It’s very easy to have a knowledge of the animal kingdom on a superficial level. You go to your local zoo, you see the zebras, and you think you know something. If you’re a regular viewer of Animal Planet or the Discovery Channel, you might feel a little bit superior to the rubes who call themselves the next Steve Irwin after only viewing two hours of Whale Wars. Unfortunately, neither of these groups truly compare to the real hobbyists. Do you know the kinds of people who can look at a prehistoric fish thing and tell you it’s genus, it’s species, and so on? Those are the unsung heroes of the animal fandom. Sure, scientists study animals all day long, but do they make memes about them? Riddle me that. Animal memes find the intersection between the fun casual fans of the animals and the diehard borderline scientists. That’s what makes them approachable, yet informative.