October 4: World Animal Day

Starting from 1931, World Animal Day is observed every year on October 4.

Polar bear cub "Wilbaer", left, plays with his mother Corinna in the outdoor enclosure at Stuttgart Zoo, Southern Germany, on Tuesday June 10, 2008. (AP Photo/Daniel Maurer) #

The day is now set aside as a time to reflect on all of the animals we share this world with, and our involvement with them - and to spur action to commemorate that respectful relationship.

A zebra eyes visitors at the zoo in Chisinau, Moldova Sunday Sept. 28, 2008. (AP Photo/John McConnico) #

Sangworn, a mahout (elephant driver), stands with his 13 year old elephant, Bussaba, at his temporary camp September 26, 2008 in Bangkok, Thailand. While the elephant is a symbol of Thailand, it is a fairly common site to see the unemployed and homeless animals roaming the city streets begging for food. The tame elephants dodge the traffic as their mahouts sell sugar cane by the bag to tourists who then feed them. Thai officials frown upon the practice and have passed laws banning elephants from roadways but the mahouts still come risking fines in order to survive. Elephants have been big business for the country for centuries but now they are reduced to a major tourist attraction. Elephants are trained to paint, play musical instruments, and even kick soccer balls. Until Thailand banned logging in 1989, many Asian elephants were laborers working in the jungles. (Paula Bronstein/Getty Images) #

Green Sea Turtles in the waters of Bora Bora, Tahiti are seen in this undated photograph from an exhibit titled "Irreplaceable: Wildlife in a Warming World," recently shown at the Peerless building in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. The exhibit showcased animals most threatened by global warming, such as green sea turtles. The gender of sea turtle eggs are determined by temperature, which means global warming would upset the natural gender balance. (Michele Westmorland)

This undated handout picture shows a Common Kingfisher with a fish in his beak. Germany's environmental protection organisations NABU (Naturschutzbund) and LBV (Landesbund fuer Vogelschutz) announced on October 10, 2008 that they had nominated the Common Kingfisher as "Bird of the Year 2009". (MANFRED DELPHO/AFP/Getty Images) #

A man leaves a stray dog adoption event with his new puppy in his arms after adopting it in Bucharest, Romania on October 4, 2008. There are 30,000 stray dogs in Romania's capital according to an animal rights group, Vier Pfoten Foundation. (REUTERS/Bogdan Cristel) #

The Capron Park Zoo in Attleboro, Massachusetts recently acquired a rare male white lion named Ramses, seen here basking in the afternoon sunshine. He is housed with two female lionesses who are sisters and who both carry the gene for the white color form. The zoo hopes to breed the male to the females. (Michele McDonald/Globe Staff) #

Emperor Penguins are seen in an undated photograph from an exhibit titled "Irreplaceable: Wildlife in a Warming World," recently shown at the Peerless building in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. Warmer temperatures in Antarctica are causing declines in krill, one of the penguin's main food source. (Kevin Schaffer)