This animal-cuteness Twitter battle is the best

Sean Rossman | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption #CuteAnimalTweetOff saves Twitter for a day If you wanted Twitter to go back to cute animal pictures, our nation's zoos came to your aid. Keri Lumm (@thekerilumm) talks the #CuteAnimalTweetOff.

The birth a seal pup at the National Zoo sparked a knock-down, drag-out Twitter battle — a precious throw down for internet cuteness supremacy.

The Washington, D.C. zoo innocently tweeted a photo of a four-day-old female seal pup on Wednesday to announce the animal's birth.

We welcomed a gray seal pup Jan. 21. The pup appears to be nursing, moving & bonding well w/ mom. https://t.co/l0Bzu7g8ek #Squee pic.twitter.com/nEhuJe6vBk — National Zoo (@NationalZoo) January 25, 2017

Then a Norfolk, Virginia woman threw the hammer down, challenging the Virginia Aquarium in Virginia Beach to put up or shut up.

What followed was a hilarious back-and-forth between the two facilities, each trying to do outdo the other with a photo of a cute animal.

.@VAAquarium This is Redd, our endangered Bornean orangutan infant. And he is the cutest. Do you fold yet? #challengeaccepted pic.twitter.com/ED6WiZun1R — National Zoo (@NationalZoo) January 25, 2017

The woman, Sarah Hill, then threw the challenge out to the masses.

And she got plenty of takers.

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