We love celebrating animals and what better way to do it than to find all the special holidays dedicated to the different species in the world. These are all the days and dates for 2024.
Global (09 January 2024) – We absolutely adore animals whether wild or domesticated. So we thought it would be fun to do a story listing all the important animal holidays worth celebrating. Celebrating animal days is a must, especially in South Africa where so many of our endangered species need us to raise awareness.
Not all the days listed below are official days, some are listed as fun days. But a few come from the United Nations days too, so those are like, really official!
A list like this is perfect if you enjoy celebrating animals, or if you run an animal welfare organisation. It is always good to know which days can help drum up some extra engagement and support.
Now it is time for the animals! While animal days are the highlight, we are also going to throw in a few of the important environmental days that celebrate the habitats of these animals. We will list the days from January to December. Let’s take a look.
January
- 2nd Saturday in Jan – Eagle Day
- 16 Jan – Appreciate a Dragon Day
- 20 Jan – Penguin Awareness Day
- 21 Jan – Squirrel Appreciation Day
February
- Humpback Whale Awareness Month
- International Hoof-Care Month
- 02 Feb – World Wetlands Day
- 02 Feb – Hedgehog Day
- 10 Feb – International Day of the Arabian Leopard
- 15 Feb – Hippo Day
- 27 Feb – International Polar Bear Day
- 3rd Saturday in Feb – World Pangolin Day
- 3rd Saturday in Feb – World Whale Day
March
- 01 Mar – World Seagrass Day
- 03 Mar – World Wildlife Day
- 14 Mar – Save a Spider Day
- 16 Mar – Panda Day
- 20 Mar – World Frog Day
- 20 Mar – World Sparrow Day
- 21 Mar – International Day of Forests
- 3rd Thursday in Mar – Farm Rescuer Day
April
- 04 Apr – World Rat Day
- 14 Apr – Save the Dolphin Day
- 24 Apr – World Day for Animals in Laboratories
- 25 Apr – World Penguin Day
- 27 Apr – Marine Mammal Rescue Day
- Last Sunday in April – World Veterinary Day
May
- 01 May – Save the Rhino Day
- 02 May – World Tuna Day
- 04 May – International Respect for Chickens Day
- 11 May – World Migratory Bird Day (USA and Canada)
- 15 May – International Kangaroo Care Awareness Day
- 20 May – World Bee Day
- 22 May – International Day for Biological Diversity
- 23 May – International Turtle Day
- 31 May – World Parrot Day
- Last Wednesday in May – World Otter Day
- 3rd Friday in May – Endangered Species Day
June
- 06 – 12 Jun – Garden Wildlife Week (UK)
- 05 Jun – World Environment Day
- 05 Jun – World Day Against Speciesism
- 08 Jun – World Oceans Day
- 08 Jun – International Day of Action for Elephants in Zoos
- 16 Jun – World Sea Turtle Day
- 20 Jun – Take Your Cat to Work Day
- 21 Jun – Bring Your Dog to Work Day
- 21 Jun – World Giraffe Day
- 2nd Tuesday in June – World Pet Memorial Day
July
- 14 Jul – Shark Awareness Day
- 16 Jul – World Snake Day
- 29 Jul – International Tiger Day
August
- 08 Aug – International Cat Day
- 10 Aug – World Lion Day
- 12 Aug – World Elephant Day
- 14 Aug – World Lizard Day
- 19 Aug – World Orangutan Day
- 20 Aug – World Honey Bee Day
- 20 Aug – World Mosquito Day
- 26 Aug – National Dog Day (USA)
- 30 Aug – International Whale Shark Day
September
- 1st Saturday in Sep – International Vulture Awareness Day
- 22 Sep – World Rhino Day
- 24 Sep – International Rabbit Day
- 28 Sep – World Rabies Day
October
- 02 Oct – World Farm Animals Day
- 04 Oct – World Animal Day
- 06 Oct – National Badger Day (UK)
- 07 Oct – World Habitat Day
- 09 Oct – National Pet Obesity Awareness Day (USA)
- 09 Oct – African Penguin Awareness Day
- 10 Oct – Animal Road Accident Awareness Day
- 12 Oct – World Migratory Bird Day (Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean)
- 20 Oct – International Sloth Day
- 21 Oct – Reptile Awareness Day
- 29 Oct – National Cat Day (USA)
November
- Adopt a Turkey Month
- 03 Nov – Jellyfish Day
December
- 04 Dec – International Cheetah Day
- 04 Dec – World Wildlife Conservation Day
- 09 Dec – International Day of Veterinary Medicine
- 10 Dec – International Animal Rights Day
- 11 Dec – Holiday Food Drive for Needy Animals Day
- 14 Dec – Monkey Day
Which animal days celebrate your favourite animal? Let us know in the comment section.
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