8 Famous Animals

On November 3, 1957, Laika made history by becoming the first living creature to be launched into Earth’s orbit. It was a remarkable journey for the mixed-breed stray, who had been living on the streets of Moscow. But although Laika became well known, her true story took years to be told.

Although Laika was always expected to perish during the mission, it was believed that she would die a relatively painless death from a lack of oxygen. Her demise, however, proved more traumatic than expected. The terrified dog’s pulse rate tripled after takeoff, and the cabin of Sputnik 2 reached more than 90 °F (32 °C). Within seven hours she was dead—though Soviet officials continued to claim Laika was alive for nine days. At that point they stated that she had been euthanized with poisoned dog food before her oxygen ran out. It was not until 2002 that her sad fate was publicly revealed.

In 2015 the killing of a 13-year-old lion made international headlines and shone a harsh spotlight on trophy hunting. The large, black-maned Cecil was beloved by visitors to Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park. He was known for his distinctive appearance and his apparent comfort with humans. In July 2015 a hunting party used an elephant carcass to lure Cecil away from the protected game preserve. A dentist from Minnesota ultimately killed the lion with a compound bow. Cecil’s head was then severed and taken as a trophy.

The incident sparked worldwide outrage and raised awareness about the big business of trophy hunting; the man who killed Cecil reportedly paid $50,000. Supporters of such hunting argue that it can help the local economy and may actually encourage conservation efforts, since animals become an important financial asset. Detractors, however, cite the ethical issues of killing living creatures and note that corruption and lack of regulation often hamper conservation efforts.

In a sad footnote to Cecil’s story, his six-year-old son Xanda was killed by big-game hunters in 2017.

During the height of the Great Depression, the racehorse Seabiscuit captured the American public’s imagination with a rags-to-riches story that resonated with millions. Knobby-kneed and supposedly lazy, the American Thoroughbred lost his first 17 races. He was eventually sold to a new owner and given an unconventional trainer known for rejuvenating discarded horses. Under the latter’s guidance, Seabiscuit was transformed into a champion.

In a legendary race with Triple Crown winner War Admiral in 1938, Seabiscuit came from behind to win by four lengths. He went on to be named Horse of the Year. An injury in 1939 ended his career. At the time of his retirement, Seabiscuit had won 33 races and a total of $437,730, then a record for American Thoroughbreds. His unlikely success made him a national phenomenon, and he became known as “the people’s champion.”

In 1925 Nome, Alaska, was facing a deadly outbreak of diphtheria. Although an antitoxin was available, getting it to the remote town became challenging amid horrendous winter conditions. It was ultimately decided that teams of Siberian Huskies would carry the lifesaving serum more than 670 miles (1,078 km) from Nenana to Nome. In the “Great Race of Mercy,” as it became known, 20 teams of dogs battled whiteout conditions and frigid temperatures to reach Nome in an incredible 127.5 hours.

Balto, the lead dog on the last leg, became one of the most honored canines in history. A statue of him stands in New York City’s Central Park. However, some believe Togo is the true hero. Although Balto, who was six years old, covered 53 miles (85 km), the 12-year-old Togo raced across 264 miles (425 km). In recent years, Togo has received more attention and is the subject of a 2019 movie. The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race commemorates the serum run.

Thanks to the homing pigeon Cher Ami, some 550 members of the U.S. Army’s 77th Division were reportedly saved during World War I. This heroic story took place in October 1918, when the so-called Lost Battalion became trapped behind German lines during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. An already bad situation worsened when American artillery, unaware of the 77th Division’s predicament, started shelling its position.

With German forces drawing closer and casualties mounting, the division’s commander, Maj. Charles Whittlesey, deployed his homing pigeons, only to see them downed, one by one, by enemy fire. Cher Ami was reportedly the division’s last pigeon. The major wrote a final desperate message, which he affixed to one of Cher Ami’s legs, and launched the bird into the sky. It was reported that the bird flew directly into heavy German fire and was almost immediately struck in the chest. Though severely wounded, Cher Ami again took to the air amid a barrage of German bullets. He was said to have flown 25 miles (40 km) in about 30 minutes and delivered the message to U.S. forces, which rescued the battalion. Cher Ami suffered serious injuries—one of which required his leg to be amputated—and he died in 1919.

Although Cher Ami received numerous honors, later research has questioned the veracity of his alleged heroic exploits.

Another stray dog makes our list. In 1917 Stubby, as he became known, befriended members of the 102nd Infantry, 26th “Yankee” Division, who were training in the United States. When the soldiers shipped out, the dog was smuggled aboard and soon became a favorite of the troops. He was later taken to the front lines, where he went from unofficial mascot to an invaluable asset.

Stubby developed the ability to detect poisonous gases, including mustard gas, and he would quickly alert soldiers of a gas attack. He also was skilled at locating wounded soldiers, and he played a key role in the capture of a German spy. Stubby later became the first dog to be promoted to the rank of sergeant in the U.S. Army. After the war he received many awards and became the mascot of Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

In 1996 the first clone of an adult mammal was born, a female Finn Dorset sheep named Dolly. British developmental biologist Ian Wilmut and colleagues of the Roslin Institute, near Edinburgh, had created her by using electrical pulses to fuse the mammary cell of a ewe with an unfertilized egg cell, the nucleus of which had been removed. The announcement in 1997 of Dolly’s birth marked a milestone in science, dispelling decades of presumption that adult mammals could not be cloned and igniting a debate concerning the many possible uses and misuses of mammalian cloning technology.

Dolly remained alive and well long after her birth, with a functional heart, liver, brain, and other organs. In 2003 she was euthanized after being found to suffer from progressive lung disease.

Hachikō proved that dogs really are man’s best friend. This Akita displayed incredible devotion to his owner, Hidesaburō Ueno, a professor at the University of Tokyo. Hachikō (affectionately called “Hachi”) would wait patiently at the Shibuya (Japan) train station for Ueno’s return home. On May 21, 1925, however, Ueno died at work. For the next 10 years, until his own death on March 8, 1935, the loyal Hachi returned daily to the train station, awaiting the return of Ueno. Bronze statues of the dog were erected, and a popular memorial service is held annually on March 8 at the train station. The loyal canine is also the subject of Hachi: A Dog’s Tale (2009), a film starring Richard Gere.