CBC Edmonton's most memorable animal stories from 2016

As has become our tradition this time of year, we at CBC Edmonton like to take a little timeto look back at the animals that warmed and broke our hearts, raised debate and created Internet gold.

Here are some of our favourite homegrown animal stories from 2016, in chronological order.

'They called it puppy love'

A canine love story was caught on candid camera in January when Maggie, an Australian shepherdboarded at a St. Albert kennel, broke out of her pen to comfort some crying puppies.

• Canine love story caught on candid camera in St. Albert kennel

Dog stages breakout to get close to crying puppies

9 years ago

Duration 0:54

Security cameras at Barker's Pet Motel caught Maggie the Australian shepherd cross's escape from her kennel - all in the effort of getting close to some crying puppies.

After making international headlines with her nighttime caper, Maggie was later reunited for a quick visit with the puppies she comforted.

Elk Island bison head home

It was a homecoming more than a century in the making when 87 bison descendants of the Pablo-allard herd were returned to their ancestral territory in Montana.

• Elk Island bison headed home to Montana's Blackfeet Nation
• Alberta wild bison complete historic 650-km journey to ancestral Montana home

Alberta bison moving to Montana

9 years ago

Duration 0:52

In an effort to increase the population of bison on the Blackfeet Nation Reserve in Montana, 87 bison from Elk Island, Alta. are going to their ancestral home. This is not the first time that Elk Island has transferred bison to the United States, but it is the first time that the bison are being shipped to the Blackfeet Nation Reserve.

Man's best friends keep little girl safe in woods

Nine-year-old Meghan's family feared the worst when she and the family's three dogs failed to return home one chilly April evening. Following a huge search effort that yielded nothing, Meghan and the dogs walked out of the bush unharmed the following morning.

"She said that she had laid down and her dogs kind of huddled around her to keep her warm throughout the night,"Sgt. BarryLarocquetold CBC Edmonton.

• Family relieved dogs kept missing girl safe during cold night in forest

Pets left behind

When a wildfire threatened Fort McMurray and about90,000 area residentswere forced to flee their homes, hundreds had no choice but to leave their pets behind.

Frantic requestsflooded Facebook from pet ownersasking for help in various ways, including donations offood andgas. Someeven pleaded with those still in the city to break down their doors and rescue their animals.

Hundreds of animals were eventually rescued and brought to Calgary and Edmonton, where many owners had tearful reunions with their four-footed friends.

• Fort McMurray pets rescued by 'rogue' volunteer rescue team
• Hundreds of abandoned Fort McMurray pets rescued
• Pets evacuated from Fort McMurray wildfires receive help, but those left behind must wait
• Pets left in Fort McMurray after wildfire reunited with owners in Edmonton
• Purr-fect ending for Fort McMurray evacuee kittens

It's a model workout

Edmonton model Travis DesLaurierhit peak Internettraffic with a sound business strategy: a shirtless workoutwhile perfectly coiffed, with a cat in hand.

To be more specific, with his pet cat, Jacob. A video of the two has been viewed more than 23 million times on Facebook, helping launch DesLaurier'smodelling career.

"I don't want to do just the shirtless thing, but it's a good start," DesLaurier told CBC News.

• Model posts cat workout video, tries to break the internet

A model workout, with feline friend

8 years ago

Duration 0:50

Edmonton's Travis DesLaurier is looking to make his mark online, so he enlisted his cat to help.

Say cheese

When Kelin Flanagan and Spencer Taubnergot engaged, they hired a professional photographer, drove to Banff, and hiked into Helen Lake to capture the perfect shot.

And then this little guy popped in for an adorable photobomb.

• Ground squirrel crashes Edmonton couple's mountain engagement photo shoot

Despite having a furry visitor steal the spotlight, the couple still loves the shot. Butthey did have to work a little toconvince their families it was real.

Friday the fawn

Sean Steele was driving to Prince Rupert, B.C. in June when a pickup truck ahead of him struck a female deer. He pulled over to move the doe's body to the ditch that's when he noticed movement.

• Fawn delivered by C-section finds friend, future at B.C. refuge

Steele quickly freed a baby deer via C-section and brought the fawn, which he named Friday, to a nearby wildlife refuge. Friday is now in good health and good spirits.

Friday the fawn finds a friend

8 years ago

Duration 0:33

After a roadside C-section, Friday the fawn is thriving at the Northern Lights Wildlife Society in B.C.

Gaylord goes missing

It's not every day that a five-foot-long, cold-blooded tropicalpet goes on the lam in Edmonton and even less common that itmakes it home safe weeks later, hardly the worse for wear.

But then again, Gaylord isn't an ordinary iguana.

• Missing: One large iguana, answers to the name of Gaylord
• Lizard Lazarus: Gaylord the iguana returns home

In from the wild: Gaylord found

8 years ago

Duration 0:46

The Edmonton iguana was found safe and sound, four weeks after he clambered over a fence.

In defence of spear hunting

A video went viral of an American hunter killing a bear in Alberta with a spear, an incident which eventually triggered a provincial investigation.

In the video, posted in June, personal trainer Josh Bowmar killsa bear with a hand-thrown spear. Online reaction was immediately fierce, with many questioning whether the practice caused the bear unnecessary suffering.

• Alberta government orders investigation into spear killing of bear
• Alberta spear hunter defends American who posted bear-killing video

One Alberta hunter, however, defended thespear hunter, saying: "The guy's a great hunter and should get a pat on the back for that."

Cat caddy makes purrrfect companion

Agile reflexes, a love of the game, and an extensive knowledge of the course and she can't really give you any guff if you bungle your shot.

She may be the perfect caddy ... and her name is Hello Kitty.

• Hello Kitty: Stray cat makes perfect caddy on Alberta golf course

This kitty keeps golfers on course

8 years ago

Duration 0:51

Hello Kitty the cat has made the Bent Stick Golf Course near Edmonton its home.

It's a bird! It's a plane!

It's Tonka, the nine-year-old miniature pony who gets dressed up in a custom-made costume each Halloween.

This year, Tonka's owner Patty Kramps stitched matching costumes for herself and her steed, inspired by Pixar'sThe Incredibles.

• Tonka the miniature pony gets an 'Incredible' costume

Alberta pony's costume is simply 'Incredible'

8 years ago

Duration 1:19

Tonka the miniature pony from Legal, Alta. has an incredible Halloween costume - and for his owner, creating one-of-a-kind costumes is an annual tradition.

Local hero helps young chimp move to safe refuge

SpencerSekyer first met Mannothree years ago at the Duhok Zoo in Iraq when he was doing volunteer work with a local veterinarian. As the two bonded, the Sherwood Park high school teacher became worried for Manno's future, since conditions in the zoo were challenging and chimps tend to grow more aggressive as they age.

"He's either going to be in a small abandoned cage for the rest of his life, or they'll sell him to the highest bidder or there's going to be a significant incident at the zoo," Sekyer told CBC News.

Thenbegan his years-long quest to free Manno and transport himto Kenya, where he will now spend the rest of his lifeat the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary.

• Saving Manno: An Alberta man's quest to rescue a chimpanzee from Iraq
• 'He's not meant to be here:' Sherwood Park man frees chimp from Iraqi zoo
• Jane Goodall lauds Edmonton-area man for chimp rescue

Manno the chimp on his way to freedom

8 years ago

Duration 1:03

Spencer Sekyer has spent three years trying to have Manno released from an Iraqi zoo to a sanctuary in Kenya - and on Tuesday, the chimp started his long journey.

Cold rescue for rail-riding cat

On a bitterly cold night in early December, CN conductor Brad Slater was walking next to his train's engines when he hearda catcry.

Thus began the saga of a cat Slater named Q199(after the train it was found on). Despite a frozen ride from Saskatchewan on thetrain that left him encrusted in snow and ice,Q199 padded away from the ordeal with only a little frostbite.

Slater was all set to adopt his little rescue cat. Butitturned out hebelonged to someone else a family in Saskatchewan, who had likewise rescued the cat from a CN rail yard years earlier, and named himTiger.

• Rescue on the rails: CN crew finds cold kitty hitching a ride
• Owner found? Mixed emotions for train conductor who rescued cold cat
• Riding the rails back home: Cold kitty stowaway returns to Saskatchewan

Ending the year with a hoot

And finally, who could forget the surprising survival tale of a great horned owl, which came face to grille in a collision with a pickup truck on an Alberta highway. It lived to hoot the tale.

• 'Fairy tale ending': Owl saved after high-speed collision with truck

Great horned owl survives crash with truck

8 years ago

Duration 0:54

This great horned owl survived for hours stuck in the grille of a truck after it was hit on an Alberta highway.