The Best Animal Photos of 2012 - Wonderful!

2012 saw some amazing moments for animals around the world, and so this series, featuring the most astounding animal photos of 2012, is just a truly awesome collection of stories and moments that you simply cannot afford to miss!

 The orphaned gorilla and his warden 

The deer escaping a wild fire  

A deer jumps through a fence along U.S. Highway 24 while escaping the Waldo Canyon Fire in June. 

The 10-day-old elephant in Sumatra 

A ranger inspects a 10-day-old baby elephant at Sarah Deu conservation response unit in Indonesia. There are fewer than 3,000 Sumatran elephants remaining in the wild, a 50% drop since 1985. 

The cat cafe kiss 

An employee kisses Dyushes, a Don Sphynx cat, at the "Cats Republic" art cafe in St. Petersburg, Russia. The cafe has an exhibition area, a library, and a hall where cats live. Visitors can pay $5-10 to play with the cats. 

A woman and her kittens 

Tammy Lance of Payson, Utah, cries after finding kittens alive under a burned-out truck. 

The Shanghai tiger cub 

A tiger cub rests at a nursery room at the Shanghai Zoo in China. 

The dog and the water buffalo

A dog sits on water buffalo that were cooling off in the Ravi River in Lahore, Pakistan.

The goatobomb

In ethnic Uighur man takes a nap on a board as his goat stands next to him in western China

Japanese snow monkeys enjoying a hot spring

Japanese wild monkeys enjoy an open-air hot spring at the Jigokudani Monkey Park in Japan.

The world's first cloned pashmina goat

Noori, a cloned pashmina goat, stands inside a sheep breeding center at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology in India. Scientists at the university successfully cloned the world's first pashmina goat, prized for its fine wool, according to news reports.

These monkeys bathing in a pot

Two monkeys quench their thirst as a third takes a dip on a hot summer afternoon in India.

The cat and the gun

A cat sleeps next a Kalashnikov weapon on a Hamas security check point in Gaza City.

The Shar-Pei and the tiger cub

"Cleopatra" breast-feeds one of two adopted tiger cubs in Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi.

The boy and his pet bear

Ghasiram Kisan feeds Buddu, a 1½-year-old sloth bear at the family’s home in Lakhapada, India. The wild bear, which was rescued by wildlife officials, wandered into the village as a cub following a herd of goats and had lived with the family ever since.

The two luckiest people in the world

Workers show off the baby pandas at the Giant Panda Research Base in Chengdu, China.

The ducks crossing the road

Farmers herd a flock of ducks along a street toward a pond as residents drive next to them in China.

The leopard stuck in the water tank

A wild leopard climbs a net after it fell into a water reservoir tank at a tea estate in Haskhowa, India. The animal was rescued by the Sukna Forest rescue team by lowering a ladder and a net into the tank.

The collie waiting to vote

A bearded collie waits under a table at a polling station while its owner votes in Germany.

The Shark Whisperer

Andre "The Shark Whisperer" Hartman touches the snout of a great white shark near ‘Shark Alley’ which holds the highest concentration of great white sharks in the world.

The sun bear who can't take the heat

A sun bear reacts to triple-digit temperatures at the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Nebraska.

The pig on the street

A 6-month-old pet pig named "Shy" follows his owner as he crosses a street in Mexico City.

The dyed dogs

Dogs that were dyed red upon contact with Rhodamine B extra are seen in Jinan, China. A bag of Rhodamine B extra, which is easily soluble in water and makes the solution red, dropped on a highway and drifted to a nearby village after being crushed by passing vehicles.

The Cativist

A Turkish woman holds her cat in front of a banner during a march for animal rights in Istanbul. Demonsrators gathered against a proposed amendment to a law that authorizes the removal of stray animals, limiting the number of pets in houses, and the termination of what is termed "dangerous" breeds. Activists fear the regulation will lead to mass killing of cats and dogs regardless of whether they are pets or strays.

The whale shark under the boat

A 50-foot-long whale shark dwarfs a 34-foot-long luxury yacht off the coast of the Yucatán peninsula.

This dog wearing a cape

A dog is decked out in in an awesome costume during a protest march against animal abuse.

The three baby bears

Three baby bears shot in Finaland

This terrifying interaction between a diver and an anaconda

A diver gets up close to a huge anaconda resting on a riverbank. Thankfully, its swollen belly shows it had recently eaten a capybara and would have little interest in feeding again for a while.

The orphaned dogs of the Philippines

Pit bulls and other breeds are chained in their steel drum cages at a coffee farm after being rescued from dog fighting gangs in the Philippines.

The polar bear enjoying her birthday snow

For Pike's 30th birthday, the San Francisco Zoo brought in some snow. Her face says it all.

The orangutan being released into the wild after years of captivity

A young male orangutan takes his first steps into the wild after years of being kept as an illegal pet by palm oil plantation workers. The ape was released into the forest by rescuers and carers from Borneo.

The shark and the kayaker

A shark gets dangerously close to a kayaker in Massachusetts.

The world's tallest dog

The world’s tallest dog, Zeus, drinks from the kitchen tap at his home. Standing on his hind legs, Zeus is 7 foot 4 inches tall.

The polar bear cuddling his keeper

Six-month-old polar bear cub Yuan Yuan hugs the leg of his keeper at Penglai Ocean Polar World. According to keepers, Yuan Yuan is like a spoiled child.

The sheep and his new family

Wolfgang Grensens, a shepherd, decided to raise a 6-week-old lamb after his mother passed away. The sheep fits right in.

The tiniest deer

This little guy was found orphaned in a forest close to Concepcion, Santiago. The Pudu inhabits exclusively in southern Chile and part of Argentina. The species is currently in danger of extinction.

The helpful dog

An English Pointer named Jack helps his human get a drink of water on the first day of spring in Brisbane, Australia.

The chill dachshund

His name is Coffe, and he's from Mexico City.

The "racing" owl

Bob The Owl Reluctantly "runs" the 100-centimeter sprint before the London Olympics.

The donkey with two pink casts

Three-week-old Primose was saved by vets who put her underdeveloped legs in casts until they are strong enough to support her.

The world's smallest puppy, named Beyonce

Beyonce, a dachshund mix female puppy, is pictured on an iPhone.

The sloth photobomb

It happened in Costa Rica to a group of student volunteers. The cameraman said: "As I looked through the camera lens I could see something creeping in to the frame. When I realized it was a baby sloth, I clicked the button as fast as I could, not that he was going anywhere fast."

The lucky lady getting a kiss from a pygmy hippo

It happened at the Cango Ranch in South Africa 

The panda that was afraid of the dragon

A panda cub looks at a toy dragon, a New Year gift, in a nursery room in China.

The bear leaving his den after hibernation

Palle-Jooseppi, a male brown bear at Ranua Zoo in Finland, wakes up after winter hibernation.

The orphaned koala in a coffee cu

Raymond was found abandoned on the side of the road in Brisbane, Australia. He was named after the man who found him.

The orphaned elephant

Seven-and-a-half-month-old Moses was found alone and close to death in the Vwaza Wildlife Reserve in Malawi. His parents had been killed by poachers, and he has since been adopted by the Jumbo Foundation where he is being cared for and raised by humans.

The bear falling from the sky

A bear that wandered into the University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado, dorm complex Williams Village falls from a tree after being tranquilized by Colorado wildlife officials.