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The 50 Best Animal Photos Of 2012

A definitive collection of the best animal photojournalism of the year. Enjoy.

1. The orphaned gorilla and his warden

2. The deer escaping a wild fire

3. The 10-day-old elephant in Sumatra

4. The cat cafe kiss

5. A woman and her kittens

6. The Shanghai tiger cub

7. The elephant funeral

8. The dog and the water buffalo

9. The goatobomb

10. Japanese snow monkeys enjoying a hot spring

11. The world's first cloned pashmina goat

12. These monkeys bathing in a pot

13. The shark and the seal

14. The cat and the gun

15. The Shar-Pei and the tiger cub

16. The boy and his pet bear

17. The two luckiest people in the world

18. The ducks crossing the road

19. The leopard stuck in the water tank

20. The whale funeral

21. The collie waiting to vote

22. The Shark Whisperer

23. The sun bear who can't take the heat

24. The pig on the street

25. The dyed dogs

26. The cativist

27. The whale shark under the boat

28. This dog wearing a cape

29. The three baby bears

30. This terrifying interaction between a diver and an anaconda

31. The orphaned dogs of the Philippines

32. The polar bear enjoying her birthday snow

33. The orangutan being released into the wild after years of captivity

34. The shark and the kayaker

35. The world's tallest dog

36. The polar bear cuddling his keeper

37. The sheep and his new family

38. The tiniest deer

39. The helpful dog

40. The chill dachshund

41. The "racing" owl

42. The donkey with two pink casts

43. The world's smallest puppy, named Beyonce

44. The sloth photobomb

45. The lucky lady getting a kiss from a pygmy hippo

46. The panda that was afraid of the dragon

47. The bear leaving his den after hibernation

48. The orphaned koala in a coffee cup

49. The orphaned elephant

50. The bear falling from the sky