What if animals were just like us?

For Natural Habitat Shorts (NHS), that simple idea has grown into a global animation phenomenon, reaching audiences far beyond its American roots.

The animated short-video series puts animals in familiar human situations while weaving in facts about their unusual habits. What began as a small creative project among three friends has now brought its creators to China to meet an audience they never expected to have.

From a small project to a global audience

The idea began in 2020. The team initially saw NHS as a creative outlet alongside their full-time jobs, hoping simply to build "a small following."

They came up with a short video about animals working in a grocery store. But when some viewers failed to understand why the animals behaved in certain ways, the creators saw an opportunity to add educational elements.

For example, a bat character uses echolocation, which explains why it was screaming in the video.

From there, NHS developed its distinctive formula: placing animals with real-world characteristics into relatable human situations.

"Everyone goes to work and deals with everyday human problems," said Nicole Low, one of the creators. "Putting animals in that situation with crazy animal habits just adds another layer of comedy."

That approach may also help explain why the series has resonated across cultural boundaries.

The creators say that even when American humor does not translate perfectly, emotions such as stress, jealousy and awkwardness remain relatable.

"I think a lot of the humor comes from the discomfort and stress that the animals deal with," said Brennan Brinkley, one of the NHS creators. "That's kind of a universal thing."

An unexpected connection with China

China, in particular, turned out to be an audience they discovered almost by accident.

The team began receiving messages from Chinese viewers on overseas platforms and later learned that their videos were being widely shared in China.

"We were like, how are they seeing our videos?" Tyler Kula, one of the creators, recalled.

This year, NHS officially opened accounts on Chinese social media platforms. The creators said they have been impressed by the enthusiasm and creativity of Chinese viewers, including fans who have sent them drawings and gifts.

In mid-September, the three creators visited China and met their Chinese fans in person. The trip also sparked ideas for future stories. The team is considering featuring more Chinese animals, including red pandas and giant pandas, and incorporating their unusual traits into the humorous situations that define NHS.

The creators also see China as a growing part of the animation landscape. For Brinkley, films such as Ne Zha 2 show the competitiveness of China's animation market.

From short videos to bigger dreams

And as NHS looks ahead, the possibilities are expanding beyond short videos.

The creators said they would like to explore children's books, a feature-length animated film and even a video game.

"Every once in a while, we'll show up in a place like China and realize, oh yeah, there's a bigger world out there," Kula said. "That's definitely a dream."

Executive producer: Zhang Jingwen

Producer: Yang Sha

Director: Guo Meiping

Videographer: Chong Yuhao, Zhang Jingwen

Graphic designer: Du Chenxin