May 30, 2026

Good Furrends of May 2026

10 animal stories from May we're still thinking about

May brought a 2,000-pound sea lion, a theatre cat with her own VIP seating arrangement, rescued moon bears, baby sloths, and a stadium cat who stole the spotlight at the Europa League final in Istanbul.

Here are ten stories from May 2026 that we're still thinking about.

1. Chonkers Took Over Pier 39

A massive Steller sea lion nicknamed Chonkers became one of the internet's favorite animals this month after settling onto San Francisco's Pier 39.

Weighing around 2,000 pounds, Chonkers had no trouble making room for himself. He arrived in March and apparently saw no reason to leave. Videos showed him hauling his enormous body onto floating docks while smaller sea lions quickly scattered to avoid becoming part of the furniture.

2. The Peacocks of Italy

In a small seaside town in Italy, spring arrived with sunshine, flowers, and an unexpected increase in peacock-related traffic.

A growing population of feral peacocks has become a familiar sight in the area, wandering through streets, gardens, rooftops, and public spaces with the confidence of animals who know they have excellent feathers. Residents seem divided between admiration and mild exasperation, and the peacocks were just completely unbothered.

3. A Cat Stole the Europa League Final

The Europa League final featured elite football, hundres of thousands of supporters, and one cat who had absolutely no interest in staying off the pitch.

It turned out the stadium adopted the cat years ago. As cameras followed the "unexpected visitor," the stadium cat became one of the most shared moments from the match.

One of Europe's biggest sporting events became a cat event, and it's just a very Turkish thing.

4. Mama Mittens and Her 7 Kittens

Around Mother's Day, a polydactyl cat named Mama Mittens found herself caring for a family larger than expected at a California shelter.

Alongside her biological kitten, she also took in 6 orphaned kittens rescued from the Long Beach area.

5. Scotland Welcomed Its First Baby Sloth

A baby sloth born at Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland received a name worthy of a natural history documentary.

The young sloth was named after Sir David Attenborough (who celebrated his 100th birthday this month!), becoming Scotland's first sloth baby and quickly attracting attention from animal lovers across the country.

All we're gonna say is, it's difficult to have a bad month when a baby sloth enters the world.

6. The Beagles Who Touched Grass for the First Time

16 beagles rescued from Ridglan Farms in Wisconsin arrived safely at Southern Nevada Beagle Rescue Foundation in May.

For many of the dogs, life outside a breeding facility was entirely new. Videos showing the beagles exploring grass, open space, and sunshine for the first time struck a chord with people across the internet.

7. 27 Moon Bears Arrived in Laos

After being rescued from an illegal bear farm, 27 moon bears arrived safely at Luang Prabang Wildlife Sanctuary in Laos.

The rescue, coordinated by the team at Free the Bears, marked the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. And the bears now have space to climb, forage, rest, and be bears.

8. Mariah the London Theatre Cat

At Rosemary Branch pub theatre in London, there's a calico cat named Mariah. She first showed up outside on a cold night and decided to stay. And today, she has a princess box at the bar, a growing fan club, and visitors who specifically stop by hoping to meet her.

Read our full story about Mariah the theatre cat.

9. Goodbye, Timmy

One of the month's saddest updates is Timmy, the young humpback whale who had spent weeks stranded in shallow waters near Denmark. After a controversial rescue effort successfully guided him back to deeper water, many hoped his story would end differently. But days later, authorities confirmed that Timmy was later found dead off the Danish coast.

His story sparked conversations about wildlife rescue, intervention, and the difficult decisions people face when trying to help animals in distress.

10. Remembering Happy

May also brought the loss of Happy, the elephant who helped reshape how people think about animal intelligence.

In a landmark 2005 study, Happy became one of the first animals to pass a mirror self-recognition test. Researchers placed a visible mark above her eye, and Happy repeatedly touched it while looking into a mirror, demonstrating an awareness once thought to be uniquely human.

Outside the research papers, keepers remembered a different side of her: a fondness for strawberries, watermelon, and occasionally hiding snacks in her ear for later.

As the Bronx Zoo put it: "She was a wonderful elephant."

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