost the horse and its owner, William Banks, their lives when they were accused of witchcraft, found guilty, and sentenced to death. But, apparently, the judge changed his mind when the horse knelt before him, asking for the life of its owner, and pardoned both. Little is known about their future lives, but, apparently, they lived comfortably on the income received from previous performances.

9. Jumbo the Elephant

Jumbo was born in 1861. While still a baby elephant, he was taken from French Sudan to the Paris Zoo, and at four years old he was transported from there to the London Zoo. When he became grumpy and uncontrollable, Jumbo was sold to R. T. Barnum's circus for $10,000, to the horror of the British public. Queen Victoria received more than 100 thousand letters asking her to be involved in the incident. But the elephant seemed quite happy at Barnum's circus until he died from a horrific injury sustained in a train explosion three years later.

10. Laika the dog

A young stray dog named Laika, a stray from the streets of Moscow, was destined to become the first astronaut dog. Unfortunately, Sputnik 2, in which Laika was sent into orbit, did not pass all the necessary tests, since USSR President Nikita Khrushchev wanted to launch the satellite on the day of the 40th anniversary of the October Revolution - November 7, 1957.