2021 has been another year of... mostly not-great news.

The most dominant headlines of the year have involved serious allegations against politicians and staffers in Canberra, extreme weather events, mice plagues and, of course, that goddamn pandemic.

Here are the stories we need to hear (and yes, most of them are animal related):

1. A six-year-old Australian Koolie named Bear won an award from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) for his saving more than 100 koalas during Australia's devastating 2019–2020 bushfire season.

2. A study, released in November, from researchers at King's College London found the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine reduces cervical cancer rates by 87 per cent in women who were offered the jab between the ages of 12-13, 62 per cent in women offered vaccination between the ages of 14-16, and 34 per cent in women aged 16-18 when they were offered the jab.

3. On November 23, billions of coral babies were born on the Great Barrier Reef. Marine biologist Gareth Phillips said this was "a strong demonstration that its ecological functions are intact and working after being in a recovery phase for more than 18 months. The reef has gone through its own troubles like we all have, but it can still respond – and that gives us hope."

The Great Barrier Reef has "given birth" in its annual coral spawn https://t.co/7q5eCDuXNd pic.twitter.com/Ov3HEoMtaE

— CNN (@CNN)

4. A Boston hospital has begun a Phase I clinical trial for a nasal vaccine that aims to prevent and slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

5. In its most recent budget, the Irish government announced a world-first pilot program ensuring a nationwide basic income scheme for artists and arts workers, guaranteeing around 2000 creative workers income from March/April 2022.

6. In November, an elderly Victorian couple visited a Toyworld store in Bendigo, Victoria and paid off 82 lay-bys for complete strangers.

7. The future of a penguin colony on Granite Island in South Australia is looking brighter after the discovery of two new breeding pairs, bringing the population up to 20 up from its lowest-ever count of 16 penguins in 2020.

8. Los Angeles officially became a 'no-kill' city in February, meaning more than 90 per cent of animals in shelters are rescued.

9. In the UK, a collapsed walker was saved thanks to his two dogs. When the 71-year-old collapsed, his black labrador ran ahead to find a walker they'd passed earlier. She followed the dog back to find the other dog, a golden retriever, standing guard by its unconscious owner's side. She then raised the alarm and a rescue team was sent out.

10. In February, French nun Lucile Randon became the oldest person to recover from COVID-19, just in time for her 117th birthday.

11. The Bank of England revealed new £50 notes in March, featuring mathematician and codebreaker Alan Turing. Turing's work to decipher Enigma machine messages during World War II saved countless lives and helped bring the war to an end sooner, but after the war he was persecuted and convicted of gross indecency because he was a gay man.

12. Tasmanian devils are thriving on the Australian mainland for the first time in 3000 years. Dozens of devils were introduced to a 400-hectare sanctuary in New South Wales last year, and this spring, the first generation of joeys were born.

13. The area of marine protection around the Galápagos Islands has been increased by nearly 60,000 square kilometres and established a 'marine highway' refuge along to migration path of animals including scalloped hammerhead sharks, whale sharks, rays, sea turtles, and tuna.

Congratulations to Ecuadorian President @LassoGuillermo on the creation of a new 23,166-square-mile Marine Protected Area near the Galápagos and the new debt swap to help manage it, announced today at #COP26. (📷: @shawnheinrichs) pic.twitter.com/Uj1vzJN2RE

— Leonardo DiCaprio (@LeoDiCaprio)

14. Simply, this otter:

A zookeeper gave this baby otter a sock to keep warm. She later turned it into a onesie with holes for the hands, feet, and tail! pic.twitter.com/b8EH2V6lmm

— In Otter News.... (@In_Otter_News2)

15. New Zealander rally driver Emma Gilmour was named the first female to race as a factory driver for McLaren Racing, securing a full-time drive in Extreme E – a global championship that tackles climate change and gender diversity during its all-electric SUVs off-road series.

16. Fort Severn, Ontario Canada's northernmost First Nations community, reduced its consumption of fuel for both electricity and transportation by around 400,000 litres of diesel a year after switching on a 300 kilowatt solar power station.

17. 800,000 native honeybees, which some thought to be extinct, have been found in an ancient oak forest in Oxfordshire, England.

18. Researchers in Auckland and Germany have developed a new way to fight climate change. The scientists potty-trained cows by using a sweet treat to coax the cows to push through a gate and urinate in a special pen called MooLoo, making their nitrogen-rich urine easier to collect and process.

19. An English nine-year-old called Sean has developed an app to help his non-verbal six-year-old brother Adam communicate. It displays a soundboard with pictures on its buttons which play related questions and statements. Adam can now tell others the basics of what he might like to do in a day.

20. An Italian street artist has replaced fascist symbols and sentiments in a Verona tunnel into tasty looking art.

‘I take care of my city by replacing symbols of hate with delicious things to eat,’ says Pier Paolo Spinazze aka 'Cibo,' an Italian street artist who fights racism by