Pigs - 678 Million Pigs are very social animals. In Alaska, a cat named Stubbs was the honorary mayor of a town called Talkeetna from 1997 to 2017, having lived 20 years, which is longer than the average lifespan of a cat at 12-15 years, with 18 years being a long life. Cats are solitary hunters but social animals, with grooming taking an important place in their socializing habits. These proud animals are often assumed to be conceited, but are actually some of the most nurturing creatures to their owners, with the ability to sense distress, coming to cuddle and exchange their energy, without expecting anything in return but ear scratches. Domesticated donkeys are sometimes also used as guard animals for cows, goats and sheep against coyotes, although, the coyote is the only natural enemy to donkeys as well. In developed countries, donkeys are sometimes kept as pets. These hard-working creatures are used as draught or pack animals in developing countries of the Global South. Image credit: babeaudufraing/Shutterstockĭonkeys have been domesticated since 4,000 BCE. Donkeys - Over 40 Million Donkeys are hardworking animals in countries around the world.
Here is a closer look at the most populous animal on Earth. Livestock outnumbers wild mammals and birds ten-to-one in order to satisfy the demands of human consumption: livestock is 4% of the total animal biomass of the world, with wild mammals and birds at 0.38%. The animal kingdom comprises only about 0.4% of the total living organisms on Earth plants comprise the most at 82%, and microscopic bacteria comes next at 13%. There are approximately 8.7 million different known species on Earth, with studies suggesting that 86% of all land species and 91% of all sea species are yet to be discovered or noted.