Born Different: Special Animals Who We Love

Ellie Dunn

Feb 9, 2022 5:00 PM EST

Here at I Can Has Cheezburger, we love all animals. Their size, shape, breed, etc, doesn't matter to us, and we also love and appreciate animals that were built a little different, whether they're blind, deaf, or have another disability. You see, in our eyes all animals are simply cool wild animals or awwdorable pets who look quite special, and have tons of love to give. Sometimes these animals who are born a bit different have trouble getting adopted, and we want to change that by spreading awareness about how cute they are. That's why we've compiled a collection with photos of some of the most unique looking animals and pets.

We've seen everything from birds that look like they're wearing stars to stunningly colorful praying mantis, but these animals were simply born a little bit different than their peers were. From cats, to dogs, to lambs and turtles, there are so many different strange and beautiful animals out there with some unique features or mannerisms that we might not expect. Like Forrest Gump would say, life is a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get, and these animals are full of incredible surprises. Take a look:

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01
This Special Ape

via bmorg

"Apes are the one animal that exhibits a genetic defect similar to down syndrome in humans. Apes have 24 pairs of chromosomes as opposed to 23 in humans. Some apes have been diagnosed with having an extra copy of chromosome 22, which is similar to chromosome 21 in humans. In 2017, one chimpanzee with an extra chromosome 22 experienced growth defects, heart problems, and some of the other symptoms "common in human Down syndrome." Even though they showed similar characteristics in down syndrome, the condition was classified as analogous, and not as down syndrome" -bmorg
02
Kenny The Incredible Tiger

via bmorg

"You might have seen Kenny online before labeled as a tiger with down syndrome. White tigers are extremely rare, and Kenny was even more rare due to his genetic facial deformities that include his abnormally short snout and wife face. He won over peoples hearts, but was falsely labelled as having down syndrome. Kenny's deformities are a result of generations of interbreeding vs the chromosomal mutation that we know in down syndrome humans. Since white tigers are so rare, most that are alive today are a result of aggressive interbreeding programs. These programs have since been banned by the American Zoological Association in 2011." -bmorg
03
Otto the Kitten

via bmorg

"Otto is another feline that has been falsely labelled as having down syndrome. Otto became an internet sensation in turkey, and when he passed away after two months, his death was reported to be caused by the effects of down syndrome. "Each human cell contains 23 pairs of chromosomes and Down syndrome appears in people affected by a genetic mutation that gives them three copies of chromosome 21." The genetic makeup of animals is too different from humans to conclude that these animals can suffer from down syndrome. Many animals don't even have chromosome 21 (ex: cats only have 19 pairs of chromosomes)" -bmorg
04
"This is Willow the cat & she is so gorgeous just the way she is."

via Rammsteinstochter
05
An Awdorable Lion

via bmorg

"This is another feline labelled as having down syndrome. These animals given this label only produce characteristics similar to that of down syndrome due to different issues such as interbreeding like Kenny, or otto who possibly suffered a genetic mutation or hormone deficiency." -bmorg
06
Sid The Sloth

via cantfindanyusername2
07
Sara The Sheep

via cantfindanyusername2
08
A Beautiful Boy

via cantfindanyusername2
09
Gertrude The Guinea Pig

via cantfindanyusername2
10
An Awwdorable Pug

via cantfindanyusername2
11
Cute Camel

via cantfindanyusername2
12
How Heartwarming!

via cantfindanyusername2

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