Documentaries are the backstage pass that lets us peek behind the curtain of society’s biggest scandals, controversies, and hidden injustices. The 10 shocking documentaries listed below have not only exposed uncomfortable truths but also left indelible marks on the public images and professional lives of the people involved. From marine parks to courtroom dramas, each film turned the spotlight into a harsh floodlight that many subjects never saw coming.

Why These 10 Shocking Documentaries Matter

When a documentary pulls back the veil on a powerful institution or a celebrated figure, the ripple effect can be staggering. Viewers become instantly aware, conversations ignite, and the subjects often find their reputations irrevocably altered. Below you’ll find a ranked rundown of the ten most jaw‑dropping documentaries that have forever changed the careers of those they investigated.

10 Blackfish (2013)

Blackfish dives deep into the tragic saga of Tilikum, the massive orca that famously dragged SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau to a watery death. While Tilikum’s fatal encounter with Dawn made headlines, it wasn’t his first violent incident—another trainer survived a similar attack. Even earlier, in 1999, a man named Daniel P. Dukes was found dead in Tilikum’s tank under suspicious circumstances, adding another layer of mystery.

The film argues that Tilikum and his fellow captive killer whales are victims of cruel confinement. Separated from their pods and forced into tanks only a couple of their bodies long, these highly social creatures develop physical ailments, most notably drooping dorsal fins—a condition seen in just one percent of wild killer whales.

Public outrage surged after the documentary’s release, prompting a $15.9 million drop in SeaWorld’s attendance. In 2018, the company and its former CEO were slapped with a $5 million fine to settle fraud charges alleging they misled investors about the documentary’s impact on the brand’s reputation and bottom line.

9 Living With Michael Jackson (2003)

Journalist Martin Bashir secured unprecedented access to the King of Pop for the fly‑on‑the‑wall documentary Living With Michael Jackson. The film focused heavily on life at Neverland Ranch, where Jackson claimed he welcomed disadvantaged children to sleep in his bed while he rested on the floor. Bashir, intending to spotlight Jackson’s career, instead highlighted unsettling moments that painted a far more ambiguous picture.

One of the most controversial scenes showed Jackson holding hands with a 13‑year‑old boy, sparking immediate backlash. Jackson filed a formal complaint with the Independent Television Commission, accusing Bashir of unfair treatment and betrayal. He said, “Martin Bashir persuaded me to trust him… Today I feel more betrayed than perhaps ever before,” insisting he would never harm a child.

The 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland revisited the allegations, featuring two men who claimed Jackson abused them as children. Following its release, several radio stations boycotted Jackson’s music, further tarnishing his legacy.

8 Going Clear: Scientology And The Prison Of Belief (2015)

Alex Gibney’s Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief offers a hard‑hitting critique of the Church of Scientology and its founder, L. Ron Hubbard. The film alleges the church lures followers for profit while subjecting them to severe physical and psychological control. It also highlights the prolonged legal battle with the IRS, which ultimately granted the church tax‑exempt status.

According to a former church spokesperson, Tom Cruise’s ex‑wife Nicole Kidman was labeled a “potential trouble source” because her father was a psychologist—a profession the church opposes. The documentary claims Kidman’s phone was tapped and Cruise was forced to report his relationship status daily. Actor John Travolta is also portrayed as a key figure within the cult.

Lawrence Wright, author of the book that inspired the film, warned, “The church always wanted celebrities who could sell Scientology… We hold people like Tom Cruise and John Travolta responsible for not demanding change inside that church.”

7 Surviving R. Kelly (2019)

The true‑crime docuseries Surviving R. Kelly sparked a massive public outcry, prompting Sony Music’s RCA label to sever ties with the singer. Over 110,000 petition signatures demanded action, leading RCA to remove Kelly’s name from its website.

Robert Kelly reportedly married the late R&B star Aaliyah in 1994, falsifying documents to list her as 18 when she was only 15. The brief marriage was later annulled. Kelly’s former personal assistant revealed, “I had papers forged for them when Aaliyah was underage… She looked worried and scared.”

Victims and their families have since accused Kelly of a long‑standing pattern of abuse and manipulation. Former backing vocalist Jovante Cunningham bluntly stated, “He destroyed a lot of people. I can’t stress enough how people are still suffering from things that happened 20 years ago.”

6 Making A Murderer (2015)

Netflix’s Making a Murderer put former district attorney Ken Kratz under the microscope. Kratz had prosecuted Steven Avery and teenage Branden Dassey for the 2005 murder of Teresa Halbach. Dassey, who struggled with learning difficulties and a low IQ, was convicted at 16.

After the series aired, Kratz’s own misconduct surfaced. In 2010, the Associated Press reported he sent repeated, flirtatious texts to a domestic‑abuse victim while prosecuting her ex‑boyfriend. Police records later revealed two additional women accused him of sexual harassment.

In 2014, the Wisconsin Supreme Court suspended Kratz for four months, deeming his behavior “exploitative, harassing, and a crass placement of his personal interests above those of the State.” The financial burden of disciplinary costs bankrupted him.

5 The Case Of: JonBenet Ramsey (2016)

On December 26, 1996, six‑year‑old JonBenet Ramsey was discovered dead in the basement of her Boulder, Colorado home. Her father found her body eight hours after she was reported missing, and a handwritten ransom note demanding $118,000 was also discovered.

In 2016, CBS aired the docuseries The Case of: JonBenet Ramsey to mark the 20th anniversary of the tragedy. Forensic experts and former investigators revisited the case, proposing a new theory that JonBenet’s nine‑year‑old brother Burke may have bludgeoned her, with the parents allegedly covering up the incident.

Burke Ramsey sued CBS for $750 million, claiming the series relied on “lies, half‑truths, manufactured information, and intentional omission.” The lawsuit settled privately, and the murder remains unsolved.

4 Nanook Of The North (1922)

Robert Flaherty’s pioneering 1922 documentary Nanook of the North follows Inuit hunter Nanook and his family as they brave the harsh Arctic environment. Flaherty claimed he wanted to capture the “former majesty and character” of these people before “the white man destroyed” them.

However, the film has been heavily criticized for staging scenes. Nanook is shown harpooning a walrus—an activity the Inuit had largely abandoned. His igloo was a constructed set with a missing wall because filming inside a real igloo was too dark. In another staged moment, Nanook is introduced to a gramophone and appears to try eating the vinyl, despite already knowing about records.

Flaherty also assembled Nanook’s “family” like a casting call, further blurring the line between documentary truth and dramatization.

3 Icarus (2017)

Filmmaker Bryan Fogel’s Icarus uncovers the sprawling Russian doping scandal. The documentary follows amateur cyclist Fogel’s experiment with performance‑enhancing drugs, which leads him to whistle‑blower Grigory Rodchenkov, the former director of Moscow’s anti‑doping laboratory.

Rodchenkov fled to the United States, where he now lives under protection. At a Sundance panel, former cyclist Lance Armstrong echoed the film’s findings, stating, “My situation five years ago… The organizations—USADA, WADA—made strong declarations: ‘He’s the biggest fraud in the history of sport’; ‘The most sophisticated doping program that ever existed.’ Underneath all that, the system simply doesn’t work.”

2 The Panama Papers (2018)

In 2018, the investigative project The Panama Papers united over 300 journalists from 80 nations to examine 11.5 million leaked documents exposing offshore accounts used for illicit activities such as fraud and tax evasion. The massive data dump revealed how powerful individuals and corporations hid assets in tax havens.

The following year, the “Paradise Papers” leak highlighted celebrities like Shakira, who moved more than £30 million in music rights to an offshore firm; Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton, who avoided tax on a £16.5 million private jet; pop icon Madonna, a major shareholder in a Bermuda medical‑supply company; and the British royal estate, which invested over £10 million in Cayman and Bermuda holdings (though Queen Elizabeth II was not personally involved).

1 The Staircase (2004, 2013, 2018)

On December 9, 2001, novelist Michael Peterson discovered his wife Kathleen unconscious at the bottom of their North Carolina stairs. While Peterson claimed she fell after drinking, the autopsy showed severe head injuries consistent with blunt‑force trauma, and that she died from blood loss over 90 minutes.

Peterson entered an “Alford plea,” meaning he didn’t admit guilt but accepted the conviction. The original French series aired in 2004, followed by follow‑ups in 2012‑13, and a Netflix release in 2018 with three new episodes. The public reaction skewed toward guilt, with many online theories accusing Peterson.

Director Jean Xavier de‑Lestrade admitted, “[A producer] was convinced it was murder and Michael Peterson did it.” Yet de‑Lestrade himself remains uncertain, stating, “After 15 years, after weeks, months, and years with Michael Peterson and his family, I still can’t tell you I am convinced by something.”

Cheish Merryweather, a true‑crime enthusiast, adds his own commentary, noting the case’s lasting fascination among fans of oddities and courtroom drama.

When it comes to the art of seduction, the world has long leaned on a handful of foods and substances that promise to ignite passion. In this roundup of the 10 sensual aphrodisiacs, we’ll travel from ancient myth to modern legend, uncovering how each item earned its reputation for stirring the heart (and other parts) of lovers across time.

Exploring the 10 Sensual Aphrodisiacs

10 Oysters

The notorious lover Casanova is said to have begun each sunrise with a staggering fifty oysters, believing the briny bivalves would ready his body for the day’s romantic exploits. Roman revelers also reputedly served oysters at their infamous orgies, and physicians of the era even prescribed them as a remedy for impotence. While the shell’s suggestive shape certainly contributes to its love‑laden image, the creature’s own reproductive habits play a starring role.

Oysters unleash a torrent of gametes straight into the sea, enabling external fertilisation in a spectacular display that early observers likened to a powerful, fire‑hose‑style performance. Long before science explained this process, the mollusk was linked to Aphrodite, the goddess of love; all shellfish were deemed sacred to her, and legend holds that she herself emerged from a clam‑like shell, with the pearl as her treasured gem.

9 Avocado

Louis XIV, the Sun King, swore by the buttery flesh of the avocado to keep his virility in full bloom. Its velvety texture and rich mouthfeel create a decidedly sensual experience, but the fruit’s reputation runs deeper than its culinary allure.

Avocados grow in paired clusters that strikingly resemble a certain intimate body part. The Aztecs captured this likeness in their language: the Nahuatl word “ahuacatl” meant both “avocado” and “testicle.” When Spanish explorers arrived, they encountered a fruit already celebrated as a symbol of love and fertility.

As the fruit journeyed northward, marketers sought a more palatable name, discarding the unappealing “alligator pear” moniker and eventually settling on “avocado.” Though the new label softened its image, the ancient association with desire remained firmly intact.

8 Almonds

Small, candy‑coated almonds often grace wedding favors, and their presence is far from decorative. Ancient Greeks gifted almonds to newlyweds, believing the nut would secure a fruitful marriage, while folklore claimed that an unmarried girl who tucked almonds beneath her pillow would dream of her future husband.

Across the Mediterranean, the almond carries ceremonial weight. In Morocco, it is used to transfer a bride’s good fortune to subsequent generations, and in India, offering almonds to the opposite sex is a clear, flirtatious proposition.

The biblical narrative also elevates the almond. In Numbers 17:1‑8, Aaron’s rod blossoms with almonds, signalling divine approval of his lineage. Jeremiah 1:11 references the almond’s fruit, further cementing its symbolic link to growth and continuity.

7 Pomegranate

The pomegranate’s lineage traces back to Aphrodite herself, who, according to Greek myth, planted the first tree on the island of Kypros. Its interior, packed with ruby‑red seeds, mirrors the abundance of fertility and passion.

Hera, the queen of the gods, also claimed the fruit as sacred, intertwining its symbolism with marriage and procreation. The vivid crimson hue of the seeds evokes the blood of a virgin, further linking the fruit to the consummation of a union.

In the tale of Persephone, the heroine’s fate hinges on a handful of pomegranate seeds she consumes in the underworld, sealing her bond with Hades. This myth reinforces the fruit’s role as a catalyst for transformative love.

6 Toads

Beyond the folklore of daring lovers licking toads for hallucinogenic thrills, certain toad‑derived chemicals have been marketed as potent aphrodisiacs. In the 1990s, a compound known as bufadienolides—nicknamed “RockHard”—triggered a spate of fatalities, as users experienced severe vomiting followed by cardiac or respiratory collapse.

Traditional Chinese medicine, however, employs a milder preparation called chan su. Applied topically, it reduces swelling while stimulating the body, and when placed on specific erogenous zones it dulls sensation, thereby extending the act of love. Improper ingestion, though, turns this remedy deadly.

Even fairy‑tale princesses who kiss frogs or toads may have been echoing this hidden allure. Their kisses hint not only at magical transformation but also at the ancient belief that toad toxins could enhance desire.

5 Rhino Horn

At the dawn of the 20th century, rhinos numbered roughly half a million worldwide; by the early 2000s, poaching had driven that figure down to a few thousand, thrusting the species toward the brink of extinction. The poachers’ motive? A supposed aphrodisiac quality attributed to rhino horn.

In Chinese medicine, rhino horn has long been prized for a myriad of uses: warding off nightmares, neutralising food poisoning, easing arthritis pain, curing fevers, and even acting as an antidote for snake bites. Curiously, despite its extensive medicinal résumé, the horn was never formally listed as a libido booster.

The myth of the horn’s erotic power appears to stem from a Western misunderstanding in the 1950s, later amplified by anthropologist Louis Leakey in the 1960s. This misinterpretation spread rapidly, cementing the false notion in popular imagination.

One plausible source of confusion involves Middle Eastern rites where young men receive rhino‑horn daggers as symbols of coming‑of‑age. Ancient Greek tales described the horn’s ability to filter poisons from water, while Persian lore spoke of bubbling liquids poured into horn vessels—none of which hinted at sexual vigor.

4 Chocolate

Chocolate dominates Valentine’s Day aisles, yet science remains divided on its true aphrodisiac potency. Some studies suggest the mood‑lifting chemicals it contains exist in such minute quantities that they barely affect the brain.

Nevertheless, chocolate’s reputation as a love‑fuel is rooted in antiquity. Archaeological evidence places cacao cultivation as far back as 1400 B.C., far earlier than once believed.

For the Maya and Aztecs, chocolate was a sacred beverage, served in ceremonial contexts and offered to deities. Marital and betrothal rituals often featured a shared chocolate drink, symbolising the union of two souls.

The Aztecs revered chocolate as a divine gift from Quetzalcoatl, equating its consumption with an exchange between the mortal and the divine realms. Its value was such that cacao beans functioned as a form of currency.

Beyond celebration, chocolate played a role in sacrificial rites. Those prepared for sacrifice received a blessing of chocolate to lift spirits, and the extra dose was believed to ready them for the afterlife.

3 Lettuce, The Anti‑Aphrodisiac

While many foods are famed for stoking desire, lettuce earned a reputation for doing the opposite. In ancient Greece, a wife who served lettuce to her husband was sending a frosty warning: keep your hands to yourself.

The leafy green was sacred to Aphrodite, yet not for the reasons other flora enjoyed. A tragic love story unfolds when the god’s mortal lover, Adonis, falls victim to a wild boar that kills him in a lettuce field. Grieving, Aphrodite laid his body upon a bed of lettuce, forever linking the plant to death and impotence.

Physician Nicander of Colophon later codified this belief, claiming lettuce renders a man impotent regardless of his yearning. The mythic association thus migrated from divine tragedy to pseudoscientific caution.

2 Honey And Mead

Few foods boast as many love‑linked credentials as honey. Its sweet, viscous nature gave rise to the term “honeymoon,” originally describing a month‑long period after marriage when newlyweds in ancient Persia would sip honey‑infused mead each evening.

The Persians called this period the “honey month,” believing that a child conceived within those thirty days owed its existence to the mead’s potency. This tradition emphasized both fertility and celebration.

Mead also carried symbolic weight beyond the Persian court. Celtic societies brewed it from roughly A.D. 500 onward, and legends recount Saint Brigid turning water into mead. Even the Aztec and Maya enjoyed fermented honey drinks, underscoring its cross‑cultural allure.

Modern nutrition science now backs some of the old claims: honey supplies B‑vitamins, proteins, and nitric oxides that support reproductive health. Its alcoholic content further lowers inhibitions, making it a genuine catalyst for wedding‑night confidence.

1 Garlic

Garlic’s strong aroma might seem an odd match for romance, yet its aphrodisiac pedigree runs deep. Talmudic sources advise eating garlic on Fridays, the traditional night for marital intimacy, suggesting a link between the bulb’s warmth and sexual vigor.

Advocates claimed garlic sparked a pleasurable warmth throughout the body, curbed appetite, boosted semen volume, and—most romantically—purged internal parasites, thereby fostering closeness between partners. Some texts also praised its ability to dissolve jealousy.

Contrastingly, many ancient cultures, from Greeks to Romans, recoiled from garlic’s pungent scent. A Muslim legend posits that garlic and onion sprouted from the last footprints of Satan exiting Eden, while in India the spice was deemed unsuitable for higher castes.

Tragically, during the Third Reich, Nazis used the scent of garlic as a crude identifier for Jewish individuals, turning a symbol of marital love into a hateful slur. This dark chapter underscores how cultural meanings can shift dramatically.

Overall, garlic’s dual legacy—both as a celebrated love aid and a vilified odor—illustrates the complex tapestry of aphrodisiac lore.

We like to think of the non-meat eating parts of the animal kingdom as friends just waiting to happen. For some reason, the fact they don’t eat meat triggers us to think that these are super nice creatures who would never do us harm, and many times we end up giving animals reputations for kindness that they do not deserve. Animals who are herbivores may not eat meat, but that does not mean they aren’t dangerous to humans — and some of the cutest animals have disgusting secrets that may make them far less endearing to you as you once thought. 

10. Monkeys Have Overrun Delhi, India And Killed The Deputy Mayor

What We Expect: 

Monkeys are known to be mostly harmless pranksters, as far as the majority of people are concerned. They are silly and might fling poo, but for the most part they don’t really cause that much trouble. Plus, they’re fun to watch at the zoo as they get up to all kinds of hijinks. 

The Disturbing Reality: 

Monkeys can gang up on people in areas where the populations get too big and too close to humans, and this was no more apparent than in Delhi, India where monkeys are invasive and cause serious problems for the locals. In Delhi the monkeys attack people and steal their food, and in 2007 they attacked the deputy mayor and killed him by knocking him off his own balcony. 

9. Dolphins Are Believed To Be Friendly But They Are The Bullies Of The Sea

What We Expect:

Dolphins are known for being fun and playful, and there are many alleged accounts of them helping people who are lost at sea. People love to go to dolphin shows, and there are cutesy movies about them. Most people think dolphins are friendly sea buddies who love you and just want to be your friend. 

The Disturbing Reality: 

Dolphins are basically the bullies of the sea. Dolphins have been known to attack porpoises and kill them for no reason, and have committed infanticide among even their own species. To make matters worse, they have been known to capture dolphin females and hold them in a group while they have gang sex with her against her will. There was also a recent incident where a dolphin known as Nick was coming towards children in a harbor while being sexually aggressive, and the children were warned to get out of the water to avoid him. Now, while there are little — if any — records of dolphins killing people, it is a fairly common occurrence for them to bite trainers and kids while in captivity. 

8. Armadillos Are Becoming Trendy But They Can Carry Hansen’s Disease

What We Expect: 

Armadillos can be found in parts of the southern United States and are starting to become a trendy exotic pet. They are not aggressive, they are cute and playful, and they don’t shed since they don’t have fur. Some people buy them from exotic pet dealers, and the laws vary greatly from state to state as to whether you are legally allowed to own one or not. 

The Disturbing Reality:

Armadillos can carry Hansen’s Disease, which is also known as leprosy. You know, that disease from the bible that got people sequestered from the general population. Nowadays there are cures, but it can still cause nerve damage and painful lesions. While it is not super common among American armadillos, it is not a risk worth taking. It should also be noted that Amazonian armadillos are known to be much bigger carriers, at a rate of almost 50 percent. 

7. Koalas Are Cute But They Are Riddled With Chlamydia

What We Expect:

Koalas are basically living teddy bears, even if they aren’t really bears. They look like a cute stuffed animal , they only eat leaves, they are completely and utterly harmless, and it seems like they would make a great pet… at least until you get a bit further into the koala’s biggest problem. 

The Disturbing Reality:

Koalas are actually mostly useless, as they spend almost all their time sleeping, but on top of that, they are actually kind of gross. Koalas are riddled with chlamydia, an STD that can cause infertility and ectopic pregnancies in women. Nearly 100 percent of koalas have chlamydia, and it is leading to a decline in their population. 

6. The Christmas Song Is Fun But Hippos Are Incredibly Dangerous 

What We Expect: 

We have all heard the cutesy Christmas song about a girl who wants her very own hippo hero for Christmas, and it is ear-wormy and mostly fun to listen to. It makes us think hippos are fun, loveable vegetarian animals who wouldn’t hurt a fly and would make a great pet. 

The Disturbing Reality: 

The hippopotamus is the most dangerous animal in Africa and one of the most dangerous in the world, despite being a herbivore.They attack people and swamp their boats, and are known for being incredibly territorial, biting people apart with their huge jaws with little to no provocation. There are theories that King Tut was killed by a hippo while out hunting, and even Steve Irwin, the famous animal specialist, would not mess with hippos when he came near them. 

They can also quickly become an invasive species, as they are becoming in Colombia, where Pablo Escobar’s hippos got loose. Their government is now trying desperately to cull them and get the situation under control before ecological disaster occurs. 

5. Deer Cause More Deaths Than Bears, Alligators, Dogs, And Sharks Combined 

What We Expect: 

Deer are an animal most of us think as super peaceful and kind. We generally tend to like seeing them show up in our yard and eat some fruit or leaves. Some people even try to approach them. Many people have grown up seeing Bambi, making the love for deer even greater, and a lot of people think it is wrong to hunt them after watching the famous animated film. . 

The Disturbing Reality: 

Deer kill more people every year than bears, alligators, dogs, and sharks combined — between 120 and 200. While most of these deaths are due to vehicular accidents, that does not mean that deer won’t attack you. While statistics can be hard to come by, as many attacks go unreported, experts have been warning people more in recent years to keep their distance from deer and remember that these are dangerous wild animals. A deer is basically a very large wild horse, and the males have antlers that can gore you. They should not be approached at all as they are still very wild and territorial creatures that can kill you very quickly. 

4. Elephants Are Becoming Increasingly Violent to Counter Poachers 

What We Expect: 

Elephants are known for being so tame that even as big as they are, they used to be a regular presence at the circus, before the abusive practice ended. They are known for being fun and playful and even sometimes thinking that humans are cute under the right conditions. Most people just love them, and of course we have every reason to hate the poaching of elephants, as they are intelligent creatures. 

The Disturbing Reality:

That being said, you should still probably keep your distance from  elephants, especially a truly wild one, if you don’t know what you are doing. Elephants are incredibly large animals that could accidentally kill you very easily, and have become increasingly violent in recent years in order to counter poachers. In response, they’ve become more and more territorial against unknown humans, when before they were indeed more friendly. Of course, even then, they have not always been friendly beasts. In ancient days they used to be used as war animals, and even sometimes in executions. 

3. Camels Can Get Incredibly Violent and Are invasive In Australia 

What We Expect: 

While camels may not necessarily be seen as cute or pretty, most people think of them as mostly harmless and maybe kind of funny. They are seen as the horses of the desert and are known for their ability to carry people long distances while needing little water. 

The Disturbing Reality:

Camels are actually extremely dangerous, and are an invasive species in Australia, where they are causing huge problems for the environment. They’re so dangerous to approach that when they are culling them, they snipe them by helicopter. They attack people if they get too close and can be downright vicious. 

Even tame camels can be very deadly. In one case a camel bit off its owner’s head for leaving it in the sun too long. In another case, a camel smothered its owner to death and it took 25 villagers six hours to haul the camel off of the dead body. After some investigation, they believe the camel was angry that it did not get its daily Coca-Cola. 

2. German Shepherds Have A Powerful Bite Force And Are One Of The Most Dangerous Dogs 

What We Expect: 

German Shepherds are known for being one of the gentler and kinder of the bigger dog breeds, and they do make good pets overall in most people’s eyes. Many people try to get them as a starter pet, because they are a popular choice for police dogs or guide dogs due to their trainability. 

The Disturbing Reality: 

Now, we want to be clear first that German Shepherds are not known for being particularly aggressive, and neither are pitbulls, for that matter, unless they are trained for that purpose. However, German Shepherds have an incredibly strong bite force for a dog their size, kill a few people every year, and come in third or fourth yearly in that category, only being beaten out by dogs who are usually raised by dog abusers for combat.

This does not mean a German Shepherd cannot make a great pet, but larger dogs like that, with powerful jaws, are best left for dog owners with a bit more experience who also have the space for a large dog to get its energy out. German Shepherds may be very trainable dogs, but they are also large and powerful animals and must be treated with respect and skillful handling.   

1. The Cane Toad Can Kill Your Pets And Is Invasive In Florida

What We Expect: 

A lot of people may consider toads to be a bit gross, but most consider them mostly harmless even if a bit icky, and plenty of kids love to play with them. Many even try to take them home, and will mess around with them thinking it really isn’t a big deal. Kids, of course, will be kids, and since toads are not scary like snakes, children who like stuff that isn’t just furry are bound to pick them up, and most parents aren’t that worried about it. 

The Disturbing Reality: 

Those parents probably would do well to be concerned about it, because in general toads can carry salmonella, and all types of other diseases. But even worse, in Florida, the Cane Toad has become an invasive species similar to the python and could easily spread to other parts of the USA. It is particularly problematic because its poison can easily kill pets and make your kids very sick. Overall, it is best if you just keep your kids and pets far away from toads, as you never know what they might be carrying.