A common wombat at Point Lesueur on Maria Island in Tasmania, Australia
© Posnov/Getty Image
Hug a wombat today. We did not invent this, honest
Wombats, like kangaroos and koalas, are native only to mainland Australia and some of its surrounding islands, including Maria Island National Park, where this photo was taken. We bring you a wombat in celebration of Wombat Day. Why Wombat Day? Why not? Wombat fan groups—which are a thing—loosely tie the October celebration to spring planting festivals from Australia’s past. But many admit that it’s also just a good excuse to share photos of wombats and eat cake, preferably chocolate.
A lion cub and mother in Sabi Sabi Game Reserve, South Africa
Bengal tiger watching deer in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh
Lion cubs hiding in tall grass in the Kalahari Desert of Botswana
Two female lions in the forest surrounding Lake Nakuru, Kenya
Grotesques at York Minster, North Yorkshire, England
Cheetah in morning rain, Ndutu Plains, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania
A lion in Maasai Mara, Kenya
Male African lion and cub in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in southern Africa