8. Raccoons

Photo Credit: BrianGri

Even adult raccoons are such animated creatures. Their tiny articulate fingers grasp items with such ease. A baby raccoon used to come to my house when my son was very small. We would feed her marshmallows whenever she'd come to the back door. She was so sweet and gentle. It was great to watch her clutch a giant marshmallow with both hands and munch away.

7. Meerkats

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These curious creatures seem like a combination of an overly large prairie dog and a wild cat. I was thrilled when a show was dedicated entirely to them. It was like watching a soap opera about meerkats. I think it was on the Discovery Channel, but it could have been Animal Planet instead.

6. Marmosets

Photo Credit: Marc Hindley

I adore monkeys and these are some of the smallest ones around. I saw a couple in a zoo nursery once and they were each clutching a finger of one of the zoo workers. They weren't merely clutching his finger tip, but each one had its entire body wrapped around a single finger. They were adorable!

5. Hedgehogs

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I saw these running around in the yard when I lived in Norway for a while. My son and I had only seen them in pet stores and we were fascinated by these spiny little beings trundling about underneath the pine tree right in the front yard. It was rather fun to see them in their natural habitat.

4. Skunks

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They may be stinky at times, but they sure are cute little stinkers! Those fluffy tails are a sight to behold. Supposedly skunks make excellent pets. They can be litter box trained just like a cat and they can be raised on a diet of cat food as well.

3. Chipmunks

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I always think of Chip and Dale when I see a chipmunk. My parents took me to the zoo twice a year when I was a kid, for many years. The chipmunks would swarm underneath the tables where we would have lunch and they'd beg for scraps. Who could resist those sweet faces? I remember imagining them talking to one another in tiny voices like Chip and Dale did in the Disney cartoons.

2. Rabbits

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My family always had rabbits when I was little and I still raise them today. We don't eat them, so they are merely cuddly pets. Those soft wiggly noses and precious little bunny lips are too darn cute.

1. Wombat

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If you've never seen a wombat, then look up a picture of one on the Internet. They are so sweet and apparently have a great disposition as well. I've only seen them at the zoo, but I'd love to hold one or at least pet one some day.

These 8 cute wild animals only cover a small part of my ever-growing list of animals I adore. What do you think is the cutest wild animal you've ever seen?

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