Let us begin this article with a question, which animals come to your mind when you think of the word friendly? There are approximately about 8.7 million different species of animals in the world. And most of them consist of wild, ferocious, cruel and even scary species that won’t think a second time about attacking you.
However, among these 8.7 million species exist some specific fun-loving, kind and playful species. These little fur balls are easily identifiable by their social interactions and calm nature.
By this point, we’re sure you’ve thought of a few of them as an answer to the question we posed in the beginning. Well, let’s see how many you get right as we put your knowledge to the test by taking you through our list of 14 of the friendliest animals in the world.
14 of the Friendliest Animals You Should Know
1. Dog
There is no way we could start this list with any animal other than “man’s best friend”, dogs. Dogs are considered one of the most domesticated animals and are renowned for their loyalty to their owners. Certain breeds are considered aggressive, but nothing good training cannot tame. Also, there may be some extreme situations in which dogs become aggressive, but for the most part, these furry creatures are docile and love cuddling up with their favorite humans.
Their loving nature also comes from their pack mentality, which activates once humans adopt them as dogs start treating their human family as their pack and become overly protective of them. Some owners even focus on training their dogs from a young age to do tasks for them, making them full-fledged members of their household.
2. Camel
Mostly found in the deserts of Africa and the Middle East, camels are an incredibly docile species of animals that allow humans to ride them for huge distances without getting aggravated or aggressive. Camels can become seriously attached and protective of their owners and even follow them around without any explicit instructions being given to them.
People prefer raising these creatures through barren wastelands and deserts because of their stamina and patient nature.
3. Horse
Speaking of animals that are so docile that they let humans ride them, horses are also considered one of the more loyal and friendliest species of animals in the world. In fact, people often compare a horse’s loyalty to its owner with that of a dog. Horses are social animals by nature and prefer hanging out in a pack. Their pack mentality also makes them crave companionship, which enables them to form intense bonds with their caretakers as they believe, just like dogs, that they’re part of their pack.
Horses are also excellent at reading human body language, allowing them to pick and choose their companions according to how calm and relaxed they are around them.
4. Capybara
An animal species that might not have come to mind when we asked you to think of the most friendly animals could’ve been capybaras, as they are not as domesticated as some of the other animals on this list. Even so, these little furry squirrel-like creatures absolutely adore humans and will surround and lay in their lap if one of them visits their habitat.
They have absolutely no fear of humans, making them quite vulnerable to hunters. However, they enjoy their independence as they like living in their own groups and habitat.
5. Cat
Just like dogs, cats are the most common household pets, and of course, one of the friendliest too. Cats enjoy their independence but also love cuddling up with their favorite humans. Cats are the world’s second most domesticated animal species and are also easy to train.
And even though it’s difficult to win over a cat’s affection right away, once an individual does manage to win them over, they can be overly affectionate and even overprotective towards their owners. But as we said before, they also enjoy their independence and mostly prefer taking a nap alone in a corner rather than cuddling up with their human.
6. Guinea Pig
Guinea Pigs are tiny and super adorable. Even fully grown adult guinea pigs can easily fit in the palm of your hand and only grow up to be 25 centimeters in size max. They’re also one of the friendliest animals one can keep as pets. This makes them super endearing to humans who love cuddling with them. That’s not to say that guinea pigs don’t reciprocate the love because they do and absolutely crave the companionship of a human.
Their various chirps, squeaks and purrs also make them super endearing to humans. They can become clingy, but they’ll never be aggressive towards you if you treat them well.
7. Dolphins
Moving on to some friendly marine mammals, dolphins are probably one of the friendliest sea animals that adore the company of humans. If you’ve ever visited one in the wild or captivity, you might have noticed how they love splashing around and performing tricks around humans.
This is their way of showing affection. Dolphins are also super intelligent and can detect a human’s intentions when one comes near them. On top of that, they’re naturally curious, making them excellent companions for humans.
8. Elephants
You might have seen some videos of elephants messing with humans, using their trunks to blow air at them or sniff them. This is their way of showing affection towards humans. This affection has cost them as they’re officially an endangered species due to excessive hunting by humans.
Considered a wild animal, elephants are pretty friendly by nature and wouldn’t harm you without a purpose. These huge mammals are also herbivores, meaning they have no predatory instincts, making them even more docile. But due to their size and weight, it is never recommended to approach them in the wild. When they feel threatened, elephants can kill a human within seconds.
9. Bearded Dragons
Another animal that you might not have expected to be on this list is a bearded dragon. Belonging to the lizard family, these animals are notoriously easy to care for as they’re mostly self-sufficient and don’t need extra care like some other reptiles.
As opposed to what they look like, bearded dragons are also naturally calm and have a docile temperament, which means it’s pretty difficult to spook them. Due to that and their natural curiosity and trainability, bearded dragons are a popular choice as pets. They’re also much more tolerant of being handled and picked up than their fellow reptiles, which makes them easy to approach.
10. Alpacas
Affectionately known as mountainous horses, Alpacas share many traits with horses themselves, including their calm and docile disposition. Alpacas are adorable and super intelligent animals that are easy to train and respond positively to their owner’s commands.
They’re also fond of living with their pack and sometimes recognize their owners as part of their pack, which makes them overly protective of them. This is another trait they share with horses. Alpacas are known for their soft and fluffy fur, making them a popular pet.
11. Rabbits
We reckon this will be one of the more popular entries on this list, considering how many love to keep rabbits as pets. And there is a reason for that. Rabbits are one of the friendliest creatures in the world if treated with love.
These small burrowing animals are extremely playful and enjoy playing hide and seek with their owners by hiding in their burrows. They’re also naturally curious animals and love to sneak up on humans and observe them for minutes. These attributes make them excellent pets, not to mention their incredibly soft and fluffy fur.
12. Goats
Ever heard of goat herding? Or course you have, as it’s one of the most popular professions related to animals worldwide. Individuals and farmers often keep a herd of goats on or near their farm as livestock that they can sell or sacrifice for meat. This is only possible because of goats’ docile and calm demeanor, which makes them perfect for domestication.
Goats are cute and super friendly. These adorable animals also can travel pretty much anywhere, ranging from rocky mountains to deserts and plains, making them a popular choice for nomads.
13. Sheep
Herding as a profession was invented by shepherds who would go across countries with their herds of sheep. This was possible because of their calm and docile demeanor. Sheep enjoy human companionship and their strong herding instincts, which call for them to form bonds with their herd and their owners.
Sheep also possess the intelligent ability to recognize and remember their owner’s face and voice, which makes them easy to keep as pets.
1. Ducks
For the last entry on this list, we’d include an animal belonging to the bird family, and we could think of no better birds to choose than ducks. And while they’re birds, most duck breeds can’t fly and are more sea creatures than anything, as they love floating in small ponds. However, that actually works in their favor as that brings them closer to humans who also live on the ground and help them develop a sort of affection for them.
If you’re fond of birds, ducks are an excellent choice for a pet. Like all the other animals on this list, ducks are naturally curious and enjoy following their owners around. They notoriously enjoy playing catch and are also very low maintenance and can be kept in a small backyard pond.
Final Word
What do you think about these super-friendly animals we’ve covered in this list? Which one’s your favorite? Don’t forget to let us know in the comments!
