8 animal stories you need to read for World Animal Day

1. Sex lives of sloths. Not as boring as we think

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The world's slowest animals also lead extremely sexually active lives. It's a quick affair and after five seconds its back to hanging around.   

2. Beaver attacks and kills man in Belarus.

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Beavers may be cute but they also don’t mess around. Don’t believe the hype? Check out how quickly they can change from innocent to fierce. 

3. 12 famous cats that make the world a better place

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Who knew cats were so talented? The internet is filled with cat videos and pictures and we had to share our favorites. 

4. Government shutdown got you feeling blue?

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The government might be shut down but at least we have baby animals to keep us going. They are adorable and a perfect way to celebrate World Animal Day. 

5. Sandy Hook shooting: comfort dogs deployed to Newton

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Next on our list is the heartwarming story of golden retrievers from Chicago going to Newton, Conn. to spread love after the Sandy Hook tragedy. These dogs really are man’s best friend.

6. Thank goodness it’s Goat Week!

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Climbing trees and striking a pose for the camera, these global animals do more than meets the eye. 

7. 12 countries with cooler national animals than the United States

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Ok bald eagles are pretty amazing but who doesn’t love the phoenix and unicorns? Take a look as we explored our favorite national animals.

8. Last Rhino Standing

(Prakash Mathema/AFP/Getty Images)

Celebrating World Animal Day also means highligting ways to save them from new threats. GlobalPost produced a series exploring the world of endangered animals and efforts made to protect them.