While we often say that humans are the most intelligent of all creatures, in many cases, humans are not necessarily more precious or valuable than other animals. Let's take a look at the ten most expensive animals in the world, including horses, buffalo, bluefin tuna, Tibetan mastiffs, Dolan sheep, dairy cows, eagles, blood-red arowana, blue snakes, and sheep. Their prices range from millions to hundreds of millions of RMB! Let's take a closer look at their respective values! (Note: All prices are in RMB)
1. The world's most expensive horse
At a Kentucky auction in 2006, a thoroughbred racehorse named "Green Monkey" was sold to Calder Racecourse for a record-breaking $16 million, equivalent to approximately 110 million RMB at the time, setting a new record for the most expensive horse ever sold at auction. However, despite the high price, the horse had a poor career, consistently underperforming in races and earning only $10,000 in prize money before retiring in 2008. This was undoubtedly a great disappointment for the buyer.
2. The world's most expensive water buffalo
In Africa, a buffalo named "Horizon" boasts the longest horns, reaching 55 inches (approximately 1.4 meters), and is in excellent health. A South African businessman purchased a 25% stake in it for 44 million South African rand (approximately 18.18 million yuan). This makes the buffalo the world's most expensive "king of buffaloes," valued at 176 million South African rand (approximately 72 million yuan). Horizon's four co-owners are entitled to 10 cows annually for breeding and retain ownership of their offspring. Because of the superior genes of these buffaloes, they are highly sought after in South African livestock farming, with the hope of breeding even larger-horned buffaloes through these practices.
3. The world's most expensive bluefin tuna
On January 5, 2019, Sushi Zanmai, a famous Japanese sushi chain, announced on its Twitter account that a bluefin tuna had sold for a record-breaking 333.6 million yen (approximately 21.1 million yuan) at the annual first tuna auction of the new year held at Toyosu Market in Tokyo. This exorbitantly priced bluefin tuna, originating from Aomori Prefecture, Japan, weighed an astonishing 278 kilograms, fetching 1.2 million yen (approximately 76,000 yuan) per kilogram. The tuna was won by the owner of a sushi chain, breaking the record set since 1999.
4. The world's most expensive Tibetan Mastiff
In November 2010, Li Ruihong, a businessman from Dalian, purchased a purebred red Tibetan Mastiff in Datong, Shanxi Province, for over 15.8 million yuan. This price set a new record for Tibetan Mastiff purchases and caused a huge sensation in the Tibetan Mastiff world. This purebred red Tibetan Mastiff thus became one of the most expensive dogs in the world. This purebred red Tibetan Mastiff, only 11 months old and weighing 163 jin (approximately 81.5 catties), was named "Jiangshan Yipianhong" (meaning "The Land Is Red"). It was a purebred red Tibetan Mastiff that had not undergone any external crossbreeding. Li Ruihong chose to buy this red Tibetan Mastiff not only because of its excellent appearance, but more importantly because of its innate mastiff-like temperament.
5. The world's most expensive Dolan sheep
The Dolan sheep from Kashgar, Xinjiang, has garnered significant attention due to its quirky and adorable appearance, rare breed, and scarcity, making it a new favorite among China's wealthy pet community. These pet sheep undergo a remarkable transformation in their coat color, gradually changing from black to white as they grow, a characteristic that has earned them the title of "Xinjiang's Treasure" within the industry. Globally, there are only about 1,000 Dolan sheep, with purebred, beautiful ones fetching prices as high as 14 million yuan each, and even the cheapest costing over 200,000 yuan.
6. The world's most expensive dairy cow
Miss, a breed of dairy cow with excellent genes, sold for a high price of $1.2 million (approximately 8.3 million RMB) at an auction in Toronto in the fall of 2009. These high-quality breeds of dairy cows sold by Albert Bonaka Farm command extremely high prices, with Miss fetching a full $800,000 more than the second most expensive cow.
7. The world's most expensive falcon
Dubai's wealthy have a particular fondness for keeping falcons, animals that, despite their small size, are exceptionally expensive. High-quality falcons can fetch around $1 million (approximately 6.9 million RMB), while even ordinary falcons cost over $100,000. Beyond the exorbitant price, the cost of caring for these pets, including regular maintenance, brings the total expense of keeping a single falcon to around $2 million, exceeding 10 million RMB, making it one of the world's most luxurious pets.
8. The world's most expensive blood-red golden arowana
At the 2004 Singapore International Fish Show, a Japanese buyer successfully purchased a special breed of Blood Red Arowana for a high price of US$600,000 (approximately RMB 5 million at the time). This fish weighed 2 kilograms and, according to Chinese, is called Blood Red Arowana. It originated from the area north of Lake Sentala in Indonesia and is a carnivorous fish, primarily feeding on small fish and shrimp. The fish was mature, and its form and coloration were outstanding, with a stunning interplay of red and purple. More importantly, its head was held high, exuding a domineering and proud aura.
9. The world's most expensive blue snake
The blue snake, also known as the blue-blooded snake, is a blue variant of the green tree python. It is a non-venomous species. Blue snakes are extremely rare on Earth, with adult blue snakes fetching prices as high as nearly $500,000 USD (approximately 3.5 million RMB). Some are even impossible to acquire despite having the money, making them undoubtedly among the most expensive snakes in the world. They are found in the rainforests of Indonesia, New Guinea, and Australia, and their bodies are covered in blue spots. These spots increase and expand after each molt, making them exceptionally beautiful and unique.
10. The world's most expensive sheep
In 2009, a sheep named Devillow Waller was sold in Scotland for a staggering $376,691 (approximately 2.6 million RMB), making it the most expensive sheep in the world. Farmer Jerry ultimately purchased the sheep, calling it the most perfect sheep he had ever seen, and thus determined to own it. This price broke the previous record set in Australia in 1989, where a sheep sold for $334,293. Many believed that, given its exorbitant price, its fate was destined not to be lamb chops.
This ranking of the world's most expensive animals is compiled primarily from content indexes or user-shared information, combined with descriptions from relevant websites. This list is for your reference and entertainment purposes only. If you have any questions, please feel free to comment/criticize at the end.
