Buzz
Every day, crimes like murder, theft, and assault take place. People invade homes, causing endless trouble for others. This is the image we typically associate with crime—humans.
However, as we will discover, humans aren't the sole perpetrators. Some of the same crimes that people have committed have also been carried out by animals. Here are 10 such instances.
10. The Bear Who Hijacked a Car, Crashed It, and Had an Accident
Bears are notorious for raiding homes for food, causing chaos in towns, and sometimes even breaking in. However, this particular tale might just be the most outlandish of them all.
One morning in Colorado, a family awoke to discover that a bear had gotten into their car overnight. In search of food, the creature became trapped, inadvertently shifted the car into gear, and crashed it into a neighbor's mailbox. Before leaving, the bear also left a parting gift in the form of its own waste.
Fortunately, no one was harmed. However, the vehicle suffered significant damage, with its rear window completely shattered, and both the radio and steering wheel nearly torn out. The family, though shocked, managed to take the bizarre situation in stride with a sense of humor.
Nevertheless, the damage to the car and the destruction of the mailbox meant the bear was guilty of property damage and car theft.
9. The Rooster Who Stabbed Someone
Cockfighting is a serious crime and considered animal cruelty, and it’s illegal in the United States. However, an unfortunate incident in California claimed a man’s life.
Thirty-five-year-old Jose Luis Ochoa participated in an illegal cockfighting event where a rooster, armed with a knife attached to its leg, stabbed him in the right calf. Cockfighting roosters are often fitted with sharp knives and other dangerous objects for combat. Yet, no one had ever been killed or seriously harmed by one until this shocking incident.
Ochoa was rushed to the hospital, but tragically, he passed away two hours later.
8. The Chimpanzee Who Brutally Attacked A Young Woman
In November 1973, an experiment known as Project Nim began when a chimpanzee named Nim was taken from his mother. The researchers aimed to raise him in a human household, hoping to treat him like a human child.
Nim was taught sign language, and for a while, things seemed to be going well. That is, until a young female volunteer misunderstood his intentions, believing he was attempting to embrace her. What followed was something tragically (and frighteningly) unexpected.
The chimp charged at the woman and used his sharp teeth to bite her mouth. As the woman pressed her hand against her bleeding cheek, the young chimp supposedly made repeated “I’m sorry” gestures in sign language.
Though the woman recovered in the end, this incident cast a dark shadow over the already controversial experiment.
7. The Emu Pursued by the Police
As anyone from Australia can likely attest, emus are not to be underestimated. This particular emu, however, committed a rather amusing and harmless offense. After escaping from its owner, the 1.2-meter (4 ft) bird was spotted running through a town during rush hour, attempting to break into homes to avoid capture.
The police officers were somewhat intimidated by the bird, considering its large size and speed. Moreover, handling runaway birds wasn’t exactly a routine part of their daily duties.
A woman was asked to allow the emu into her lounge, though she doubted it was the best option. Ultimately, the emu was caught successfully at 8:00 AM and returned to its owner.
6. Fish-Snatching Sperm Whales
Rather than being an isolated incident, this appears to be a frequent occurrence, according to Alaskan fishermen. Sperm whales seem to target fishing boats as convenient food sources, using a clever technique to snatch fish off the hooks and drag them into the water.
This ongoing theft has become a major annoyance for the fishermen, and it’s unlikely to stop anytime soon.
The sound of the boat’s engine is believed to attract the whales, who use sound to hunt. They calmly swim alongside the boats, waiting for the right moment to strike. They're undeniably smart, so we might say they’ve earned a snack or two.
5. The Ineffective Slow Thief
A sloth, typically seen as sluggish and lazy, somehow managed to sneak into a closed restaurant. In search of a late-night snack, it initially moved stealthily through the establishment. However, this slow-moving thief was caught when it tumbled to the floor, alerting the café’s security after its clumsy landing.
While some monkeys had been spotted in the restaurant during daylight hours, the owner was still surprised to find a sloth there, and he found the whole situation quite amusing.
4. The Feline Burglar
Cats are often seen as less innocent compared to dogs. However, it’s not exactly expected for a cat to amass a growing pile of money taken from others.
Sir Whines-A-Lot, the cat in question, managed to swipe money from people by sneaking through a small gap in his owner’s office door. What likely began as a playful interaction with people waving dollar bills at the cat eventually grew into a much larger pile, much to the surprise of his owner, who chose to donate the funds to the homeless.
3. The Monkey Who Abducted and Killed a Child
This could very well be the most tragic case on the list. It involves a monkey kidnapping and ultimately killing a child in India. While it has been somewhat common for local monkeys to steal food and cause mischief, this marked the first time one had abducted a person.
As per the child’s mother, the baby was peacefully sleeping when the monkey swooped in, grabbed the boy, and carried him away. Unfortunately, the mother was too slow to catch up with the swift monkey. Later, the child was found dead behind the house, likely dropped by the monkey.
2. The Dog Who Shot His Owner
In Iowa, a man had what seemed like an ordinary day, playing on the couch with his dog, Balew. However, things took an unfortunate turn. During their play, the dog managed to disable the safety on the man’s gun and accidentally stepped on the trigger, shooting his owner in the leg.
The man later humorously referred to his dog as a “big wuss” in an interview, mentioning that the dog had curled up next to him, whimpering, clearly aware that something had gone wrong. Fortunately, both the man and the dog were okay in the end.
1. The Evidence-Stealing Crow
Crows are far smarter than many give them credit for. So it was no surprise when a crow named Canuck swooped down and snatched a knife—a crucial piece of crime scene evidence—in a Vancouver case that involved over 20 police officers.
As it turned out, Canuck was the pet of a nearby resident. Having grown up around humans, the bird had developed a mischievous habit of pulling pranks and engaging in humorous antics. But in this instance, the crow’s actions may have caused even more chaos than usual.
