10 Incredible Animals That Captivated Our Hearts In 2014 

Social media has spawned a new brand of celebrity, and humans aren’t the only ones drawing the attention.

Here are 10 animals that rose to Internet fame in 2014.

Number 10. Black Seadevil. Video of this elusive fish was taken by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, and soon after the footage spread. Though they’re rarely seen, the scary-looking creatures have a reputation for being menacing, and were featured as villains in ‘Finding Nemo’.

Number 9. Frostie the Snow Goat. People worldwide rejoiced as they watched the sickly baby animal take its first steps with the help of a wheelchair. No doubt more than a few tears fell when news of his passing went viral as well.

Number 8. Marnie. Who can resist a sweet-looking Shih Tzu whose tongue is always hanging out? Clearly neither Tina Fey nor Lena Dunham, who are two of the numerous celebrities that have had their picture taken with the adorable 12-year-old.

Number 7. Pup 681. This abandoned little sea otter’s journey from sitting alone on a California beach to finding a forever home at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium has been closely followed by many. Good Morning America even pitched in to help find her a new name.

Number 6. Weird Purple Thing. Eventually, it was explained that the strange-looking sea animal making the rounds is a siphonophore. In addition to their unique appearance, they’re known for actually being made up of a bunch of smaller creatures existing as one.

Number 5. Leo. The dog was found on a Thai beach, dragging her legs behind her as she’d suffered a spinal injury and was paralyzed. Thanks to the power of social media, news of her story spread and before long enough money had been raised to get her a new Canadian home and a wheelchair.

Number 4. Penelope Popcorn. The pig is living the life of a supermodel, frequent outfit changes, daily photo shoots, and all. Her hard work has paid off in terms of gaining followers, as she now has enough to be declared an official Instagram sensation.

Number 3. Jiff. Pomeranians generally get attention because they’re cute, but what sets this one apart is his ability to move quickly on just two legs. He’s so good at it, he’s even earned a Guinness World Record for his super-fast sprints.

Number 2. Turbo. Not sure where your next daily dose of adorableness is going to come from? Follow this hedgehog on Instagram, and you’ll be treated to a bevy of adorably staged photos and more than a couple of chuckles.

Number 1. Ellen. It was Extreme Makeover: Dog Edition when this dog was found at a Chicago shelter. Her hair was so long and matted, the people who picked her up didn’t even know she was a girl until they’d shaved off most of it. Afterwards she ate a big dinner and curled up on a fluffy blanket to take a rest.

source: Geobeats