Animals that symbolize love can teach us about all aspects of life. Because love is fundamental to the human experience, love symbols are important. While plants and objects can represent love, nothing represents it as strongly or as accurately as animals.
What Makes An Animal A Symbol Of Love?
Animals are love symbols when they take on traits of the human experience with love. While all animals share similar traits, not all of them directly symbolize love.
On that same note, not all animal love symbols represent the same aspects of love. While one may symbolize motherly love, another may symbolize life-long romantic love.
Animals may not have souls like humans do, but they certainly share many of the same traits that we do. They often express their love to each other, choose one mate for life, and even let humans know they care.
Animals That Mate For Life
- Dolphins
- Beavers
- Wolves
- Some penguins
- Cranes
- Eagles
- Lovebirds
- Gibbons
- Seahorses
Wild Animals That Connect with Humans
- Elephants
- Capybara
- Swans
- Llamas
- Bearded Dragon
- Chimps
- Pandas
- Dolphins
- Wallabies
Animals That Express Themself to Lovers
- Beavers – build forever homes together
- Pufferfish – builds sand art to impress lovers
- Goose – protect their family
- River otters – hold hands
- Swans – mourns lover and touch heads
- Fox – watch out for each others’ children
- Albatross – does courting rituals even after they are together
Potential Messages From Animals That Symbolize Love
The message an animal love symbol has for you may not be the same that the same animal symbol has for someone else. Because every journey is unique, and there are unique ways of conveying messages to each person.
You must find out how the animal love symbol’s message applies to your life.
- New love is headed your way
- A new baby will soon arrive
- Your loved ones want more from you
- Self-love is being neglected
- Lost love is returning
- A deeper bond is forming
20 Animals That Symbolize Love
1. Dove
Doves are a symbol of love and peace. They hold spiritual value in many cultures, always with loving, positive origins.
- In Hinduism, doves are spirits that hold the capacity for love
- In Greco-Roman times, the dove was a holy creature of Venus and Aphrodite, the goddesses of love
- In the Jewish faith, doves were once sacrificed to purify mothers after they gave birth
- In the modern world, doves are used to signify marriage, often used in ceremonies
2. Dolphins
Dolphins are one of the number one animals of love. They mate for life, express emotions similar to what humans feel, and are able to connect to other species. Dolphins have long been a sign of good luck and prosperity in relationships.
3. Otters
Otters are sweet symbols of love. These creatures are fun, playful, and adoring. They hold hands when floating together to let others know that they are taken. Unlike many other animals, otters stick close to their family their entire life.
4. Gibbons
These monkeys represent love because of their friendly nature. They hang together, groom each other, and do other things that apes do. However, gibbons are special because of their expressiveness and the way they show love to each other.
5. Barn Owls
Barn owls are sweet symbols of love. They love to chill in dark places, singing to each other at night. They mate for life and remain monogamous, only spending time with their partner.
6. Swans
Swans symbolize devoted love. They are pure beings who get better with age, just like fine wine and true love. Swans also symbolize the twin flame, which has a special type of love.
7. Flamingo
Flamingos are symbols of romantic love. They stick together and are often connected to love because of their mating rituals and the romantic color of their feathers.
8. Butterfly
Butterflies represent self-love. They teach us to take care of ourselves, accept our beauty, and work hard to become who we want to be, loving ourselves every step of the way.
9. Horse
Horses are symbols of love. They represent fertility and abundance in life, with tales of them embodying love for the earth and giving life to all of its creatures. In the Bible, a rider called Faithful and True rode a white horse, connecting it to the heavens and the epitome of love.
10. Cows
Cows are sacred symbols of love. Many religions have considered them as such at some point in history. They typically represent maternal love but can also represent other types of love.
11. Rabbits
Rabbits are special symbols of familial love. They reproduce more rapidly than almost any other creature in the animal kingdom. The sometimes sacred animal is a sign that you will have a large family, blessed with abundant life.
12. Elephants
Elephants are symbols of love and connection. They have amazing memories and often form bonds with other species, including humans. If you take care of an elephant, it will return the favor by taking care of you.
13. Ladybug
Ladybugs symbolize love. They are good luck charms that you must free when you catch one to receive its blessing. The ritual is seen time and time again throughout the ages.
- Catch a Ladybug
- Free it and let it fly
- It will thank you by whispering your name in your soul mate’s ear
- Your soul mate can now find you
14. Seahorse
Seahorses are symbols of love. They are playful and romantic, “holding fins” as they travel the waters together. Some may do this platonically, but humans believe that when seahorses travel this way, it is because they are in love.
15. Coyote
Coyotes are symbols of love and devotion. They always travel in packs, partnering with other coyotes and forming families to stick by forever.
16. Starfish
Starfish are symbols of love. They often represent the Virgin Mary and guide us on our travels just as the North Star did for Mary. The starfish can regenerate, symbolizing new life as well as infinite love.
17. Eagles
Eagles are known for flying alone, but they are also devoted to their love. Although they can be trained, even wild eagles tend to pick humans they can trust to bond with when given a chance.
18. Albatross
Albatross are powerful symbols of love. They are graceful and mysteriously large birds that migrate further than any other sea birds. They do this together with their families, taking food and shelter along the way.
19. Beavers
Beavers are important symbols of love. They mate for life, take care of each other, and work together to build a life with their family. The happy animals have relationships so similar to what we yearn for in the human world.
20. Penguins
Penguins are symbols of couple love. These animals believe that you only have one soul mate. Those that have seen Happy Feet know the rituals of the penguins.
- Penguins give the one they believe is their soul mate a rock (like an engagement ring)
- They do mating calls to attract their lover
- They take turns sitting on the egg and going out for food
- They mate for life
- They take care of their baby well into adolescence
How Can Animals Help Us Better Understand Our Love Lives?
Animals can help us understand our innate desires, instincts, and the natural flow of love. When society confuses us, we can look to animals who never change.
They teach us how to give into our hearts and live life abundantly. There’s nothing that helps us live more abundantly than a life full of love.