We’ve brought you some of nature’s tiniest friends, we pretty much all live with our fave medium-sized besties, so today is all about those gentle giants, those big ol’ besties – the ginormous friends of the animal world…

The Giant Otter

BBC | Holy patronus, Hermione!

We might think of otters as slinky, small and cute but the Giant Otter, native to South America, is the exception that proves the rule with this cutie being anything but little – in fact, they can reach up to 6 and a half feet in length! They are sociable and friendly and prefer to live in open spaces surrounded by family 😊

The Goliath Frog

Andrew Murray/NPL | Would you kiss this big guy? He’d make one heck of a prince!

You won’t find this hopper in your backyard pond as he weighs around 7 pounds – bigger than some newborn babies! Even though he’s a big boy, he has the natural reflex to hide and still makes use of his camouflage-ready skin and burrows into mossy mud to escape predators. What really sets this whopper apart from their froggy brethren, though, is that they do not possess a vocal sac and so cannot ribbit, opting to whistle instead!

The Flying Fox

Na na na na na na na na BIG BAT

Reaching over 14 feet long, the Flying Fox is the largest bat in the world. These sweethearts, though, are not the stuff of vampire legend as they feed only on fruits, nectar and pollen (and the occasional insect.) Unlike other bats, too, these babes do not use echolocation as they actually have rather well-developed eyes.

The Blue Whale

Helllloooooooo, doooo yoooou knoooow P Sheeerrrrman 42 Wallaby Way Syyyydneeeey?

Our largest ocean friend distinction goes to the good ol’ Blue Whale. At almost 100 feet long and weighing over 180 metric tons (that’s equal to almost 2,700 humans,) this bestie is truly a behemoth to behold. What makes their size all the more crazy is that they subsist almost solely on eating Krill (tiny shrimp) and can eat around 7,900 pounds of them a day! Wouldn’t you like to swim with this gentle giant?

The African Bush Elephant

Play us out, Toto

Reports show that elephants get super excited to see us humans, and think of us as ‘cute’. Which is the same as how we feel when we see kittens, puppies or every dog we pass on the street! It makes them light up and happy! How cute is that? The largest land animal, these big besties clock in at around 11 feet tall and 13,000 pounds. Since they are so large, adults have no natural predators (aside from poachers 😒) but calves can be vulnerable to crocodiles and lions, so herds work together to protect their young. We wanna pat that trunk so badly!

The Capybara

R.O.U.S.s – yeah, Westley, they exist

Who said rodents weren’t cute? These big babies are native to South America and can reach up to 5 feet long and max out the adorable scales. They’re pretty social and can travel in groups of over 100 (just imagine a furry stampede!) but typically like to stick to herds of around 10 – 20 fuzzy friends and family.

The Dalmatian Pelican

Yeah, you can really see where birds evolved from dinosaurs

A big ol’ pelican with a 10 foot wingspan, these oddly adorable birds are found mainly in China and India. They’re also the heaviest flying birds – they can launch their full 25 pounds into the air with ease! How crazy would it be to look up and see this prehistoric pal flying overhead?

The Brown Bear

NPS | What kind of bear is best?

Pretty much tied with the Polar Bear for size, the Brown Bear (or Kodiak Bear) is the largest terrestrial carnivore. And though they look soooo soft and fuzzy and we want to pet them, we know better – they are more territorial and more likely to defend themselves from perceived threats than other bears, like the chiller Black Bear.

So you thought your Great Dane was huge, huh? We hope you enjoyed this extreme size journey and let us know – would you rather have a real big bestie or a tiny little friend?