zoo cams

I couldn't tell you how many hours I've spent checking in on my favorite puppies, whales, and lions this year, but I can tell you that live zoo and streaming puppy cams are in your computer and taking over your Internets. With over 4,200 followers on UStream, the live Shiba Inu Puppy Cam became an overnight sensation, and your daily destination for "Awwww!"

Plus, more and more zoos are taking to the Internet with live cameras, so you're able see lots of different animals in their habitats, and view what goes on from day to day in the comfort of your desk chair. From the looks of things, it's pretty relaxed. Must be nice.

I looooove webcams, and I've got some time to kill before the Fourth of July fun gets started. If you're also sitting around waiting for the food to be grilled, now's a great time to check out some live zoo action. To be fair, I've included a variety of creatures as well as three cams with baby animals . . . ummm, adoro. Go ahead, blow kisses at your screen, I'm not telling.

• Lions! My current zoo cam of choice, I love to check in to see what the baby lions are up to. Nevermind that I can't understand a single word on the site except for "live" (as this zoo is all the way in Norway), my glimpses of mama lion canoodling and caring for her four cubs are too precious to pass up.
• Giant Pandas! Classic cam with lots of action, check out the Giant Pandas live from the San Diego Zoo. There are seven pandas there which makes spotting at least one fairly likely. And don't forget the other cams of the Apes, Polar Bears, and Elephants afterwards.

See three more webcam suggestions when you read more