These Videos of Animals Playing Are Guaranteed to End Your Speciesism

Dogs laugh, mice are ticklish (oh, my gosh—I know, right?!), and crocodiles blow bubbles—whether you have fur, feathers, or scales, everyone needs to have a little fun.

But humans steal animals’ joy every day. Whether it’s imprisoning them in cramped cages in laboratories or on fur farms, forcing them to perform tricks at the circus, confining them to filthy sheds to await slaughter, or taking their babies away from them—stealing animals’ joy and their right to control their own lives is wrong.

Just look at these foxes lose their minds by playing with toys.

“I’m sure that dog won’t mind if I borrow this for a minute.”

Seriously, foxes really love toys.

“I can keep this, right?”

So do raccoons.

Backyard trash panda gets the zoomies from r/trashpandas

It turns out, they also love swinging.

“I feel so alive!”

And judging by this video, bears really dig hammocks.

Don’t tell them how hammocks actually work—it’s better this way!

This feathered neighbor wants in on some tetherball.

Kookaburra playing totem tennis from r/likeus

I can sense experience just by looking at this kookaburra’s form.

Pigs are like dogs for many reasons …

… and just like a lot of our canine friends, many like to splash around in water.

Even deer like to frolic on the beach from time to time.

“I’m Aquaman!”

Check out these elephants enjoying a day at the swimming hole with their kids.

Let Wildlife Do Their Thing

Everyone should remember never to interfere with wildlife unless they are clearly sick, hurt, orphaned, or in immediate danger (that includes keeping an eye on our animal companions when they’re outside). But the wildlife you see in your backyard aren’t trespassing—it’s their home, too.

Help Animals Live Their Best Lives

Animals are not ours to experiment on, eat, wear, use for entertainment, or abuse in any other way. Not only do many of them enjoy playtime, they also feel pain, joy, and love. They deserve to live their lives as they choose.

Visit PETA’s action alerts page to contact companies, universities, government agencies, and others to ask them to help (or stop hurting) animals.

Our “End Speciesism” tee shirt is a sure conversation starter, and great way to broaden people’s vocabulary while letting them know that a difference in species can never justify exploitation or oppression in the name of science, food, sport, entertainment or clothing.