This summer, young and old will take a trip to the African Savanna as Simba, Timon, Pumba, and the others come back to theaters with the live-action version of Disney’s The Lion King. With that, Diggn’It has compiled a list of animals with some seriously cool "beards".
1. Alpine Ibex
The Alpine Ibex is a species of wild goat that can be found in the mountains of the European Alps. Ibexes are distinctive thanks to their massive, elegant horns, which can reach up to 3.3 feet (1m) and their rockstar goatees that naturally look like they’ve been prepped by a pro stylist.
2. Emperor Tamarin
A specialty of South America, specifically Brazil, Peru, and Bolivia, there exist 2 types of tamarins, the black-chinned emperor tamarin and the bearded emperor tamarin. Both have old-school style mustaches that mustached men aspire to rock!
3. Markhor
Arguably the best beard on this list, the Markhor is native to Central Asia and the Himalayas and is the national animal of Pakistan. The name “Markhor” is a merger of Persian and Pashto words: “Mar” means snake and “khor” means eater. Only someone with that kind of name and meaning can rock a beard as majestic as the Markhor’s: long, thick, and very prominent.
4. Orangutan
With beards like that, maybe we should try and be more like them.
5. Bearded saki
Proportionally speaking, the bearded saki has one of the largest beards in the animal kingdom; its weirdly-thick beard extends from the jaw down onto its chest. One of the five species of New World monkeys, the bearded saki was a clear fashion influence for Dracula: Dead and Loving It
6. Japanese serow
A goat-antelope with an even number of toes like giraffes, the Japanese serow is a national symbol of Japan and fought its way back from extinction. It has a bushy, thick fur that is ideal for colder temperatures and its “beard” is not from a mane but the hair from its body.
7. Walrus
So original, an entire facial hair style was named the walrus mustache, walruses are aquatic mammals that live in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Often resembling a grouchy mustache, the walruses’ thick whiskers, sometimes a foot long, are known as mystacial vibrissae and are connected to blood and nerves thus making them highly sensitive but no less hip.
8. Catfish
No, not catfishing, catfish. Famous for its protruding, singular whiskers, the catfish has gained prominence as the stereotypical animal with “facial hair”. These whiskers are called barbels and grow around the fish’s nose, chin, and mouth and are actually sensory organs used by the fish to find food.
9.Inca tern
A native of Peru and Chile, this beautiful bird has an unforgettable Dali/Fu Manchu mustache that makes hipsters blush with envy. The ‘stache contrasts well with its grey plumage, red bill, and yellow cheeks and it curls out and up, sometimes even curling back on itself. This bird may well be the originator of the handlebar mustache.
10. Lion
The king of the jungle, a big cat, cute or scary, whatever you think of lions, it can not be denied that their manes/beards are eye-catching, noteworthy, and exciting. Found in Asia and Africa, only male lions can grow beards/manes with it being a rule of thumb that the darker and fuller a mane, the healthier the lion.