- [Narrator] The inner workings of an animal's brain can
often times be a mystery. But beyond strange habitual behaviors, like dogs chasing their tails, there are other
extraordinary characteristics that often leave observers
scratching their heads. From turkey rituals to some
very unusual hiding places, buckle up and join me
on this bizarre safari, as we encounter some of the strangest animal behavior caught on camera. (gentle music) - Whoa. (bell ringing) - [Narrator] The turkey tree. In July, 2021, Michigan
man, Michael Dobson, was in his kitchen preparing
some meat for a cookout. But as he glanced out the window, there was something
intriguing afoot in his yard, three turkeys strangely chasing one another around one of the trees. - [Michael] I'm in the kitchen getting some meat together, look out the window and
the turkey's playing Ring Around the Rosies. That's what's up. - [Actor 1] My dad. - [Actor 2] Okay, I'm calling him now. (Michael laughs) - [Narrator] Like some kinda weird ritual, the turkeys frolicked around the tree. Then, off-camera, Michael described they came to a sudden halt
and casually dispersed, as if nothing strange had happened at all. After witnessing this weird ritual, Michael was left puzzled, but turkey experts may be able to offer some enlightenment. Turns out, turkeys have been observed assuming circular formations or marches when they are unsure of a situation. For example, if they come
across a dead animal, they may circle it to
gauge whether it's alive and a threat to them, with the circular formation
likely making them feel a little safer. Which is all well and good, but I can neither see a threat nor dead animal in the
clip we saw a moment ago, so what gives? Well, no one's quite sure. Some online viewers believe it may be related to the fact that turkeys habitually follow one another, and, in this case, they
just may not have realized that they were following
each other in a circle. Which is, honestly, hilarious. Alternatively, the turkeys might just be having a good bit of fun, because after all, a little playtime isn't solely restricted to us humans. But what do you think is going on here? Let me know in the comments. (image whooshing) Sideshow Mike. As gruesome as it sounds, on small-scale poultry farms, when it comes time for
chickens to become dinner, it's often easiest for farmers to send 'em off to chicken heaven, uh, Queen of Hearts style. - Off with their heads! - [Narrator] But believe it or not, a few moments after being killed, chickens will actually continue to flap and run about. How? Well, you'd think it
was just a final burst of the nerves in the chicken's body, but one historic tale proved there was something even
stranger going on than that. The year is 1945, and Lloyd Olsen and his wife Clara are working on their Colorado farm, chopping their way through
around 50 chickens. The fluster of flapping, newly-headless chickens
was nothing new to them, however, one chicken continued to flap much longer than expected. In fact, this chicken
remained fully alive, albeit headless. Realizing how extraordinary this was, the Olsens named the chicken Miracle Mike, and soon enough, they
left farm-life behind and created a traveling sideshow where they'd wow spectators
with their headless chicken. But wait, wait, how was
any of this possible? Well, much of a chicken's brain isn't at the front of the head, but rather behind the eyes and beak, suggesting it may be
possible for a chicken to survive decapitation, assuming it isn't killed by
infection from its wounds. And as for feeding, the
Olsen's simply dripped liquid food directly
into Mike's esophagus, which as you can see in
this photo, was exposed. However, in March 1947,
tragedy would occur. One night while the
Olsen's were on the road, they woke to the sound of Mike choking. See, another facet to keeping him alive meant they had to proactively clear the mucus from his
throat with a syringe. And on that one fatal night, they'd mistakenly left the syringe at that evening's performance venue, making this the final
curtain for Miracle Mike, as he choked to death. Adding quite the literal meaning to choking the chicken. R.I.P. Mike, you headless wonder. (image whooshing) Meal for one. Lions, Tigers, and Bears is a 93-acre big cat and exotic animal rescue facility in California, founded by Bobbi Brink. The sanctuary cares for
more than 60 animals who have been neglected or abused in captivity across the US, providing them a safe haven in the rolling hills of California. But in 2020, Bobbi noticed something particularly amusing in the sanctuary. Yep, in a Facebook post, Bobbi captioned the video with, "Just going to sit here and enjoy my Sunday snack alone," showing the lonesome bear politely tucking into his snack. Now, despite some thorough research, I can't seem to find any reason as to why a bear would prefer to eat its food in such
a civilized manner. Bears do often sit upright, so I can only theorize that this one simply ended up in the position out of convenience for
accessing the food on the table. Or it's simply that some bears are just more sophisticated than others. I'm going with the latter. (image whooshing) Busy bees. In 2016, 65-year-old
Carol Howarth from Wales was running errands when
she returned to her car, only to find a bunch of
locals marveling at it. And sure, Mitsubishi
Outlanders are nice and all, but the real source of interest was something peculiar
going on with Carol's car. In the time between Carol
leaving her car and returning, a fearsome swarm of bees had strangely decided to cluster
themselves to the rear-end. They weren't going anywhere anytime soon. In fact, despite being
cleared off multiple times, they continued to follow and gather on Carol's car for 2 days. Tired of being harassed, Carol called in help from
some local beekeepers, and they seemed to have
a reasonable explanation for this otherwise unreasonable behavior. See, as you might already know, every beehive is ruled by a queen bee, AKA the only fertile
female in the whole hive. And sure enough, her honey brings all the boys to the yard. Anyway, point is, the queen
bee is super important for the colony's survival, and if she were to, let's say, get trapped in some Welsh granny's trunk, then you'd better believe they would do anything to save her, such as following a car
around for two days. Now the information online suggests that the queen was trapped in some compartment of the car, though it isn't made clear whether she was ever found or released. Regardless, the bees
eventually waved a white flag and left after 2 days. So, while there's still
no definitive explanation for the bizarre behavior, perhaps we should accept that it's none of our beez-ness. (image whooshing) The great escape. Ah, 2020, the year that
needs no introduction, except it wasn't just us
fighting for our survival. Taking in the costal views
of the Delaware shore, Maryland photographer Sam Davis unexpectedly found his money shot. He noticed a heron
gliding through the sky, only there was something slightly amiss. He'd surmised that a snake had latched onto the heron's neck, but things only got
stranger when he got home and took a closer look at the pictures. So, you know that snake? Well, it was actually an eel, and it wasn't biting the heron's neck, no. It had chewed a hole out of its gullet. Talk about indigestion, right? This eel clearly wasn't
going down without a fight, but as if that wasn't strange enough, just consider how casual the heron seems about the whole situation. Just another day at the office, eh, pal? Now, no one quite knows
how this situation ended, as the bird flew out of
sight shortly afterward. While eels can actually survive a few hours out of water, I'm gonna guess this guy didn't. I mean, just check out this
other picture Sam snapped. He's not exactly looking too lively, huh? And in all honesty, with a gaping hole freshly-chewed in its chest, I don't fancy the heron's
chances much either. Well, kids, that's why
you always chew your food, even if you're a toothless bird. (image whooshing) Lego gecko. When startled, animals can have some rather unusual responses. Rabbits freeze, possums play dead, and geckos, well, geckos have perhaps the most extreme response of all. They and other lizards do something known as autotomy, which is essentially the ability to detach a part of their body when under threat. In the gecko's case,
this limb is their tail. Even stranger, once the tail is detached, it actually continues
to wriggle by itself. Intrigued? Well, take a look at it in action. Pretty crazy, huh? But why have geckos evolved
this strange feature? Well, first of all, reptiles will usually only shed their tail if a
predator has caught a hold of it. If a bird, for example,
has a lizard by the tail, the lizard can flee,
leaving its tail behind. The tail will continue to squirm, as nerves in the muscle
tissues continue to fire, confusing the predator into thinking the lizard is still there. Geckos, however, are even stranger in the sense that they can perform something known as true autotomy. This means they don't even need to be lifted up in the jaws of a predator to detach their tail. They can simply detach it by themselves whenever they feel under threat. And as the vertebrae in their tails aren't completely sealed,
they easily detach with a sudden jerking, twisting motion, and thanks to their
unique muscle structure, this usually occurs without
any blood-loss or scarring. That said, without a tail, a gecko's newly imbalanced body can inhibit its ability to
run, jump, and even mate. It's no huge dilemma though, as they can grow a new one within 30 days. And there's nothing more
empowering than a rebrand, even if it does mean growing a new tail. (image whooshing) Hitch a ride. Alligators, they hardly have a reputation for being nice guys,
what with them prowling the waters and snapping up any prey that dares to get close enough. But perhaps they're not as
unapproachable as we think. In March 2022, Tiffanie Eden was visiting Gatorland in Florida when she witnessed an unusually accommodating alligator. (birds singing) Who'd have thought it, huh? Well, it turns out that egrets and alligators actually
have quite the friendship, which actually aids
both of their survival. Think about it like this, if the egret nests on tree
limbs near the alligator, the egret's eggs and young will naturally attract predators, such as raccoons and birds of prey. But in many cases, these predators aren't going to reach the egret's nest without attracting their own predator, the alligator, which lands its kill hopefully before the
egret's young are harmed. So, the egret gets to keep its kids safe while the alligator gets a tasty snack. It's a win-win situation. As for why the egret in the clip sits on the alligator's back? Well, egrets are known for picking ticks and parasites off of the
hide of various animals, so it's likely that a
little grooming is going on. I wonder if they paint each other's claws and tell each other secrets too. (image whooshing) Hot dog. With temperatures soaring as high as 100 degrees
Fahrenheit during the summer, it's no secret that Brazil
is a pretty hot place. Though on one particularly hot day in 2022 in Sao Paulo, one woman discovered her dog doing something quite peculiar. Having not seen her dog for a while, the woman hunted the house for her. But this game of hide-and-seek suddenly took a strange turn when she discovered her dog was hiding in the refrigerator. (dog owner speaking in foreign language) (fridge beeping) Yep, the door had been left open, and like most of us would if we could, the pup hopped right into the chiller to quite literally chill. Typically, dogs will combat
extreme heat by panting and releasing heat through
their paws and nose, as they're unable to sweat
through their skin like us. Even so, on super-hot days, panting isn't always enough and dogs can actually
suffer from heatstroke, so it's important to make sure their temperature is regulated. Though on behalf of all dogs, and general hygiene rules, please refrain from putting
your hot dogs in the fridge. Cymothoa exigua. Besides Ursula from "The Little Mermaid" the sea is full of other strange and creepy creatures, and I'm not talking about
singing crabs and mermaids. Take for example the cymothoa exigua. These tiny guys range from 8 to 29 millimeters in size, though they're here to prove that size really doesn't matter. The cymothoa plagues the oceans, preying on unsuspecting fish. Its objective? Well, let's just say there's reason these guys are also called
tongue eating parasites. Yep, the prowling cymothoa will infiltrate a fish via its gills and make
its way to the mouth cavity. Once inside, mission
remove tongue commences, as it savagely severs the blood vessels of the tongue with its front claws, causing it to fall off. With just a stub remaining, the parasite attaches itself and lives as the fish's new
pseudo-tongue, so to speak. And for these guys, a fish's mouth is a prime piece of real-estate, as it gives them
effortless access to food, AKA the fish's blood and mucus. Mm, blood and mucus, a true delicacy. Not only this, but it's
actually only the females that replace the fish's tongue. The males simply hideaway in the gills waiting to mate with the female attached to the tongue. So, let's get this right, not only does the fish have to endure having its tongue cut-off, but it also has to deal with two parasites doing the hanky-panky in its mouth. (laughs) And you think
you've had a bad day. (image whooshing) Fat fish. If you've ever been fishing, then you'll know it's not always the most exciting activity. However, in 2018, things got a whole lot more exciting for Reddit user Poopstry when he reeled in a
real peculiar discovery. As he pulled in a catfish, he found it was a
buy-one-get-one-free kinda situation, as it came with a huge
armadillo stuffed in its mouth. It was certainly an extraordinary sight, and other Reddit users were quick to chime in with their own theories. One suggested that the armadillo had perhaps died and
rolled into the water, others assumed it'd drowned. But the truth is armadillos
are actually avid swimmers. Not only can they hold their breath for up to 6 minutes, but they even have the ability to counteract the weight of their shells and make themselves more buoyant by gulping
air into their intestines. In any case, it's pretty strange that a catfish would
eat an armadillo, right? Well, catfish are extremely opportunistic, meaning they'll eat pretty much anything they can get their fins on. So, maybe the armadillo
died whilst swimming, and the catfish didn't wanna
pass up on a tasty snack. Or better yet, it's
actually entirely possible the armadillo was swimming
by and the catfish actively hunted it. Either way, a catfish eating an armadillo is certainly a strange
and rare sight to behold, though it doesn't look like
an easy mouthful to swallow. (image whooshing) Hungry cow. In 2020, Australian Andrew Gertz was driving on the
deserted Sandover Highway in Western Queensland. Everything seemed ordinary, until he came across a wild cow at the side of the road
with something strange hanging from its mouth. What was hanging from its mouth, you ask? Well, the cow was actually chomping on none other than a python. But wait a minute, cows are
natural herbivores, right? So why on earth would
one be eating a snake? Well, while it's definitely
a strange sighting, there seems to be a reasonable answer. You see, stretches of Australia's land and soil are largely deficient in the mineral phosphorus, which is particularly important to cattle. Because of this, cows in Australia will often try and source
this mineral elsewhere, such as in bones and roadkill, meaning those Aussie cows, yeah, not so herbivorous after all. So, yes, you can add them to your list of things in Australia that might just try to kill you and
eat you given the chance. (image whooshing) Love monkey. Generally speaking, mother nature is pretty good at her job, though every now and
then, she does slip up, resulting in some pretty
interesting consequences. And if you wanna see
one of mother nature's R-rated bloopers then just check out this Japanese snow monkey
snapped back in 2017. Now, it's not enormously unusual to see a monkey on a deer's back, as monkeys are often observed hitching rides on larger animals. But observers claim
this was very different, as several monkeys, both male and female, including the one photographed were seen to be rubbing
and thrusting their, um, intimate parts on the
female sika deer's back. That's right, cute little snow monkey here is taking a pleasure cruise
of a whole other kind. But is there an explanation
for this strange behavior? Scientists have a few theories. Some suggest it may be a way for less-mature monkeys to
practice for future mating, while others think it might be a result of a lack of mating partners
within their own species. Some researchers even think it could be a kind of cultural practice. Japanese snow monkeys
display different behaviors in different regions. Some wash their food, some take hot-spring baths, and some, well, take deer for joy-rides. But, again, these are all just theories. The truth remains a mystery. But I, for one, think these little monkeys are simply depraved. Dirty little perverts. (image whooshing) Smoking orangutan. Orangutans are incredibly intelligent. They're skilled in tool-use, are able to show empathy, and can even be taught sign-language. However, in 2002, one orangutan at Indonesia's Taru Jurug Zoo displayed some very peculiar behavior. Meet Tori, better known
as the smoking orangutan. Like many smokers, Tori
picked up the habit thanks to social peer-pressure, that is zoo-goers would apparently hurl their cigarettes into her enclosure. Which is allegedly a common
problem in Indonesia, due in part to their
high-percentage smoking population. But little did these ciggie-throwers know, they'd started a 10-year-long
chain-smoking fiasco. The clever orangutan initially learned by imitating how visitors would smoke and would even signal her desire for a cigarette by gesturing
two fingers to her lips. However, in 2012, Tori
and her primate partner, Didik, had some exciting
news, Tori was pregnant. And with a bun now in the oven, the zoo finally decided to intervene and sent the orangutan
fam packing to rehab, in this case, an isolated island in the zoo far from visitors
and their cigarettes. Like anyone with a nicotine addiction, Tori did reportedly exhibit
withdrawal symptoms, such as irritability and anger. However, she eventually
got clean just in time to welcome a healthy
new-born into the world. Even though the baby's mother had smoked throughout the
first chunk of the pregnancy, the new-born was perfectly healthy. In fact, it doesn't seem like Tori has any lasting effects
from the smoking either, which actually isn't too surprising, as sources claim smoking related diseases such as lung cancer are relatively rare in non-human primates. So, all in all, it worked
out for Tori and her family. Let's just hope no one throws a vape pen into her enclosure. (image whooshing) Killer chimps. When many folks think of chimpanzees, the apes' intelligence and cheekiness makes it hard to imagine that they actually have an unusually dark and savage side to them. But indeed they do and
it's pretty disturbing. While chimps eat mostly
fruits, nuts and seeds, they've actually been caught on camera hunting and devouring
their fellow primates, the red colobus monkey. And the weirdest part is, there's no real dietary
reason for this behavior. They appear to simply love the taste and even get a thrill from the hunt. Sounds a little familiar, right? Even more unsettling, chimps commonly prey on females and children
of the red colobus species for extra ease, but that's
just the tip of the iceberg. For years, biologists couldn't figure out why pregnant chimps would flee to solitude and give birth alone. However, in 2014,
researchers found out why when they witnessed the rare moment a mother chimp gave birth
in front of 20 other chimps. To their astonishment, a male chimp immediately approached the baby, snatched it, and um, ate it. Now, you could argue that this clearly makes them cannibals, after all, chimps have been observed attacking and eating one
another on multiple occasions. However, experts don't
consider this cannibalism due to the fact that they don't rely on chimp meat as a primary source of food. All I'm gonna say is that if I were to hypothetically
eat another human, I don't think the law would
see it quite the same way. (image whooshing) The sacrificial cow. Besides the threat of being ground down into the shape of a
hamburger, or being milked, it's difficult to imagine many hardships in the life
of a free-ranging cow. Yet, in 2009, life had seemingly gotten too much for one herd of cows. High on the hills was a lonely cow herd near the quaint Swiss
village of Lauterbrunnen, just off the Alps. However, in August 2009, an inexplicable phenomenon
swept the village, or rather swept 28 cows hundreds of feet off a cliff in just 3 days. Weirdest of all was that they all fell from the exact same spot. You could argue they slipped or that ground gave-way beneath them, but that doesn't totally suffice when you consider that these cows grew up in the mountains, learning to circumnavigate
these treacherous trails. Then there's the idea
that maybe a predator such as wolves might've spooked them, though this seems quite unlikely too considering wolves and bears are both pretty rare in that
region of the Swiss Alps. So, that leaves really
only one explanation, did these cows share a collective madness that lead to their desire for mass self-destruction? After all, cows do have a herd mentality. Could one cow intentionally jumping or falling from the cliff
have ignited a chain-reaction? Well, based on current knowledge, most scientists argue that neither cows nor any other animal, save perhaps for certain primates, elephants and cetaceans possesses enough cognitive capacity to even contemplate their existence, let alone the idea of
intentionally self destructing. But there's still a lot
about animals we don't know, so check in on your cows, they may be going through a tough time. But for now, while the jury's out on whether these cows
were actually feeling too glum to carry on living, or were simply spooked into fleeing over the cliff side, I have my own theory. Seems to me like they were attempting to copy the cow in "Hey Diddle Diddle" by jumping over the moon. (image whooshing) Flying snakes. As far as animals go, snakes are one the weirdest
animals if you ask me. From the way they're able
move without legs or wings, to their ability to eat large animals, like this python eating a kangaroo. Point is, they're pretty
peculiar creatures. And there are certain types that have even weirder behaviors than usual, like the Chrysopelea family of snakes, or as they're more commonly
known, flying snakes. Can you guess why? Well, flying might be
a slight exaggeration. It's more like gliding. However, scientific studies have found that when this specific species jump from high trees, they're able to flatten, propel and contort their bodies in such a controlled manner that they can actually navigate through the sky in any direction they choose. Scientists have theorized that the snakes evolved this ability for help with things such
as escaping predators, moving from tree to tree, or even hunting prey, though the ability remains a true anomaly among the serpent world. The worst part is most
of these flying snakes are mildly venomous, as if they weren't terrifying enough. Luckily, they largely live in South Asia, though honestly, I'm kinda paranoid that these weird snakes could start using their aviation
abilities to cross continents. Which animal's behavior
was the strangest to you? Have you ever observed an even stranger animal behavior? Let me know down in the comments below. Thanks for watching. (gentle upbeat music)
