According to the paradigm of cognitive semantics by M.Johnson and G. Lakoff metaphor is a fundamental cognitive ability that allows us to talk and think about abstract concepts and phenomena. It means that one thing is partially described in the terms of something else. Metaphor allows us to understand a relatively abstract or inherently unstructured subject matter in terms of a more concrete, or at least more highly structured subject matter. As they explain, in every culture conceptual metaphors create a coherent system and are reflected in conventional figurative language (Johnson and Lakoff 2003, 3–6). Evidently, in this framework, metaphor is a natural and common phenomenon which is no longer considered as an ornamental device restricted to literature. As most figurative expressions in everyday language have become conventional, this also holds for the domain of economics. There are many metaphors relating to particular concepts, e.g. sports, gambling, weather, health, war, etc. which are widely used in the business world. The images of animals are popular in the financial sector. The terms a bear and a bull can describe investors. Investors who are optimistic about the market’s future are referred to as bullish investors or “bulls” and those who are pessimistic about the stock market’s future are called bearish investors or “bears.” The paper attempts to provide insights into how animal-related words acquire metaphorical meaning and explores some of the potential benefits of animal metaphors used in economic discourse.