I think almost everyone has a big liking for such wild animals which aren't usually liked by most people. Do you have any? Like, creepy reptiles and ugly mamals which you are more or less crazy for?
The first unpopular animal that comes to mind is the Sage Grouse, a flightless bird that eats sage bushes. Native to the American high desert, they push out their chests and make an odd drumming sound to attract mates. Due to habitat loss, sage grouses are now endangered. Not only do I think these birds are fascinating, but I also believe they’d be a great inspiration for a future Pokémon (in the microscopic chance GameFreak makes a region based on the Pacific Northwest). Whenever I show someone a picture of a sage grouse, they always say it looks ugly and weird. That truly saddens me.
I am pretty fascinated by insects, especially millipedes and pillbugs. Beetles of all kinds are super interesting but a large majority of my family would say otherwise. And of course there are reptiles. I love reptiles, they are a passion of mine. But I did once scare the socks off my aunt with a rubber snake I had. She made such an odd sound, I thought she was having a heart attack
I won't say I like pigs, but I have a major respect for them, particularly for wild boars. Seeing a razorback out in the jungle or the brush, how fiercely they protect their family, how diligently they chase intruders and predators, how fiercely they fight when they're cornered. If I was given the choice of being put into the territory of a mean wolf or the territory of a mean boar and having to fight one of them for survival... I would fight the wolf. Better chance for my survival that way.
Pigs bc they're pretty smart Horses, idk why people dislike them I'd love to ride a horse! Tarantulas, they're fluffy y'all come on, also having one walk on you would probably tickle and stimulate some asmr shit
Spiders. While people everywhere I go seem to have fear of them (and rightfully so) I love the symbolism of how they embody cunning, trickery and patience. In the insect domain; spiders are the perfect hunters in laying traps at smart areas which attract easy prey like weaving a web around a light which would attract foolish moths in the dark. Spiderwebs are indeed made of a material stronger than steel, but there are actually two ends of each strand of the web. One that is made of the webbing material and the other which has the sticky coating. A spider would walk on the non-sticky side and if it were to touch the sticky side, it would adhere to it just as it would anything else. If it were to get stuck; spiders would recycle their own webbing, so if it found itself immobilized by its own web, it would end up eating its way out.
Not sure if anyone hates them but nobody better be dissing seals. They’re top predators, and they’re chonky and cute.
I kinda like vultures. I see them in my area sometimes. I like to watch the large birds flying around, and it's pretty cool to see them standing on the ground eating. Vultures have some weird habits, but that's what make them interesting, even if some people don't like them.
Hyenas. I'm head over heels for hyenas. First, because they are kinda big dogs, second, because they are gorgeous looking, third because they are cunning. Whenever I see hyenas on TV, I'm always like "oooh, it's getting hot here!"
Spotted Hyenas are one of my favourite animals. Most people think they're ugly, but I think they are adorable. Same goes for Striped and Brown Hyenas. I also think pythons, moths, leopard seals, sharks, and monkeys are awesome.