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At the heart of everyone, there's a special admiration for those who dare to break the mold. These rebels do what many of us dream of doing, but lack the courage to try. Films and songs have celebrated human rebels, immortalizing their acts of defiance.
But what about the rebels in the animal kingdom?
Typically, animals follow certain predictable behaviors within their species. Yet, there are instances where they defy expectations. While this may not be the subject of a blockbuster film (unless it's a National Geographic special), here are 10 instances where animals turned their backs on the usual and did something completely surprising.
10. Orangutans Consuming Meat
Orangutans are primarily herbivores, thriving on a diet of plants, fruit, and leaves. However, they do occasionally consume insects as well.
No one believed they were capable of hunting and killing until observations revealed them tracking and capturing slow lorises, killing them, and then feasting on them. Interestingly, the orangutans appear to have chosen one of the most adorable animals as their prey.
Orangutans only seem to hunt like this when other food options are scarce. In fact, there have only been nine known instances of this behavior in the wild, all involving the same five orangutans.
9. Swans Experiencing a Breakup
Bewick’s swans are famous for their almost predictable anniversaries, as they tend to mate for life. The Slimbridge wildfowl sanctuary in Gloucestershire, UK, has been tracking their migration for over 40 years, and in all that time, they’ve only observed a “swan divorce” twice.
During one migration from Arctic Russia to Britain, a male swan named Sarindi was seen separating from his mate, Saruni. When Saruni later arrived with a new partner and didn’t even acknowledge Sarindi, it became evident that their relationship had ended poorly.
Typically, Bewick’s swans remain together until one of them dies. Therefore, it was quite surprising to see them part ways.
8. Lions Who Climb Trees
Climbing trees isn’t typical for lions. They are large cats, and unlike leopards, they don’t possess natural climbing skills. However, lions living in Queen Elizabeth National Park in Ishasha, Western Uganda, and in the Lake Manyara Game Reserve in Tanzania have become skilled tree climbers.
There are several reasons why lions might go through the effort to learn tree climbing, despite it being challenging for them as they weren’t designed for it. It could help them stay cool, avoid pesky flies, or get a better vantage point of their territory. Or perhaps they simply grew envious of leopards. Who can say for sure?
7. Polar Bear Cannibalism
For a fierce predator like the polar bear, it might seem surprising that cannibalism is so rare. As hunters and scavengers, polar bears don’t seem to have many food boundaries when it comes to what they will or won’t eat.
In polar bear population studies, only one or two cases of these animals killing and consuming other polar bears are documented each year. The bears involved in this behavior are typically in poor condition and starving, which likely drives them to desperate measures.
Some believe that climate change is leading to more frequent instances of polar bear cannibalism, as they are depleting their food sources faster than usual. This could force them into a kill-or-be-killed mindset sooner. Despite this, polar bear cannibalism is only observed 5-6 times per year in a specific area.
6. Snakes Fighting for No Reason
It’s common for snakes to engage in combat, often performing strange “combat dances.” However, this typically occurs between two snakes of the same species, as they compete for the same resources.
In an unusual twist, we discovered that snakes might fight for no apparent reason. Dawn Kelly, a resident of Arkansas, captured footage on her smartphone of a cottonmouth and a copperhead snake battling one another.
What were the two snakes fighting over, considering they were different species with very different needs for food and mates? The answer isn’t clear, but scientist Phil Senter suggested they might have been fighting over a hybrid female snake.
Reptile breeders sometimes crossbreed these two species, resulting in “coppermouths” or “cottonheads.” It’s possible one of these hybrids escaped into the wild, causing confusion between the two male snakes about which species the female belonged to and which one had the right to mate with her. Either way, this type of behavior had never been witnessed before.
5. Elephants Consuming Their Own Feces
The act of eating one’s own feces is known as “autocoprophagy.” (“Coprophagy” refers to eating feces in general, not limited to one's own.)
Autocoprophagy isn’t generally recommended unless you’re a lemur, rabbit, rat, mouse, dog, pig, or one of the many other animals that engage in this behavior more often than we’d like to imagine. These creatures don’t suffer any harmful effects from consuming their own feces. Until recently, elephants were not thought to be part of this group, but that seems to be changing.
Elephant expert Keith Legget is unsure whether autocoprophagy is actually uncommon in elephants. It’s possible that people either don’t notice it or don’t report it, perhaps because they are uncomfortable with the behavior.
Elephants probably practice autocoprophagy to recover nutrients that may still be present in their dung, as they only digest about 20 percent of their food. It may also serve to replenish beneficial gut bacteria. Alternatively, they might resort to eating their dung when food is scarce, although this situation is rare.
4. Leopard Gives Hyenas the First Bite
Kim Wolhuter, a researcher and filmmaker, has spent many years studying leopards. He followed a male leopard named Tjololo for 18 months and observed some unique behaviors. Tjololo would make two kills, instead of just one, to distract the hyenas that would inevitably trail him, allowing him to enjoy his meal in peace.
To do this, the leopard had to first bring down one animal, leave it behind, and then swiftly target another. He could then feast on the second prey while the hyenas were occupied with the first. That’s some clever strategy on his part.
3. Racing Pigeon Goes Global
In 2012, Percy, a racing pigeon, decided to make an unexpected move. Originally from Cannock, Staffordshire, UK, Percy was released for a race from Fougeres, France. But rather than returning home, he made the remarkable journey to Canada.
Well, not exactly by his own wings… Percy had the aid of a boat. He traveled a staggering 4,944 kilometers (3,072 miles) to Quebec, Canada, where he was rehomed.
No one can say for certain what led Percy to take such a drastic step, but it’s definitely a story that will go down in history.
2. A Whale In The River
In January 2006, an unexpected sight caught the eye of Londoners—a young northern bottlenose whale was spotted swimming in the River Thames. This was an extraordinary event, considering the last recorded whale in the Thames was in 1913.
Sadly, the whale did not survive, succumbing to dehydration and injuries despite intense efforts to guide it back to the sea. Whales are not built to thrive in fresh water for long periods. It seemed as though the whale might have been sick or disoriented, leading it to venture up the river.
The whale's skeleton was retrieved and is sometimes put on display at museums in London. This unusual event turned the whale into a media sensation, capturing public attention.
1. Drone-Snatching Eagles
Although these bald eagles were specially trained, this remains a highly novel and rare behavior. The Dutch national police trained a group of bald eagles to detect potentially dangerous mini drones in the airspace. Instead of avoiding the drones, the eagles were instructed to capture them with their talons and bring them down.
This is a remarkable demonstration of the adaptability and intelligence of these powerful birds of prey. Their ability to catch and relocate drones is akin to their natural skill of hunting prey and bringing it back to their nest. What's even more impressive is their capacity to overcome any fear of man-made technology.
