This year, animals are taking over social media. Here are some of social media’s favorite animals, ranked from first to third place.
Third Place: Moo Deng
In July of 2024, the lovable hippo named Moo Deng was born. Moo Deng is a pygmy hippo that was a social media sensation for her bouncy, sassy personality and chubby, slippery body. Moodeng was known for her expressive face, leading to many memes and lovable videos, causing chaos everywhere she went. Moo-deng has been popular for a while and turned one last year. Be sure to look out for Moo Deng’s second birthday on July 10 this year. Moodeng has been placed in third because, while she may be very cute, she has been popular for over a year and is not as viral anymore.
Second Place: Pesto the Penguin
Pesto is a king penguin that lives in an aquarium located in Melbourne. Pesto hatched on Jan. 30, 2024 and gained his nobility in September for his large size during infancy. Pesto has weighed up to 22.5 kg, making him the largest chick ever at the Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium. Pesto has been placed in second because although he is very fluffy and cute, he is not as well-known as Punch.
Photograph by @pesto_thee_penguin via Instagram
First Place: Punch the Monkey
The current most popular animal on the internet is Punch the Monkey. Punch is a baby Japanese macaque, born on July 26, 2025. Punch got popular for his heartwarming, yet sad story. When Punch was an infant, his mother abandoned him, and he was rejected by his troop and bullied. As a result, Punch clung to a stuffed orangutan for comfort and treated it like family. Punch has been placed as the first-place winner because he is currently the most well-known and popular for his story and is very cute.
Photograph by @punchthemonkeyofficial via Instagram
Senior Charlotte Rhoads loves animals, but she has a favorite out of this social media bunch.
“My favorite animal out of the three would be Pesto for sure,” Rhoads said. “I love how fluffy and fat he is. It makes everything he does cuter.”
Senior Grace Wilson is a fellow fan of Pesto.
“I would obviously pick Pesto,” Wilsons aid. “It’s not even a question for me, but I do love all three of them. I think Pesto was the original and not just a copy and paste of some of the other animals.”
