The writing prompts invite postcrossers to write about a different topic on their postcards’ messages every month. These are just suggestions though — if you already know what you want to write about, or the recipient gives you some pointers, that’s great too!
This month’s writing prompt was a suggestion by HM on the forum. I’ve often found that people have interesting stories when they’re asked this question, so here goes…
My favourite animal is a hippo. Hippos have tough competition from hedgehogs: I’ve even helped rescue a sick hedgehog once; he stayed in my sister’s room for a couple of days while she was away, while we waited for an expert to pick him up. I was often the one to check on him, and can tell you that he snored when he was asleep… which is very cute, but doesn’t quite edge out hippos. Likewise, people might expect rabbits to be my favourite, given my little menagerie of three rabbits.
But no! Still hippos, and yes, there’s a story here! When I was born, my mother’s best friend bought me a teddy. As I remember, the story goes that she went into a shop and looked for the teddy that seemed to most need adoption, when her eyes fell upon a little grey hippo, and knew that was the right one. I’ve been inseparable from this hippo since I was two days old: she’s lost an eye, she’s had countless other surgeries, and we even had to sew an extra layer of fur over most of her body to protect her fragile, furless skin.
Given she’s been my constant companion for so long, I always said my favourite animals are hippos—and they are fascinating animals! Did you know that the US once had plans to have hippo ranches? I learned this from a book by Sarah Gailey, and it does make me wonder how it might’ve changed the world…
Now it’s your turn! What’s your favourite animal, and why? You can let us know in the comments, or write it on your postcards this month. Or both! Maybe you can even send a postcard showing your favourite animal to your next recipient, and then tell the story on the back.
64 comments so far
Baby goats!!!! I love how they jump and bounce around. Put a sweater or pajamas on them and life is instantly better. But I love all animals. 💕
But I love your hippo too! 💖
How happy I am to be the very first to comment about my favorite animal. It's really an impossible undertaking, but because I've had the privilege of volunteering with two amazing bird banders, Tom and Paula Bartlett, who have let me release a saw-whet owl 🦉 I make that my choice of the day.
Looks like I wasn't fast enough, but that's because of that darn squirrel I have to keep chasing off of my bird feeders.
My favorite animal is the elephant.. as big as they are, they are gentle and regal. Commanding and are good to their young. Their trunks are their voices, speaking columns of kindness, tenderness and protection.
I have a few favorite animals! My first are my Ducks and Geese. I have had them since they were 1 day old. My Geese are White Chinese Swan Geese. My Ducks are all Drakes (boys) I have Indian Runner Ducks and Giant Pekins. They are hilarious to watch and they make me laugh every single day. All of them are friendly and soon as they see me, they come running and honking. I can pick all of them up and sometimes we take them to the beach 🏖. People are amazed when they see us swimming in the ocean with our beautiful babies!
I also love my horses. I have had a horse since I was 5 years old and love going to horse shows. I have a large variety of horses from The American Quarter Horse to some imported European horses from Germany/Holland/France and Belgium. I love to show in Grand Prix jumping and Gymkhana events like barrel racing and Pole Bending. Animals are wonderful companions and I can’t see my life without them.
dog！
I am a favorite to all kind of animals, except those who have no legs: Snail, Snakes, Worms, Maggots...etc those kind of "Thinkgs"- even i know that they are creatures too.
During many years i was a cat mom of 3 cats. The oldest died at the age of 23 years,
Actually we maintain a pond in the garden with koi carp.
Greetings to the world and PEACE!!! ☮️
My favorite animal is the kingfisher, but I also love my both dogs.
For me, based on cuteness alone, nothing beats the Hedgehog!
See US-8282301and US-8312926 !
I love watching the Hummingbirds who come to our feeder on our balcony. We called them our "house pets".
I had twice an opportunity to swim with dolphins and felt in love.
I'm lucky to live on an Island surrounded with whales, those are fascinating.
But I'm very in love with a cartoon bear called 'Winnie". He hugged me at my first visit at Disneyland and that was it, he is my favorite. I have a little statue from him on my writing. desk and he is looking at me with a big smile
Cats! Even though they can bite and claw you at any second, cats are cute and fluffy friends who are also friendly!
The elephant. I look at my aging skin and try not to wince but instead think fondly of the incredible elephant.
My favorite animal (domestic) is a basset hound. Although they are smelly at times and awfully stubborn, they are loving and loyal and clownish and entertaining, when they are not being couch potatoes. We lost our last basset Snorkel (my avatar) last year, so now I have become a cat momma, but I still love bassets best of all.
Of course my favorite animals are dogs! But i also love sheep and goats and am thrilled when I get a postcard with those animals on it.
Dogs are my favorite animal's. They are loyal, protective and sweet. I have Rat Terriers and Pitbull, all female. I spoiled them with so much love and they returned back with slobbery kisses and hugs.
Mine is a cat. The fur is so fluffy and my cats love me soooo much! I can tell that because my cat, Pearl rubs her body against her leg whenever I pet her.
I like cats a lot! They are the cutest as kittens. Even though males spray, those furballs are friendly as heck! (some cats are vicious though).
Great Bustard (Otis tarda)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEvaejK6f-E
G'day from Australia ..!
All animals are interesting; we are very lucky to have them.
And it is such an incredibly big variety too ...
A couple of my favoured ones are penguins; Rock Hopper penguins and Adelie Penguins.
For Australians working 'down south', the latter ones can only be seen in Antarctica and the Rock Hoppers on Macquarie Island.
Both of them are cute and often serious fun to watch.
What is often quite remarkable, is how similar they are to us people, in their behaviour. If one watches them for a while, other animals as well, one can often see how they squabble amongst themselves, how they look after one another, how they care for their young, ... just like people would.
Believe it or not, even insects are often just as interested in us as we are in them. Spiders for example, they too are fun to watch. Believe it or not, they actually get used to our ways of doing things and allow for it. Although, it is a little more difficult to keep their habits apart from ours.
Spiders just cannot understand that we don't like their webs in our houses! And yet, they try to help as best as they can to get rid of mosquitoes and flies.
And me too, ... I love dogs as well.
Cheers,
YoungMans
Horses. I have owned horses in the past and I love these beautiful animals. They are strong and many have their own personality and can be smart and goofy.
I don't have horses now but love them still.
Next animal I love is the dog.
All animals are gorgeous though.
This is so cool! My favorite animals are gorillas, ducks, bears and rabbits. Unfortunately I have a phobia of frogs.
This is my favorite topic.
Before becoming an acupuncturist I was a vet tech and have a many animal jobs, including 4 years as a zookeeper. I am most proud of my time as a tech on a spay/neuter van in rural NM and as a shelter employee.
Did you know hippos clean their teeth via the spiny ridge of the crocodiles back and that hippo babies are safe among crocs because a hippos can kill a croc?
I have so many favorite animals, domestic and wild. My “spirit animals” shift on a daily basis.
I have been mentioning the pangolin on all of my postcards as of late and changed my user name to Pangolin as i am deeply troubled by their plight. The pangolin is the most trafficked animal in the world and one of the least known. All 8 species of this unique and gentle being (4 in Africa and 4 in Asia) are highly endangered. Since they are so peaceful, this scaled mammal (the only mammal with scales!) they are easily captured.
Pangolins are trafficked for use in Chinese medicine and this use is complete rubbish. I speak as an acupuncturist. Their use is not legal but it continues at a horrifying speed. They are also consumed as a delicacy.
I wear jewelry symbolizing the pangolin and celebrate World Pangolin Day at my clinic.
In my immediate world, I have a scruffy little dog, two elderly cats, a chinchilla, two hamsters and a rabbit, all rescues.
Lately I have been checking in on the Namib Desert cam on YouTube. Giraffes , ostrich , owls and even little warthog piglets all pay a visit to the watering hole. They are beautiful creatures. I guess I can't pin point a favorite.
I have several Wormeries in my garden, vermiculture is fascinating. The stuff they break down into a rich valuable resource is one thing, keeping it out of landfill is another!
So I'm voting for the 'red-wiggler' 😎👍
I have a small aquarium for 14 liters. Snails and fish live there. I love feeding them and watching them.
All kinds of wild birds, but a few days ago I was sitting outside with my five month old grandson and a mockingbird was singing his imitations of other birds in the tree near us. My grandson had a curious look on his face, so I was telling him about all of the other birds the mockingbird copies. A great bird to be hearing for the first time!
My favorite animals are dogs, horses, sheep and reindeer. I also like wildlife: whooper swans, seals (especially Saimaa ringed seals and other endangered animals) and wolves (in the wilderness)
Cats! It was always cats. But I like Otter too. They're so cute and lovely
I love animals! For some years because of my kids, we became cat lovers, so my favourite animal became the cat!
First, we have a British shorthair he-cat but unfortunately, he passed away do un rare disease!
To fill the emptiness we took from a shelter another cat with orange eyes as Botticelli had and because he is a black girl cat mi kids named her Nuttella!
So if the life after exists definitely I want to be a cat!
(^-人-^)
Stay safe & Happy Postcrossing!
xoxo :) :D
Wiener doggies, and birds.
TURTLES and TORTOISE🐢🐢🐢
Japan has only 2 native species, Reeve's turtle and Japanese pond turtle.
But several sea turtles are seen in the sea.
Panda, of course!
Ravens! I like to watch how they fly just because they love to fly, acrobats in the sky :) We have a ravens nest a some minutes walk from our home, it's so interesting to see how both parents take care of the offspring and protect it from e.g. eagles.
Either an owl, chicken, or frog. I can't pick a favorite though
Alpacas, Guinea pigs & Maltese dogs <3
My favorite animal is the cat, big or small I like all cats. They are intelligent and sly creatures and their facial expressions give away little of what they are feeling which makes them intriguing. Don't get me wrong, when they are expressive, they are delightful or terrifying. I enjoy all sorts of animals; I have 3 cats and a dog. All my cats have their own unique personality along with my dog who sometimes thinks she's a cat. My first pet was a cat and I have always enjoyed rescuing and fostering kittens.
I like hippos(they remind me of my late dad who always claimed he is a very unhappy hippo for some reason or other), penguins (they remind me of the fantastic holiday in the Antarctic) and long-tailed tits (they are just the cutest birds ever).
My favorite animals are dogs, especially poodles! But i also love monkeys and turtles 😉
Goats. I know people have awful things to say about them, but I just love them and the lore around them. No, I don't own any.
Cats, small or large. Horses. Whales. Owls. Elephants. Turtles. Honey bees and bumble bees. Platypus. Koalas.
My first stuffed animal was a mouse, and I have a fondness for mice because of that too.
It is too difficult to pick just one. So many incredible creatues living on this planet. I wonder if anyone ever chooses humans as their favorite animal?
All animals are individual and good in their own way. My favorite animal is a giraffe, there is something so unusual about them. I also love cats.
Overall, I love how fascinating and varied the fauna in our world is. But if we talk about my favorite animals, then one of these is squirrels. I find them cute and kinda funny. Indeed, when I see them, I remember my school years, when I promenaded in the park and often met red-haired beauties.
I love giraffes... they are so beautiful! I would love to see them in nature!
My favorite animal is the great crested grebe. I once swam next to one and I was mesmerized. They are really beautiful birds. But I love all animals, I have 6 cats and one dog at home as well, and of course many fish like carp or goldfish in ponds. Nature and animals are very beautiful.
I am fascinated by the underwater world!
What wonderful creatures, small and large, glide silently through the water. Fantastic!
I love all animals, even though I must say, I’d rather have a big distance between myself and bedbugs, and cockroaches, actually.
But other than that I have about 50 “top ten” animals! I love Siberian tigers best of all. Everything about them fascinates and touches me. That said, I also love cats, dogs, donkeys, goats, frogs, Manta rays, ravens, crows, shoebills, musk oxen, …
My personal animal friends, where individuals are concerned, differ a bit from my favourite species. As I can’t have a furry or feathered pet, all my darlings live in the zoo or the park.
Hooded crow Lenny, kea Dexter, Orang utan Sol, Siberian tiger Ina, African pygmy goats Dagmar, Kathrin, Elfi, Penny, Vicky, Bella,…
<3 <3 <3
My favourite animal is a Wolf as I have long since considered myself to be a 'Lone Wolf'. I have also been told by my Spiritualist Psychic that this is so - without me even mentioning it to her. I respect everyone's beliefs and so do not ask that you believe or disregard my truths; but my story is mine and I am sharing it with you all. Take care, stay safe and Happy Postcrossing. Love Dawn x
Lv jersey cows I used to milk them.they are the a good nature friendly and looking beautiful.good milk and cream ratioo.lol.
All animals are favorites
Favorite animal of course Dragon) no one limited the choice of real ones =)))
My favs one? Well I have 2: bees for their intelligence, and goats for their freedom
What a difficult question! I'm an all-around animal freak and adore almost all animals (except for wasps, I'm so scared of them I've often had to "enlist" someone to eliminate them on my behalf *facepalm*).
Having said that, I have a very special bond with spiders and fell in love with them when I was only two years old. I happened to see a picture of a tarantula in my cousin's zoology book and it changed my life forever. To put it mildly, I was FASCINATED. It was the cutest thing I had ever seen so far and I felt an almost uncontrollable urge to pick it up and pet it. Of course I couldn't since it was only an image on the page of a zoology book :)
I also adore snakes and if I were to get a pet now, it would likely be a snake. As much as I love spiders, I think snakes make more interesting pets because they're so curious and interested in almost everything that happens around them. I also have quite a lot of arachnophobics among my friends and family but a snake wouldn't be a problem to them. They don't exactly like snakes but don't hate them either and could manage seeing one in their terrarium in my house.
My favourite animal is elephant. Asiatic elephant and Africa elephant. Elephant is a beautiful animal and Lord Ganesha is my favourite god , who is incarnation in the form of elephant head with human body. Elephant should be protected and should not be extinction
Favourite animal turtle.
My favorite animal is the Horse (it is also my Chinese animal sign), but I also love my birds and gold fishes.
My favorite animal is the giraffe. Elegant as only a woman can be. Beautiful.
Tigers all the way - plus its my chinese year animal. The fennec fox comes close (those ears) and who can resist an amazonian tree frog.
Lambs are my favorite animal. They seem me the symbol of innocence.
So many great ones, I think probably the bat. 🦇
Coincidentally I saw hippopotamus fir first time in my life on 30th April, 2022 ! Omg ,it was really huge ! Also it was adorable, baby hippo was so cute :)
I love bats! They're little sky puppies! <3
my favorite animal is cats
hippos are my favorite too! <3
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