While 2021 was a devastating year in myriad ways, there were several animal stories that injected some levity into an otherwise dark time.
From a porky lawbreaker to a courageous, coyote-chasing cat, a beaver with a penchant for window shopping to a three-legged coyote, Vancouver Is Awesome brought you a range of wild, wacky, and heart-warming animal stories in 2021.
Here are 11 of our most memorable selections in no particular order. We hope that they will make you smile.
Surrey RCMP lure rogue pig into police cruiser with officer's 'homemade meal' (VIDEO)
The mischievous swine was "suspected of trespassing, assault and attempt to evade police."
In the video, the porky lawbreaker confidently strides up to the police cruiser, seemingly following his flaring "hogstrils" to the home-cooked meal inside. He takes a moment to sniff the ground outside of the cop car before he climbs into the back seat.
Watch the video HERE.
'Cat 1, coyote 0': Metro Vancouver police camera catches house cat chasing away coyote (VIDEO)
A late-night patrol in Port Moody caught an interesting sight.
While in a parking lot at 4 a.m. one night this weekend, Port Moody Police Department officers spotted a standoff and let it play out. It was between a cat and a coyote.
See the funny video HERE.
This impossibly cute cat sees Vancouver by shoulder (PHOTOS, VIDEO)
While cuteness is in the eye of the beholder, one fluffy Vancouver feline commands countless "awes."
Pua, a six-month-old exotic shorthair, enjoys the world from the vantage point of his owners' shoulders. He visits multiple places around the city and isn't bothered by the hustle and bustle around him.
Take a gander at this cutie patootie HERE.
Watch this beaver waddle around downtown Vancouver (VIDEO)
While it's quite common to spot a squirrel or even a raccoon in downtown Vancouver, it's not every day that you see a beaver wobbling around the city.
But that's exactly what one Vancouverite spotted while they were downtown.
Check out the video HERE.
Pacific white-sided dolphins play with local population of orcas in B.C. (VIDEO)
Pacific white-sided dolphins often swim and play with the resident orca population, but they steer clear of contact with any others.
Why do they avoid other orcas? Because they would end up becoming an easy meal.
But how do they tell the local population apart? Find out more in this fascinating interview HERE.
This lady takes her duck on strolls through downtown Vancouver (VIDEO)
Someone shared an adorable video of a snowy white duck following a lady down the sidewalk near the intersection of Cambie Street and Broadway.
But that's not even close to being the most interesting part of this story. Find out the details HERE.
Bear spotted walking along train tracks in Gastown (VIDEO)
It isn't the most common sight in Vancouver, let alone Gastown. However, one local photographer captured a video of a bruin lumbering along the train tracks.
Have a look at the video and some images HERE.
Meet Kip, the three-legged coyote living at UBC
Born in 2020 at or near the campus, Kip, a juvenile coyote of undetermined sex, suffered an injury sometime over the past year to its back right leg, leaving it unusable for walking or running.
However, that didn't hamper Kip's hunting or life around the university.
Read his full story HERE.
Meet the Metro Vancouver Transit Police dog with a little red moustache
It isn't just his little red moustache and beard that make Strider a unique pooch--he's also highly skilled at detecting explosives.
In fact, this chocolate-coloured canine is the first of his breed to be working for a Canadian police agency--the Metro Vancouver Transit Police.
Find out more about this charismatic canine HERE.
Orcas make near-shore visit to Downtown Vancouver, Horseshoe Bay (VIDEOS)
Two videos caught the huge dolphins checking out where the people live. In a video posted by Jason King on Facebook, a pair is spotted swimming around the boats in Horseshoe Bay. As they swim through, they send up some spray, much to the delight of the humans nearby.
Check out the awe-inspiring footage HERE.
Local couple help rescue 3-day old seal pup on Vancouver beach (VIDEO+PHOTOS)
The small marine mammal wasn't moving when they first realized what it was, and they thought it might be dead, but eventually, there was a little motion as they got closer.
Read the full story of this sweet marine mammal rescue HERE.
With files from Brendan Kergin
