Looking after animals is a whole lot of work! Not only do zoo workers and animal caretakers have to provide food, water, and shelter for their furry friends, but they also have to check up on them regularly, ensuring that they’re developing properly, eating right, and not suffering from any health issues.
Animals can’t really tell us when they’re not feeling well, so we have to do what we can to figure it out on our own, and one of the simplest weighs to monitor an animal’s health is to weigh it. Zoo animals and other animals around the world are weighed on a regular basis by their owners, but if you’ve ever tried weighing your own pets at home, you’ll know it isn’t always easy!
Trying to get a dog or a cat to sit still on a set of scales can almost feel impossible, so imagine what it must be like doing the same thing with a tiger cub, a koala bear, or a giraffe! Well, that’s why so many caretakers have come up with some very clever and imaginative ways to weigh their animals, and here are some of our favorite examples!
1) Hang In There
This funny sloth is hanging onto the cage door and smiling up at the camera as its caretaker cleverly checks its weight.
2) Don’t Forget Teddy
This adorable baby koala bear didn’t want to let go of his favorite teddy bear for the weigh-in, so the caretakers let him bring it along.
3) And Pose!
This killer whale has been trained to pose perfectly on this enormous set of scales. Killer whales can weigh more than six tons!
4) So Precious
This sweet little fluffball has been carefully placed in a simple metal bowl, just like you might use at home for weighing out your ingredients while baking.
5) Happy Times
This baby otter seems to be smiling happily as she goes for her regularly-scheduled weigh-in. Most baby animals have to be weighed very regularly to ensure that they’re developing properly.
6) So Cozy
This beautiful baby puffin is all warm and toasty in her blue bucket, waiting to be weighed.
7) A Perfect Fit
This hedgehog just seems to slip so perfectly into that jar. It actually looks pretty calm and comfortable in there.
8) A Very Good Boy
Some dogs can start scrambling around and trying to get away if you want to weigh them, but this pup is being very well-behaved. We think he deserves a treat!
9) A Simple Trick
One of the simplest tricks caretakers and zoo workers use to keep animals calm and steady while weighing them is to give them a treat. This prairie dog is munching on a little nut while the workers verify its weight.
10) Very Proud
These adorable penguins have been placed in different containers to check their weights. The second one looks so proud of himself!
11) Don’t Let Go!
This super cute monkey looks a little frightened at the idea of being weighed, so she needs to hold onto her owner’s hand for reassurance.
12) Fruit Bowl
Looks like someone used an old fruit bowl to check the weight of this little leopard. Just look at those eyes!
13) Meow!
This cute cat is doing its best to look tough and fierce, but it’s hard to look like the king of the jungle when you’re sitting in a tiny metal bowl.
14) Mom And Baby
This mama had to be weighed with her little one holding on tightly to her back. The caretakers definitely look like they enjoy their job!
15) Aww!
We’re just melting looking at this little guy, all wrapped up nice and cozy in his bucket. He looks so soft and fluffy.
16) Buckets Are So Useful
Most of us just use buckets for carrying water around, but who knew they had so many uses for weighing different animals?
17) Treats Always Work
How do you get any animal to do what you want? Give it a treat, of course! This London Zoo worker is checking her penguin pal’s weight while keeping him in position with a little fish bite.
18) This Is Great!
This super cute duckling looks really happy to be sitting in a red solo cup, ready for a weigh-in.
19) Ouch
This one is impressive, but if that zebra decides to start kicking, this guy could end up in a world of pain!
20) Those Ears
Trying to get a cat to stand still on a set of scales can be tricky, but if you place them in something cozy and safe, like this empty can, it becomes a lot easier.
21) Balancing Act
This one looks pretty risky! In order to weigh this turtle, the caretaker had to carefully balance it upside down, positioning the shell at just the right angle on this metal can to prevent the animal from simply rolling over and falling off the scales.
22) Teeny Tiny
Even the tiniest of animals need to be weighed, but you have to use special equipment for the job! This little measuring spoon, usually used at home for weighing out spoonfuls of flour and sugar, is being used to weigh a super small frog.
23) A Bowl Of Fluff
This adorable guinea pig looks pretty pleased to be getting weighed, sitting happily in her little bowl.
24) So Small
This is a baby hummingbird, one of the tiniest birds known to man! It’s so small, the caretaker chose to weigh it inside a simple cake cup.
25) Can I Sleep Here?
This little orangutan looks so relaxed in her fluffy pink towel, it seems like she could drift off to sleep and nap the day away.
26) So Relaxed
This baby panda looks so chilled out, lying back in that little plastic container, contemplating the meaning of life. Even though he’s just a baby, we can already see some pretty sharp claws.
27) Chilled Out
This big ball of blubber looks pretty relaxed, chilling out on that wooden platform, which has been hooked up to a digital monitor that allows the worker to check its weight.
28) More Treats
These penguins will probably gain a few pounds and need to be weighed all over again if they keep on gobbling up all those fish!
29) Too Bright
This bat is used to dark caves and night-time conditions. It looks pretty sleepy in this bright room, waiting to be weighed.
30) It’ll Be Okay
This sweet kittie looks a little nervous about being weighed. Don’t worry, little one, it’ll all be fine!
31) Don’t Forget The Tail!
This squirrel has such a big bushy tail, it probably weighs just as much as the rest of her!
32) Not Enjoying This
Given the expression on this cub’s face, we don’t think he’s too happy about being weighed like that. It’ll all be over soon, little guy!
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33) Bird Burrito
Since owls and other birds are pretty likely to just fly away when you want to weigh them, caretakers usually have to wrap them up tight like this to get the job done.
34) Right Into The Trap
The caretakers for these monkeys placed some tasty treats in a bucket and then let the monkeys leap onto it to check their weight. It’s a win-win for both sides!
35) Sounds Tasty
This cute kitten was placed in an old ice cream container to be weighed by its owners.
36) So Tired
This fluffy guy was so tired out at the end of his big day, it was pretty easy for the owners to weigh him.
37) A Newborn Penguin
This tiny penguin had barely just been born at the Chester Zoo in England when it was weighed like this. Look at that teeny tiny wing!
38) Strongman
It must take some pretty big muscles to be able to lift a giraffe, even a young one like this!
39) Simply Too Cute
This adorable koala is holding on tight to his teddy while sitting in a plastic container, waiting to be weighed. The funniest part is that the caretakers will have to weigh the teddy separately afterwards in order to calculate the right reading for the bear.
40) Peek-A-Boo
Why are all baby animals so unbelievably cute? Pretty much every single species is adorable when it’s so teeny tiny like that.
41) Just Chillin’
Now that is a well-trained bird! It looks totally relaxed, balancing on its back while its owner checks the weight.
42) So Pettable
This cute puppy looks so precious, sitting snugly in that bucket, with one little ear flopping over the side. We just want to reach right into the photograph and pet his head.
43) Are We Done Yet?
This beautiful lemur looks like she’s ready to leap right out of that bowl and go play with her friends.
44) Hello There
This super cute owl has been swaddled up in a blanket like a burrito for this weigh session.
45) Underwater Weigh Session
If you think weighing land animals is hard, just try weighing something aquatic, like a fish or ray, without even taking it out of the water. It might sound impossible, but this caretaker pulled it off.
46) Rawr
When it’s fully grown, this tiger might weigh over 600 lbs and be a whole lot harder to weigh. For now, simply placing it in a plastic box is enough to get the job done.
47) On The Perch
This colorful parrot was weighed on a special set of scales with their own built-in perch, designed especially for birds.
48) Hold On, Little Buddy
Everyone knows that Koalas love to climb trees and spend pretty much all of their lives clinging onto branches and climbing around, so when you want to weigh on, you have to weigh the branch as well!
49) Kittens Are The Best
We’ve seen some really cute images throughout this list, but really, is there anything more adorable than a teeny tiny kitten sitting in a bowl?
50) In The Jar
This adorable little fluffball hamster has been gently lowered into a glass jar to check its weight. It looks pretty cozy in there!
After seeing some of these photos, we can see just how innovative many zoo workers and animal owners have to be when weighing their furry, feathered, and scaly friends! Be sure to share the list around with you friends to see which photo they like the most.