Buzz
Animals can be downright terrifying, especially when they form groups. Even the gentlest creatures can become nightmarish under the right (or wrong) conditions. Be cautious the next time you go for a walk, and whatever you do, don't provoke a crow. This list highlights animals that collaborate to bring your worst fears to life.
10. Squirrels Rip Apart A Dog
In Russia, squirrels are not to be trifled with, as a lonely stray dog learned the hard way when it tried to mess with a group of park-dwelling squirrels. In late 2005, a group of squirrels turned on a large stray dog, tearing it apart piece by piece. The dog had been barking at a tree filled with squirrels when they decided they'd had enough and attacked. A swarm of them leapt from the tree and pounced on the dog. Several park visitors watched in horror as the squirrels tore into the dog, running off with chunks of flesh still hanging from their tiny jaws.
Squirrels have been observed acting in packs more than once. In 2008, in Virginia, a group of squirrels was spotted attacking pumpkins to get at the seeds within. Folklore and personal accounts suggest that frenzied squirrel behavior while gathering food before winter is a sign of a harsh season ahead. Though this has yet to be confirmed, strange and aggressive behavior is often seen when winters are long and brutal. Squirrels can display odd—and sometimes very aggressive—behavior when food, especially protein, is scarce.
9. Badgers Steal From Graves
Swindon, England, has faced a disturbing issue for years. Occasionally, human remains buried in the Victorian Radnor Street Cemetery are discovered above ground. These bodies are reburied, only to be unearthed again the following night.
The offenders? Badgers. They’ve been digging beneath the cemetery for years, disturbing graves and bringing corpses to the surface. The cemetery, which opened in 1881, houses over 33,000 graves. While understandably upsetting for relatives, there’s little that can be done to prevent this disturbing cycle from continuing.
In 1992, the Protection of Badgers Act made it illegal to harm or disturb a badger den. The cemetery was designated as a Local Nature Reserve in 2005, and since then, the badger population in the area has surged. When remains exhumed by badgers are reburied, it’s often difficult to place them in their original spots because volunteers are prohibited from disturbing the dens, which are frequently found beneath the graves themselves.
8. Cows Kill Dog Walkers
If you’ve ever walked through the rural British Isles, you’ll know that a group of cows can feel somewhat unsettling. A 61-year-old woman in Radyr, Cardiff, discovered that “unsettling” was an understatement when she was tragically trampled to death by a herd of cows while walking her dog in 2011. This occurred near a popular footpath in a field frequently used by walkers. Two years earlier, a 63-year-old woman was similarly trampled by a different herd of cows in another area of Cardiff.
Cows may appear to be gentle creatures simply grazing and wandering, but they can be highly dangerous if they feel threatened. In both of these cases, it is believed that the cows felt provoked by the women’s dogs. The risk of aggressive behavior is heightened when calves are born, increasing the danger of encountering such attacks.
7. Stray Dogs Devastate A Farm
It’s no surprise that dogs can be aggressive. Many breeds are powerful enough to kill other animals, even humans. A full-on attack by a pack of stray dogs isn’t something most people typically worry about, but it’s worth reconsidering. In 2013, a pack of stray dogs overran Reedley High School in California and attacked its farm. The dogs killed an astonishing number of animals—at least 80 in total. Fifty-four chickens, 25 rabbits, and a pig were among the victims. The dogs also destroyed cages and caused extensive damage worth thousands of dollars.
In 2003, National Geographic reported that the number of feral dogs in the United States had reached a crisis point. The damage caused by farm attacks exceeded $37 million in 1999. The feral dog problem began in the 1980s when dog fighting became more prevalent, and many dogs were bred specifically for aggression. Once abandoned or left to survive on their own, these dogs took over aggressively. Detroit, a bankrupt city, is home to over 50,000 stray dogs, and this issue is not limited to the U.S.—in 2013, there were an estimated 600 million stray dogs globally.
6. Feral Cats Assault Pedestrians
In 2013, a 31-year-old French woman and her daughter were attacked by a clowder, or group, of cats. The woman was walking her dog with her young daughter on a Sunday evening when at least six aggressive felines pounced on her. They knocked her to the ground and viciously clawed at her arms and legs. She sustained several severe injuries, including a punctured artery. A local veterinarian couldn’t explain the cats' strange behavior, remarking that in his 20 years of practice, he had never encountered anything like it.
5. A Group of Raccoons Attacks Woman
In 2012, a 28-year-old woman in Washington state was attacked by a pack of raccoons while jogging near her home. She was nearing the end of her trail when her dog decided to chase a couple of raccoons up a tree. Moments later, the raccoons descended—this time with reinforcements. As they clawed and bit at her legs, she ran back home. The attack ended when her dog scared off a few of the raccoons, giving her the chance to get inside. She suffered 100 cuts and 16 puncture wounds from the attack.
In 2009, a 74-year-old woman was attacked by five raccoons while trying to chase them out of her yard. Though severely injured, she was fortunate that the raccoons weren’t carrying rabies.
The Humane Society states that raccoons are rarely aggressive toward humans. Although they are active both during the day and night, they tend to be fearful of humans and typically choose to flee when they feel threatened. However, when they do attack, it is usually due to a disease like rabies, canine distemper, or feline parvovirus.
4. Chihuahuas Overrun Phoenix
When you think of a dangerous pack of feral dogs, what do you picture? It's likely not Chihuahuas, a breed often associated with wealthy housewives and Taco Bell commercials. Yet for residents of Phoenix's Maryvale neighborhood, these tiny dogs are becoming a major issue: Packs of free-roaming Chihuahuas are wreaking havoc in the area.
Maricopa County's animal control center has reportedly received more than 6,000 calls regarding the problem, most of which are from the Maryvale area. These dogs roam in packs, with eight to twelve dogs per group, and often attack children as they walk to and from school. During school hours, they go from house to house, digging up yards and chasing pets that happen to be outdoors.
3. Crows Never Forget Your Face
Crows are incredibly clever creatures. They are capable of using tools, displaying real common sense, and if you upset one, it will remember your face for the rest of its life. A study in Seattle showed that banded crows never forget a human who has wronged them. Even years after an encounter, the crows will immediately recognize and react to the 'dangerous' human. Initially, they will scold the individual and summon other crows to join in. Then, they will form flocks of 30 or more and dive-bomb the person. Perhaps this is why a group of crows is called a ‘murder.’
Furthermore, crows will spread the knowledge of a harmful person to other crows. Even if a crow has never encountered the troublesome human before, it will still react when they come across them. This information can spread to crows from flocks over a mile away from where the negative experience took place. The memory of a dangerous person can last a lifetime in a crow’s mind. Scientists must be cautious when capturing or studying crows because these birds will never forgive them.
2. Sexually Aggressive Dolphins
Dolphins are among the most adored creatures in the ocean, but their behavior isn’t always as gentle as it seems. For instance, there have been reports of dolphins killing baby porpoises, possibly for enjoyment—or as practice for killing their own offspring later in life. Bottlenose dolphin groups have been seen isolating a female and forcing her to mate with them for extended periods. Dolphins are also known to attack humans. In Ireland, four people were hospitalized due to the actions of a particularly aggressive bottlenose dolphin.
While the term ‘dolphin rape’ might make for an eye-catching headline, it doesn’t accurately describe the sexually aggressive behavior dolphins display toward humans. Dolphin expert Justin Gregg, who holds a PhD in dolphin social cognition, argues that calling it ‘rape’ diminishes the seriousness of actual rape. Still, male dolphins have been documented acting sexually aggressive towards humans. For instance, in 2012, an underwater cameraman captured footage of a dolphin pushing another diver to the ocean floor and mounting him. But don’t let this completely tarnish the dolphin’s image—there are still stories of dolphins rescuing humans from sharks from time to time.
1. Elephants Take Revenge On Village
In August 2013, a train struck and killed an elephant near the village of Matari in eastern India. After the tragedy, a herd of 15 elephants retaliated by attacking nearby villages in what appeared to be an act of vengeance. The herd caused significant damage, destroying at least 10 homes. Revenge-driven attacks by grieving elephants are not entirely uncommon. Elephants are known for their mourning rituals, where family members bring plants to lay on the deceased’s body, and they often revisit the site of death multiple times.
Elephants across the globe have been known to attack villages. Herds that have lost their matriarch are often observed to suffer from post-traumatic stress, with young, inexperienced families sometimes exhibiting strange and erratic behavior. As human populations in rural areas continue to rise, elephants are becoming less fearful of humans, and are now seeking revenge for the deaths of their family members and the destruction of their natural habitats. Researchers are gradually uncovering that elephants understand humans far more deeply than we had previously imagined.
