Scientists Are Having #CuteOff Over Which Baby Animals Are The Most Adorbs On The Net

Turns out, social media isn't just a means for celebrities to show off. It's a way for scientists to compare baby animals, too

Ach, scientists. You think they're busy playing with bunsen burners, dressing up like ghosts with their white laboratory coats and making pretty patterns with litmus paper, but really they're just like us. Meaning that essentially, all they ever want to do is look at pictures of baby animals, and tweet about them.

But before we get to the month-old pandas, you need some context.

Last week, the science community hit headlines for launching the hashtag '#junkoff'. For once, it wasn't an intellectual comment on the recycling industry. It wasn't even a moderately-clever insight into alternative uses for our bin bags. Instead, it was a totally stupid, utterly amazing opportunity for scientists around the world to post pictures of the most impressive animal penises that they'd come across over the course of their careers.

Trust us when we tell you those images are NSFW. (Although they're totally suitable for forwarding to your friends post watershed.)

But now, perhaps in a conscious effort to prove that biology isn't all about sex, the same scientists are back on social media. And this time, they're having a #cuteoff - posting the cutest images of the cutest animals they've ever worked with, and goading their contemporaries into trying to outdo them.

And so, with no further ado, allow us to present our eight favourites.

THE HYENA WHO'S DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO COUNTERACT THE BAD PRESS IT GOT FROM THE LION KING

THE LIZARD THAT DESPERATELY WANTS TO BE ADOPTED

THE PUGGLE THAT HAS YET TO DISCOVER FRIZZEASE. (Or fly repellent)

THE CUBS THAT ARE GOING TO BE BEST FRIENDS UNTIL THEY TURN TEN. THEN SIBLING RIVALRY WILL RUIN EVERYTHING.

THIS BUG THINKS IT'S CHRISTMAS EVERY DAY. UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S NOT. (BUT LET'S NOT TELL HIM.)

THIS SEASON'S STATEMENT RING IS GREAT, UNTIL YOU TRY TO DO, WELL, ANYTHING.

JUST IMAGINE THESE THREE ON REFINED SUGAR.

SORRY KIM, BUT THIS IS HOW YOU SELFIE.