When you picture crime, you probably imagine humans pulling off heists, murders, or burglaries. Yet there are 10 crimes weren that were carried out by creatures without a driver’s license or a courtroom ever in sight.
Animals have been caught red‑handed—well, red‑pawed—committing offenses that mirror human misdeeds, from theft to assault. Below we tally ten of the most jaw‑dropping examples.
10 crimes weren: A Wild Look at Unlikely Offenders
10. The Bear Who Stole A Car, Crashed It, And Relieved Itself
Bears have a reputation for raiding picnics, rummaging through trash cans, and even barging into homes, but this particular incident takes the crown for sheer audacity.
A Colorado family awoke at dawn to discover that a bear had somehow slipped into their parked vehicle during the night. While rummaging for a snack, the massive animal became tangled, accidentally shifted the gear lever, and sent the car careening into the neighbor’s mailbox. Before making its exit, the bear left a… memorable souvenir in the form of its own droppings.
Fortunately, nobody was injured. The vehicle, however, suffered severe damage: the rear window was shattered, the radio and steering wheel were ripped from their mounts, and the overall interior was left in tatters. The homeowners were stunned but managed to laugh off the bizarre encounter.
All told, the bear’s nighttime escapade resulted in property destruction and an unintentional car‑theft, turning a quiet morning into a story the family will never forget.
9. The Rooster Who Stabbed Someone
Cockfighting is already a grim, illegal pastime, but a tragic twist unfolded in California when a weaponized rooster turned a spectator into a victim.
Thirty‑five‑year‑old Jose Luis Ochoa attended an underground cockfight and was unexpectedly impaled in the right calf by a razor‑shaped blade that had been strapped to the bird’s leg for the contest. While such knives are commonplace in these brutal events, it is exceedingly rare for a participant to be seriously injured by the animal itself.
Ochoa was rushed to a hospital, but despite medical efforts, he succumbed to his wounds two hours later, making this one of the few documented cases where a rooster’s weapon caused a fatality.
8. The Chimp Who Violently Attacked A Young Woman
In the 1970s, researchers embarked on Project Nim, hoping to raise a chimpanzee as if it were a human child. The experiment produced many insights, but it also led to a frightening encounter.
During a routine session, a female volunteer believed Nim was offering a friendly hug. Instead, the chimp lunged, sinking his teeth into her mouth and drawing blood. As the woman clutched her bleeding cheek, Nim repeatedly signed what translated to “I’m sorry,” a haunting reminder of the animal’s intelligence and the volatile nature of the experiment.
The volunteer survived the bite, yet the incident cast a dark shadow over the project, highlighting the ethical complexities of treating primates like human children.
7. The Emu Chased By The Police
Australia’s iconic emus are known for their size and speed, and one runaway bird turned a sleepy town into a police chase scene during rush hour.
The 1.2‑meter‑tall bird escaped its owner’s property and sprinted through suburban streets, apparently attempting to slip into nearby homes to avoid capture. Officers, unused to handling a massive, fast‑moving bird, found themselves both startled and amused.
After a brief pursuit, a local resident was asked to let the emu into her lounge, but she declined. Eventually, police corralled the feathered fugitive at 8:00 AM and returned it safely to its owner.
6. Fish‑Stealing Sperm Whales
Alaskan fishermen have reported a peculiar form of piracy: sperm whales shadowing their vessels and pilfering fish straight from the hooks.
The massive mammals use the boat’s engine noise to locate the fishing gear, then glide alongside, deftly snatching the catch and tossing it back into the sea. This clever thievery has become a regular nuisance, leaving crews frustrated but also impressed by the whales’ ingenuity.
While the practice is unlikely to change anytime soon, the whales’ behavior underscores their sophisticated hunting tactics and the unexpected ways nature can intersect with human industry.
5. The Unsuccessful Slow Thief
A sloth, famed for its leisurely pace, managed to infiltrate a closed café in the dead of night, seeking a midnight snack.
At first, the creature navigated the dim interior with surprising stealth, inching toward the counter. However, its notoriously slow movements proved its downfall; a misstep caused it to tumble onto the floor, triggering an alarm that alerted security personnel.
Although the sloth was apprehended without incident, the café owner found the episode both amusing and bewildering, noting that while monkeys have been seen during daylight hours, a nocturnal sloth burglary was a first.
4. The Cat Burglar
Meet Sir Whines‑A‑Lot, a feline with a penchant for pilfering cash from unsuspecting passersby.
The mischievous cat discovered a narrow gap beneath an office door where his owner worked. Employees, amused at first, began tossing dollar bills through the opening for the cat’s entertainment. Over time, the kitty amassed a surprisingly large stash of money.
Realizing the unintended consequence, the owner decided to donate the collected cash to local homeless shelters, turning the cat’s quirky kleptomania into a charitable act.
3. The Evidence‑Stealing Crow
Crows are notorious for their intelligence, but one feathered thief took audacity to a new level by snatching a crime‑scene knife in Vancouver.
Canuck, a crow belonging to a nearby resident, swooped down during a police operation involving more than twenty officers and seized the metal blade, which was crucial evidence in the investigation.
Investigators later learned that Canuck had been raised around humans and had developed a mischievous streak, but his daring theft added an unexpected twist to an already complex case.
2. The Dog Who Shot His Owner
In Iowa, a seemingly ordinary play session on the couch turned disastrous when Balew, a well‑meaning dog, accidentally disabled the safety on his owner’s firearm.
While the owner was lounging, Balew stepped on the trigger, firing a shot that struck the man’s leg. The owner later described his canine companion as a “big wuss,” noting that the dog appeared remorseful, lying down and whimpering after the incident.
Fortunately, the wound was non‑fatal, and both human and dog recovered, making the episode a sobering reminder of firearm safety around pets.
1. The Monkey Who Kidnapped And Murdered A Child
This grim tale tops the list: a rhesus monkey in India abducted a sleeping infant and later caused the child’s death.
According to the mother, the baby was napping when the monkey seized the infant and fled. The mother’s frantic chase proved futile; the monkey was too swift, and the child was later discovered dead behind the family’s home, where the animal presumably set the infant down.
The incident marks a harrowing escalation from typical monkey mischief—such as stealing food—to a fatal kidnapping, underscoring the potential danger of human‑wildlife interactions.