Eurasian otter and pup, Estonia Jan 12, 2026

Eurasian otter and pup, Estonia

The clue isn"t the tracks in the snow—it"s the frosted faces peeking out like they"ve just discovered winter. Estonia is one of Europe"s best places to spot Eurasian otters, thanks to its clean rivers, wide wetlands, and snack-filled coastline. This protected species was named Estonia"s Animal of the Year in 2024. While globally considered near threatened, their population here has grown substantially, reaching an estimated 2,000 in recent years, up from a historic low of just 300 before the turn of the millennium.

© Sven Zacek/naturepl.com

palette

Today in History

Jan 12, 2018Al-Khazneh in Petra, Jordan
Jan 12, 2019Sailing across the ice
Jan 12, 2020The Zugspitze: Germany s highest point
Jan 12, 2021Sailing on thick ice
Jan 12, 2022Take the Stairs Day
Jan 12, 2023Rumelihisarı in Istanbul, Türkiye
Jan 12, 2024Bukhansan National Park, South Korea
Jan 12, 2025Crescent-tail bigeye fish, Great Barrier Reef, Australia

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Oct 12, 2024World Migratory Bird Day
Dec 23, 2020Swimming into the season
Jun 23, 2019Adorable activism
Dec 17, 2023Bohemian waxwings in Canada
Dec 12, 2019On the lookout for Sheep-Cote Clod
Mar 13, 2020Jerte Valley in bloom
May 5, 2024Happy Cinco de Mayo!
Sep 28, 2024National Public Lands Day
Dec 9, 2024Llama Day
Jan 31, 2026International Zebra Day
Dec 18, 2025Celebrating 54 years of Capitol Reef National Park
Dec 7, 2019Remembering the Arizona
Jan 1, 2025Happy New Year!
Oct 30, 2022Polar Bear Week
Nov 1, 2019The National Museum of the American Indian
Jun 24, 2021The call of the wild in Alaska
Jul 11, 2022World Population Day
Sep 24, 2023World Rivers Day
Nov 7, 2020National Bison Day
Jan 31, 2018Sunbeams across Tartu County, Estonia
Jun 2, 2025National Garden Week begins today
Aug 3, 2019Cetacean Saturday
May 2, 2019Making it work—in Norway
Sep 18, 2025Dunquin Pier, County Kerry, Ireland
Nov 8, 2025Bandon Beach in Bandon, Oregon
Mar 28, 2023The Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Italy
Dec 19, 2020Four Sisters, thousands of trees
Dec 5, 2022Saint Nicholas Day in Verbier, Switzerland
Jun 30, 2022Asteroid Day
Dec 26, 2018Boxing Day—a shopper’s delight