There are two kinds of people in this world: those who think there’s nothing more adorable than a baby and those whose hearts can only be melted by seeing a precious animal. Well today, we’ve got a list that should satisfy everyone, because down below, we’ve gathered photos of some of the world’s cutest baby animals.

From ducklings to lambs to raccoons that have just left the womb, you’re sure to find something that makes you say, “Awww!” We’ll warn you right now, pandas, that your heart is at serious risk of being melted, so proceed with caution, and be sure to upvote the pics that fill you with joy!

#1 9 Babies, Rare Moment When They All Sit Still

Image credits: SiberianTale

#2 These Adorable Panda Babies

Image credits: SMurphy44

#3 Baby Alpaca With His Best Friend

Image credits: mytl

As I’m sure you pandas all know, there’s nothing better than a precious photo of a curled up kitten or a video of a puppies frolicking in the grass. As humans, it makes sense to view human babies as heartwarming creatures that must be protected at all costs, from an evolutionary perspective, but why do we view the offspring of other species in the same way? Well, according to Angela Saini at BBC Earth, “There are deep psychological reasons why humans find babies of all species so cute.” Scientists believe that the nurturing instincts we feel towards precious, tiny babies of our own species also extends to any creatures that even vaguely resemble them.

“People are also animals, and our infants and young children – like the infants and young of most species – have certain consistent traits,” David Barash, psychology professor at the University of Washington, who studies human and animal behavior, told the BBC. We can’t help but want to protect them, want to boop their little noses and want to cuddle with them.

#4 Mountain Lion Cub Looking At Its Momma, Torres del Paine National Park, Chile

Image credits: razeidan.photo

#5 Baby Otter

Image credits: remarkableintern

#6 Baby Lamb

Image credits: Dexter_davis

Ethologist and zoologist Konrad Lorenz first proposed the idea that all babies have certain characteristics that we’re drawn to in 1943. These traits include large heads, chubby cheeks, high foreheads, a small nose and mouth and round bodies. Lorenz described this “baby schema” as something that we just can’t help but be drawn to. Apparently, baby chimps and monkeys attract big crowds at zoos because their behavior is similar to human infants, and even the way that baby elephants clumsily waddle around might remind us of toddlers learning how to walk.

Unsurprisingly, this irresistible urge to cuddle and care for little ones, even of the animal variety, can be traced back to evolution as well. “Any predisposition to be especially benevolent toward critters that meet the ‘baby schema’ is likely to be strongly favored by natural selection,” Barash told the BBC. 

According to Eloise Stark, who works in the psychiatry department at the University of Oxford and studies parent-child interactions, even simply seeing something cute can have a lasting impression on us. “We know that [when we see a young animal or child] there is a really fast burst of activity in the orbitofrontal cortex, an area of the brain involved in reward,” she told the BBC. “We think this early activity biases the brain towards processing the cute stimulus – for example, by making sure we give it our full attention. The effect of this may be to approach the infant or cute animal, wanting to pick it up or look after it.”

#7 Police Dog Recruit

Image credits: NPA Director's Office

#8 These Little Baby Racoons

Image credits: NewhouseRescue

#9 My Husband And I Agreed On Two Dogs. So Here Is Number 4. Baby Cows Don’t Count, Right?

Image credits: freespiritedshadow

I recently adopted a two-month-old puppy, and I have to admit that she is the cutest thing I have ever seen in my life. And she knows that; I tell her daily. But one of the reasons why she is so precious in my eyes, despite the fact that she has destroyed my duvet and eaten my retainer, is because she is just so curious. Especially when we first adopted her, everything was new to her, and sitting out on the balcony watching cars and birds go by was the most exciting thing she could possibly imagine. An older dog might ignore me while I brush my teeth or put laundry in the washing machine, but she wants to be right in on the action. Sniffing around, giving confused looks and testing the limits of what she’s allowed to play with. While she’ll still be a precious dog a year from now, it might not be as adorable watching her calmly sit on the floor while I vacuum, rather than chasing it around out of curiosity.  

#10 The Way This Pup Sleeps

Image credits: therealpaningning

#11 Cute Baby Beaver

Image credits: NewhouseRescue

#12 I Found A Baby Deer. It’s So Tiny

Image credits: Lil_Jazzy

When it comes to how adorable we find other species, we are more inclined to find mammals precious than, for example, a snake. As Bethan Bell pointed out in a piece for the BBC, we view other animals through the lens of being human, even if our views are completely irrelevant in another context. A puppy might look welcoming to cuddles than a baby bird, so we’ll be more inclined to find the puppy cute. And dolphins, which are mammals, are widely considered much cuter than sharks, who seem to have “a cruel mouth and mean eyes,” despite the fact that they share some similar features. It does not necessarily have to do with the fact that sharks are more dangerous either, as many people find baby lions and tigers absolutely precious as well.    

#13 This Duck Used To Come To My Porch For Food. Recently, She Brought Her Babies. I’ve Been Watching Them Grow Up

Image credits: Templar_1337

#14 Baby Sugar Glider

Image credits: muji_muizi

#15 Our Guardian Dog Is Fascinated By The 3-Day-Old Baby Lamb That Needs Bottle Feeding

Image credits: Sunstoned1

I personally have always been one of those people who feels immense “puppy fever” when looking at a cute dog, but seeing a cute baby does nothing for me. I want to hold and cuddle every dog I see, but I would happily never hold a human baby. But there might be a perfectly reasonable explanation for why some of us prefer fluffy fur babies to actual human ones. “Animals like dogs and cats have been essentially bred to look like babies,” Morten Kringelbach, Professor of neuroscience at the Universities of Oxford and Aarhus, told Science Focus. “They have the big eyes, they have the big ears. When you see them, your brain is thinking ‘this could be a baby’. And it’s only later on, by the time you already have reacted, you say ‘oh, that’s not a baby. But maybe I should still look anyway!’”

#16 These Small Sisters Have Been Caught Importing Illegal Beans From Scotland

Image credits: schnuck

#17 I Am A Licensed Wildlife Rehabber, And Here’s A Pile Of Baby Squirrels

Image credits: Mindmeofthebabe

#18 Baby Otters

Image credits: hirakawazoo

While you might love all animals equally, there are some that are known for being particularly precious, especially when they’re first born. In fact, animals that grow up to be threatening might be even cuter when they’re babies, as we don’t expect to want to cuddle up next to a tiny hippo! Animals Around the Globe published a list of some of their absolute favorite precious baby animals, and number one is the red panda. These little creatures look more like tiny foxes or raccoons than bears, and their bodies are full of adorable fluff even when they’re young. Baby giraffes are undeniably cute as well. It’s so silly to see them when they’re tiny, and their little horns don’t even stand up until a few hours after they’ve been born.  

#19 Luna Is Exactly 2 Months Old In These Photos. Still With Blue Eyes, By Three Months They Will Completely Turn Green. Still In A Baby Fur Coat, But Already More Like A Panther

Image credits: luna_the_pantera

#20 Hands Up

Image credits: MabelSanchez__

#21 I Rescued A Baby Squirrel. This Is Him When We First Found Him. Meet Steve

Image credits: Can-EH-Dian-244

There’s no denying that baby bunnies are adorable as well. These little fluff balls can fit into your palms when first born, and the size of their heads compared to their tiny bodies just might melt your heart! Another popular favorite baby animal is the elephant. These mighty creatures are tiny, wobbly and playful in their youth, and their giant ears and long legs will make anyone smile. Even at birth, however, baby elephants likely weigh more than you do, coming in at a whopping 200-300 pounds (or 90-136 kilos) when they’re born. I’d love to play with one, but I wouldn’t want it to accidentally step on my toes!

#22 Small And Cute Bunnies

Image credits: bluecloverrabbitry

#23 Airbnb Host Called To Ask If I Minded Sharing The Apartment With 9 French Bulldog Puppies

Image credits: G65Mondo

#24 A Newborn Hereford Calf

Image credits: Modern-Moo

Baby deer are certainly one of the world’s cutest baby animals as well. I’ve seen many of them in Texas in the springtime, when mamas would leave their tiny babies hidden in a bush in my front yard to go gather food and then return to pick them up later. Their long, clumsy legs, the adorable white speckles on their backs and the tiny squeaks they make melted my heart plenty of times. Plus, at that age, they’re just as friendly as a puppy and will be happy to follow you around. As hard as it is to resist, however, it’s important not to touch them to ensure you don’t leave your own scent on the precious babies! 

#25 A Sweet Prickly Baby With Her Mom

Image credits: NewhouseRescue

#26 My Baby Hela

Image credits: AttractiveNewsants

#27 He Is Good At Stealing Hearts

Image credits: Ok_Trouble_731

If you’re an animal lover like me, these photos have likely brought you more dopamine than anything else you’ve experienced in the past week. We hope you’re all having a lovely time enjoying these precious pics, and feel free to share in the comments below which baby animals you find most adorable. Keep upvoting the photos that melt your heart, and then if you can handle even more pics that will cause you to smile uncontrollably, you can find another Bored Panda article featuring precious animals right here!  

#28 I Worked At A Store That Allowed Dogs, And One Day, These Little Puppers Rolled In

Image credits: ShoeLace1291

#29 Brand New Teeth

Image credits: Noname_Maddox

#30 My Wife And I Got Our First Puppy. Meet Doug

Image credits: dangle_jr

#31 Baby Chameleons

Image credits: reptilekingmx

#32 Little Ms. Daisy Came To Us Two Weeks Ago. She Was Orphaned, Emaciated, And Had A Bad Respiratory Infection

Image credits: newhousewildliferescue

#33 Just A Little Guy

Image credits: SplashJaguarCo

#34 Baby Beaver Holding Its Tail And Nibbling On It

Image credits: Sarvey Wildlife Care Center

#35 Look At This Little Baby

Image credits: noelle2468

#36 This Fluffy Baby Is Being Nurtured At National Aviary In Pittsburgh

Image credits: celesse

#37 My Baby Boy

Image credits: my-mr

#38 Golden Lion Tamarin Twins Have Been Born

Image credits: aucklandzoo

#39 I Came Home From A Walk And Saw This Guy At Our Stairs. After Confirming It Was A Baby Bobcat, The Police Called A Local Wildlife Center To Come And Get Him

Image credits: Doustin

#40 Meet Colin Robinson. I Think I Broke Him

Image credits: Jrex81

#41 Momma And Her Lambs

Image credits: beesvw

#42 Such A Cutie

Image credits: ZoeKoly

#43 My Sister’s Cat Had Kittens. This Is Coco, And Objectively Speaking, She Is A Cutie

Image credits: not_a_beach

#44 I Encountered A Lost Little River Puppy On My Lawn Today

Image credits: WillyHeeler

#45 This Newborn Fawn Left By Its Mother Next To My Wife’s Freshly Bloomed Peonies

Image credits: TheClandestineMason

#46 This Adorable Baby Fox

Image credits: karl.ramsdell

#47 My 3 Newly Born Puppies. Their Color Is Quite Interesting

Image credits: Taku0798

#48 Dixie Would Like To Remind You To Floss Daily

Image credits: kansascityzoo

#49 I Met This Happy Baby Alpaca

Image credits: noIam

#50 Her Mood Is Off And She’s Angry

Image credits: FayFeltman

#51 This Is Shrimp

Image credits: Nyclubalin

#52 After 2 Hours Of Chasing Her Brother, She Finally Pooped Out. This Is A Very Hard Life

Image credits: fiittzzyy

#53 British Shorthair Baby

Image credits: Draaaaco

#54 Meet Finney

Image credits: hcohen781

#55 My Friend Found A Baby Racoon In Their Garage, And They’re In Contact With The Local Wild Life Rehabilitation Centre. Just A Cutie

Image credits: bL1Nd

#56 I Just Wanted To Show Someone How Much My Pig Loved His Heater As A Baby

Image credits: Ginger_Spinner

#57 I Found A Baby Snapping Turtle In My Garage

Image credits: tynolie

#58 I Found Her, Dehydrated And All Alone. Now This Tiny Orphaned Baby Skunk Is Getting All The Care She Needs

Image credits: NewhouseRescue

#59 My Mini Cow Babies

Image credits: la_petite_miniature_cattle

#60 My Best Friend Found Him In A Bush, And Now He’s Claimed His Throne

Image credits: thegoldenpinecone

#61 Before And After Of Our Little Group Of Opossums

Image credits: NewhouseRescue

#62 Fritz Does Not Look Real. He Looks Like A Cartoon Made To Be As Cute As Possible

Image credits: CincinnatiZoo

#63 Two Baby Squirrels Fell Out Of My Neighbor’s Tree When I Was Working In The Yard

I put them in a safe spot and played some baby squirrel cries on youtube. Within a minute, the momma came to the rescue.

Image credits: TickleMonster528

#64 This Beautiful Baby Is Sunbathing

Image credits: Modern-Moo

#65 Meet Donald. He Enjoys Mischief And Dirt

Image credits: SaylorSiren

#66 I’ve Been Waiting My Whole Life For This Moment – Meet My New Baby Hubble

Image credits: tasharoo

#67 My Baby Bun That I’m Taking Home In A Few Weeks. Name Suggestions Are Appreciated

Image credits: dentedfemder

#68 Our New Maine Coon. Still Working On The Perfect Name

Image credits: medusamarie

#69 This Little Porcupine Is Only 4 Weeks Old. They Are Born Precocial, So Their Eyes Are Open, Their Teeth Are Well-Formed, And They Can Run Around With Their Parents Right Away

Image credits: Sleeplesshelley

#70 My Rescue Puppy, Poppyseed, At 12 Weeks

Image credits: SnikkerDoodly

#71 I’m A Volunteer Animal Shelter Photographer. I Photographed This Precious Baby

Image credits: magpiephotos

#72 The Future Sheep Herder

Image credits: abenja

#73 Baby Emmet

Image credits: NewhouseRescue

#74 I Got To Rescue Baby Sea Turtles In Mexico

Image credits: NillaBeanBuns

#75 The Baby Has Arrived. Zuri, A Critically Endangered Eastern Black Rhinoceros, Gave Birth To An Adorable Calf In The Early Morning Hours

Image credits: kansascityzoo

#76 My Dog Had Puppies

Image credits: Javimations29

#77 Excuse Me, Sir Do You Have A License To Be This Small?

Image credits: flowercatt

#78 Here’s My Little Baby Girl

Image credits: dannieb96

#79 It Took A While To Get Them All Lined Up, But Here Are My Cuties

Image credits: Laurensvdh

#80 I Love A Cuddle Pillow Too

Image credits: kategrarock

#81 A Couple Of Shy Baby Trash Pandas In My Backyard

Image credits: tedrusu

#82 Baby Seal Ania Confused By What The Hell Happened To Her Whiskers. It’s -10°c/14°f In Poland Right Now

Image credits: zissoum

#83 Baby Hippo Smoosh

Image credits: bedtyme

#84 We Found A Baby Bunny During Hurricane

Image credits: xbunny5

#85 My Friend’s Cat Has Just Had A Litter Of Baby Sphynxs, And They Look Like Tiny Little Elves

Image credits: sophxjohnson

#86 Newborn Baby Girl Barely A Day Old

Image credits: hanz_01

#87 Cute Capybara Babies

Image credits: zooberlin

#88 The Smallest Pokemon Master Is Loving Her New Home

Image credits: Leenis13

#89 Baby Snoop Dog Is 4 Weeks Old

Image credits: hollyhorse

#90 My Dog When He Was A Month Old

Image credits: Me_Palle

#91 I Visited Steve Irwin’s Zoo Today, And A Koala Just Had Her Baby

Image credits: ThisBeBre

#92 Adorable Baby Sugar Glider

Image credits: loopdeloops

#93 A Mother And Her Baby Snake

Image credits: masterbuck10

#94 Little One

Image credits: reptilekingmx

#95 Saw This Little Cutie On Our Sunday Hike

Image credits: Dufusbroth

#96 Baby Horned Lizard

Image credits: mydoggoose

#97 Will My Baby Girl Grow Out Of Her Funny Head Shape?

Image credits: jpfourie

#98 Newborn Squirrel I Rescued Today

Image credits: rodc22

#99 What Should We Name This Little Nugget?

Image credits: eggsbytheshells

#100 My Pig Rosalia And Her Newborn Babies

Image credits: agusmagris

#101 Baby Ducks In The Lake

Image credits: x2o6

Source: boredpanda.com