Mother Nature doesn't always play by the rules... Sometimes she flips the script, hits Caps Lock and produces something so unusually large that it looks like it could be cast in a sci-fi movie.
We're talking freakishly giant animals that somehow manage to live pretty normal lives despite their above-average size. Think dogs that tower over the kitchen counter, 20-pound fluffy rabbits and the world's tallest donkey who stands at 68 inches high.
Some are the result of genetics, others have been bred to be big. A few simply defy logic and lack scientific reason. Despite being super-sized, many of these animals are super cute, and seem to be completely unaware that they're not tiny pets.
People have been sharing pictures of the times Mother Nature said "upsize, please!" and Bored Panda has put together a list of the best. Tell us your favorites by hitting the upvote button and be sure to weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section below.
#1 This Giant Maine Coon I Got To Hold At Work Today. He Is Super Sweet! The Best Boy
Image credits: kemidawn
In 2019, a cow called Knickers (yes, you read right) took the world by storm. Standing nearly two meters tall, and weighing in at over 3,000 pounds, the Holstein Friesian stood out like a sore thumb among his herd. And because of it, he quickly became a viral online celebrity.
While many people were in awe at the collossal cow's size, some experts cautioned them not to get their knickers in a knot. He isn't a freak of nature, they revealed. Just something we don't see every day.
"Knickers actually isn’t a giant — it’s just that people don’t usually get to see an adult, full-grown Holstein like him," said Susie Coston, national shelter director of Farm Sanctuary. "They’re usually slaughtered right after their second birthdays."
#2 DNA Came Back 93% German Shepherd, 7% Unidentifiable, We’re Guessing Grizzly Bear
Image credits: No-Conclusion1971
#3 The Absolute Unit Of All Living Turtles
Image credits: Agent_C404
"If a Holstein does reach adulthood, like 7-year-old Knickers, then they’re simply too large to fit through the butchering equipment," reported the Dodo. "That’s the reason Knickers has been spared by his owner, Geoff Pearson, a cattle farmer from Australia."
Dr. M. Todd See, the head of the Department of Animal Science at North Carolina State University, shared this sentiment.
“The Holstein Fresian is one of the larger cattle breeds and is the largest dairy breed of cattle in size,” he told TIME, adding that the cattle Knickers was pictured with were beef breed or breed crosses that are more moderate in size.
"So from a genetic perspective, I would expect him to be larger and taller," explained the expert. "A simple but perhaps more extreme analogy would be a Great Dane dog as compared to a Yorkshire Terrier.”
#4 I Bet They're Very Sweet, Gentle, And Love Hugs
Image credits: Greysnsfwacc
#5 When You Want A Golden Retriever But Are Only Allowed To Get A Cat
Image credits: jenpriester
#6 Big Boy
Image credits: laydo
Others said at the time that the gentle giant could have grown so big due to something known as acromegaly. It's a condition in which the body produces an excess of growth hormone because of an abnormality in the pituitary gland. And it can happen to animals and humans.
#7 A Woman In Virginia Was Delighted When A Large Black Bear Decided To Take A Nap In A Kiddie Pool She Had In Her Back Yard
Image credits: Lauren M. Johnson
#8 Always Nice To See A Friendly Face. George Came Round To See Us And Enjoyed A Good Neck Scratch
Image credits: chrisbarfoot_photography
#9 Romulus Is The World's Tallest Living Donkey, As Certified By The Guinness World Records. His Height Is 68 In (172.72 Cm) Weight 1,300 Lb (590 Kg)
Image credits: GoldenChinchilla
#10 Once A Lap Dog, Always A Lap Dog
Image credits: vladgrinch
#11 Sir Bunnington III. 8 Month Old Continental Giant
Image credits: Ayshaxxx
#12 It's Like A Goat With Pony Legs
Image credits: v0lumnius
#13 This Massive Boy A Japanese Fisherman Found
Image credits: nightbiscuit
#14 Giant Teddy Bear
Image credits: kate_a_tron
#15 I'm Not Sure That's A Corgi Anymore
Image credits: thexbeatboxer
#16 A Very Beautiful Atlas Moth
Image credits: FloydsForked
#17 This Bear Has Reached Peak Boredom
Image credits: UnironicThatcherite
#18 Twenty Pounds Of Giant Rabbit In My Arms! I Nicknamed Her Sluffy
Image credits: mooshimooshi
#19 Meet The Largest Bat On Earth - The Pemba Flying Fox With An Average Wingspan Of 6 Feet
Image credits: resalles
#20 Shire Horse
Image credits: -What-on-Earth-
#21 What A Cute Gentle Giant
Image credits: alinbodislav
#22 Anybody Taller Than The Countertops In The House Needs To Pay Bills
Image credits: Gas Pak
#23 Belgian Horse
His name is Charlie Cooper, he's a belgian draft horse. I thought his leg was broken when I bought him, but it turned out to be cancer :( he's really sweet and literally licks you like a puppy!
Image credits: Ninja-Egg-Salad
#24 Unit Of A Cat Named Panther
Image credits: Ecstatic_Scene9999
#25 A Wandering Albatross. Absolute Unit
Image credits: BBCEarth
#26 Adopted This Absolute Unit Today. I Have A Soft Spot For Old Men
Image credits: dry_soup
#27 Amur Tigers Are Huge
Image credits: Sonny_McClain89
#28 Are We Forgetting Elephant Seals?
Image credits: reddit.com
#29 This Giant Cat At My Work
Image credits: sunshineandhomicide
#30 Pesto Is The Biggest Baby Penguin Ever Hatched At The Sealife Melbourn Aquarium. Already As Big As His Parents
Image credits: -TheMidpoint-
#31 Giant Pacific Octopus
Image credits: rockystl
#32 Huge Bull Elephant In Comparison With A Pickup Truck
Image credits: NatsuDragnee1
#33 Absolute Unit Of A Toad
Image credits: spuds151
#34 An Elephant Posing With My Friend (She's 5'10)
Image credits: master-jono
#35 That Dude's Seen Things
Image credits: jaum22
#36 This Pup Is Taller Than Dreams
#37 Huge Eagle
Image credits: castanet.net
#38 6 Month Old Wolf Pup
Image credits: Zetheryian
#39 Absolute Unit Of A Stout
Image credits: FreeHector2016
#40 The Size Of A Full Grown Adult Male Moose
Image credits: DblockDavid
#41 Stick Insect On My Shed
Image credits: TheCriticalMember
#42 Absolute Unit Of A Guinea Pig
Image credits: thehistoryofwomen
#43 Whale vs. 75 Foot Boat
Image credits: ParkerGHale
#44 Coconut Crabs Are Scary
Image credits: LondonDave
#45 Giant African Land Snail - Adult Snails Can Be The Size Of A Small Rabbit
Image credits: KrzysztofGalaxy
#46 Mammoth
Hercules moth endemic to Northern Australia and Papua New Guinea. The moth has a wingspan of up to 27 cm or 11 inches. The moth does not have a mouth and doesn’t eat during its lifespan of 10 to 14 days. Second one I’ve encountered.
Image credits: bendiver
#47 That's A Nice Lily Pad You Have There. It'd Be A Shame If Something Happened To It
Image credits: Bidooffan224
#48 Encounter Between Tahiti And Moorea
Image credits: timmckenna
#49 Unwanted Pet Goldfish Growing To The Size Of A Football In Australia
Image credits: Amelia Butterly
#50 My Alarm System Is An Absolute Unit
Image credits: Sp1cy_Wat3r
