About the Global Archive of Real Animals
In the 18th century, a Swedish taxidermist tried to reconstruct a lion for Gripsholm Castle. He had never seen a real lion. Working from sketches and descriptions, he produced a wide-eyed, tongue-out curiosity that we now laugh at. The “Lion of Gripsholm Castle” isn’t just a meme—it's a cautionary tale: when we don’t have access to authentic references, our reconstructions drift into fantasy.
Photo: Bingar1234, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.The modern parallel
Today, we’re entering a digital age where AI can synthesize convincing animal photos, videos, and audio. Future generations may grow up surrounded by lifelike fabrications— and slowly lose intuition for what a real wolf’s gait looks like, how a real gibbon sounds at dawn, or how a real manta glides. Without reliable grounding, our collective mental picture of wildlife can become the next Gripsholm Lion.
Our mission
The Global Archive of Real Animals exists to keep reality front and center. We aggregate media only from verifiable, reputable sources that document wildlife in the field. Every item is shown with its source, license, and attribution so learners, educators, and the simply curious can trust what they’re seeing and hearing.
Where our media comes from
iNaturalist
Community science observations with photos linked to taxa, locations, and observers. Great coverage for global species and life stages.
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility)
A worldwide index of biodiversity records—occurrences with media from museums, research programs, and community projects.
Wikimedia Commons
Curated, openly licensed images and videos with detailed metadata and licensing for educational reuse.
Xeno-canto
Field-recorded bird vocalizations from around the world, contributed by recordists and ornithologists.
We respect licensing. Each card displays a license/credit badge and links you back to the original source for context.
Why “Real” matters
When you learn from verified wildlife media, you build the right instincts: what fur and feathers do in wind and water, how eyes reflect light at night, which calls belong to which species and seasons. Those instincts are the antidote to confusion in an AI-saturated world.
What you’ll see here
Keep wildlife real.
So no one in the future has to guess what a lion looks like.