Photographed by famed German-born American photographer and photojournalist, Alfred Eisenstadt, back in 1932, this unusual image was taken at a cafe in Bois de Boulogne, a large public park in Paris. We see an unidentified woman sitting alongside her pet cheetah, who she keeps close to her on a leash. Unusual as it may be, there is actually a longstanding history of Parisians owning exotic animals as pets.
Notable American-born dancer, Josephine Baker, who lived much of her life in Paris, was also known to follow this unusual trend, keeping a cheetah by the name of Chiquita as her pet. Among other Parisians owning exotic animals as pets include actress and journalist Marguerite Durand, who owned a Lion, whom she comically named, “Tiger.” But of all the exotic pets housed by Parisians throughout the city’s history, perhaps the oddest pet of them all was lobster companion Thibault, owned by poet Gerard de Nerval, who was often seen walking his fellow animal friend around the streets of Paris.
The Great Ardennes Draft Horse Trots Along a Field
Widely known as one of the oldest breeds of draft horses, the photo below displays the majestic Ardennes draft horse as it trots along a green field. This horse's pedigree dates all the way back to the pre-historic horses of Solutré— a Paleolithic site just outside the city of Maçon, near the southern area of Burgundy, France. This draft breed is truly a beast from another era.
Believe it or not, these exuberant animals have been present throughout much of human history, pulling heavy loads all the way back since the times of Julius Caesar, as seen in his descriptions of this grandiose horse in this great Roman Leader’s Commentarii de Bello Gallico (Commentaries on the Gallic War), published around 50 BC. Named after the Ardennes regions of France, Belgium and Luxembourg—the region this horse was first bred in—the Ardennes draft horse is known for its participation in some of mankind’s biggest recorded struggles.
Ptthh! A Baby Hippo Sticks its Tongue Out and Blows Raspberry to Onlookers
Up next in the list of the cutest and most adorable creatures of the animal world is the below cheeky baby hippopotamus. One of the top attractions at the Higashiyama Zoo in Japan, while Hippopotami are not usually among those animals considered cute and cuddly, since adult hippos are widely known to be one of the most aggressive and dangerous animals on of the African Sahara, the below photo proves these animals can be just as cute as any other creature in the wild.
But this cute baby Hippo’s small size won’t last long. In time, this small hippo calf will eventually grow to weight as much as two tons (if a male), or a ton and a half (if a female). Contrary to the cute demeanor of baby hippos, adult hippos are actually extremely aggressive, known as one of the more dangerous of animals on the African savannah. Additionally, these animals are also known to be highly territorial and are even known to fling their feces, in order to mark their rightful territory.
Afternoon Tea for Two: Alfred Hitchcock Serves Tea to MGM Studios Mascot, Leo the Lion, 1957
Taken around 1957, the below photo displays a regal looking Alfred Hitchcock, famed Hollywood director, posing nonchalantly across from famed Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) movie studio mascot, Leo the Lion, as the two sit down for a standard British cup of tea. Over the years, this iconic mascot has been played by a number of lions—five in total.
Ever since MGM’s founding in 1924, the lion has been the most regular star of this motion picture company, its sound most often associated with the studio and its work. Though there is not much information about the scenario of this photo, it was most likely taken for publicity purposes, for Hitchcock’s 1959 film, North by Northwest—the only film Hitchcock ever produced for MGM Studios.
The Transparent, Glass-winged Butterfly
Below sits the Greta Oto butterfly, more commonly known as the glass winged butterfly. Though native to Central and South America, most present in areas of Mexico, Panama, and Colombia, the glass-winged butterfly has been known to migrate as far north as Texas and Florida. As seen in this image, the glass-winged butterfly is most known for its uniquely transparent wings, a phenomenon caused by the glassy-looking tissue between the insects’ veins, which is the result of its lack of the colored scales found in most other species of butterfly. It is because of these see-through wings it nearly impossible for its predators—majorly birds—to track this butterfly when in flight.
Amazingly, the glass winged butterfly’s camouflage is activated upon flight, during which time its flapping, transparent wings essentially become invisible. Though this evolutionary disappearing tactic is not always successful, thankfully this butterfly has a backup strategy up its wing. This secondary act to dissuade predators—majorly birds—involves capturing toxins found in certain flowers, which ultimately give the butterfly a largely unpleasant taste to those predators attempting to make the Greta Oto its next meal.