cuddle images - Joel Sartore

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ANI064-00140

A a pair of endangered gray gibbons (Hylobates muelleri muelleri) at the Miller Park Zoo.

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ANI064-00139

A a pair of endangered gray gibbons (Hylobates muelleri muelleri) at the Miller Park Zoo.

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ANI064-00138

A a pair of endangered gray gibbons (Hylobates muelleri muelleri) at the Miller Park Zoo.

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ANI064-00134

A a pair of endangered gray gibbons (Hylobates muelleri muelleri) at the Miller Park Zoo.

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A pair of four-week-old old Asian leopard cats, (Prionailurus bengalensis bengalensis). These two were found abandoned by their mother in a burning field and brought to the Angkor Centre for Conservation of Biodiversity (ACCB), a wildlife rehab center in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

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ANI100-00042

A pair of four-week-old old Asian leopard cats, (Prionailurus bengalensis bengalensis). These two were found abandoned by their mother a couple days ago in a burning field and brought to the Angkor Centre for Conservation of Biodiversity (ACCB), a wildlife rehab center in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus pygerythrus) at the Columbus Zoo.

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ANI040-00396

Vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus pygerythrus) at the Columbus Zoo.

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PEO025-00141

A family of three, smiling.

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PEO022-00022

A brother and sister smile in their home.

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PEO022-00021

A brother leans on his sister in their home.

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PEO019-00405

A 3-year-old boy plays with his mother in fall leaves.

Picture of a male and female white-winged duck, Asarcornis scutulata, at Sylvan Heights Bird Park.

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BIR060-00237

A male and female white-winged duck, Asarcornis scutulata, at Sylvan Heights Bird Park.

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BIR060-00238

A male and female white-winged duck, Asarcornis scutulata, at Sylvan Heights Bird Park.

Domestic rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) that are up for adoption at the Capital Humane Society.

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ANI031-00128

Domestic rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) that are up for adoption at the Capital Humane Society.

The endangered grey gibbon (Hylobates muelleri muelleri) may not be seen in captivity much longer. There are now too few in captivity to keep their population sustained and too few in the wild to bring more in. With limited space and funding, zoos must make hard choices every year in deciding which species to breed and which to let go, or 'phase out'.

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ESA002-00135

The endangered grey gibbon (Hylobates muelleri muelleri) may not be seen in captivity much longer. There are now too few in captivity to keep their population sustained and too few in the wild to bring more in. With limited space and funding, zoos must make hard choices every year in deciding which species to breed and which to let go, or ‘phase out’.