This toy (#295929) was released in 2010, the same year Safari Ltd retired an earlier and very similar sculpt of a chimpanzee with baby (#272229, released 1998). So, in effect, this model was a direct replacement, and a notable upgrade.
The young chimp is piggybacking on the adult and convincingly looks like it’s clinging on tightly.
Today we’re looking at the Safari 2020 weasel, part of their North American Wildlife Collection. Safari’s website doesn’t specify the species, just that it belongs to the Mustela genus. The Mustela genus contains about 18 species, including the domestic ferret, European mink, stoats, and the least weasel…the smallest member of Carnivora.
Here’s a walk-around of the miniature meerkat figurine from the ChocoEgg Series 6 by Furuta. I previously shared this on the Animal Toy Forum, where member Isidro commented that it looks like it has a meerkat body and ring-tailed lemur face. Brontodocus also commented that its pose and size is nearly identical to the Play Visions ‘Civets & Mongooses’ meerkat.
Review and images by caipirasuchus; edited by bmathison1972
Tapirs (family Tapiridae) are cool. Their curious proboscis, big size, and somewhat prehistoric appearance made them very charismatic creatures. It’s not surprising that tapirs are very common in pop culture, at zoos, and as toys. What’s surprising is that nobody reviewed this animal here in ATB until now.
From the Alpine region of Switzerland come the Braunvieh cattle, a dairy breed that has its roots in the Bronze Age and the breed for which the oldest herd book is known, spanning the years between 1775 and 1782. Braunvieh is German for “brown cattle” and the breed is also known as the Swiss Brown.
Off we go back to the Arctic to explore another extreme climate inhabitant… the Safari Ltd. Arctic fox for 2023! Released under the item number of #100731, it presents a very special Arctic animal. This will also be the first post for this species on the blog! Unlike the Arctic wolf discussed in another recently released blog post, this animal is a unique species to its mainland cousin.
Review and images by caipirasuchus; edited by bmathison1972
Orcas (I prefer this term over killer whales), Orcinus orca, don’t need an introduction. One of the most popular marine creatures, it is also a very common species in the toy market. It’s not difficult to see why: big, beautiful, and presenting one of the most unique and striking color patterns in the animal world, orcas are everyone’s favorite.
The Clydesdale is a breed of draft horse that originated in the valley of the river Clyde, in the county of Lanarkshire in Scotland. They are the result of breeding imported Flemish stallions with small native draft mares during the 18th century. Later, in the 19th century, Shire horses were also used in the breeding program.
Happy holidays to all! I hope this latest post finds you in the holiday spirit, or at the very least an “Arctic animal appreciation” one. This post will focus on the Mojö Fun Arctic wolf #381052 released in 2022. The model itself is the first of its kind for Mojö, having only released one other wolf species, and the most common (read “generic”) of them at that.
My thanks to Happy Hen Toys for providing this figurine for review. Be sure to check out their website down below.
River dolphins might not be as famously charismatic as their oceanic relatives, or as infamously dangerous as some contemporary freshwater predators; but they’re a remarkable and precious sample of the diversity of life which can be found in the planet’s river systems.
Being December we’re now at the height of the holiday season and so for my next couple of reviews I’ll be featuring seasonally appropriate animals. “But this is a cat”, I hear you say, “what do cats have to do with the Holidays?” Well, if you’re asking that question then you’ve apparently never heard of the Yule cat, my favorite piece of Christmas folklore.
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
The charismatic Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) is the nominate tiger species and probably the one that most people envision in their minds when you mention tigers to them. Native to the Indian subcontinent, it rivals the Siberian tiger for the title of world’s biggest living cat.
Yesterday, the Blog showcased the 2023 Papo Salers bull. Today we will look at his counterpart, the cow. This cow was originally released in 2005 and retired in 2014, only to be released again in 2019. Today we will be looking at the 2019 release (although it is still stamped with the original production year of 2004).
Before we begin the review, I would like to thank Happy Hen Toys for supplying this figure for review. Happy Hen Toys is a U.S. distributor of animal figurines and a member and supporter of the Animal Toy Blog and Forum. Of particular note is that they’re one of the few U.S.
The Vietnamese pot-bellied pig, known locally as the Lon I, or simply I, pig, is a traditional Vietnamese breed of domestic pic. It originates from the southern Red River Delta in the Nam Định Provence of northern Vietnam. It was originally bred for meat.
