Welcome to another edition of “Weird and Wacky Wednesdays,” where we bring you the most bizarre and hilarious crime stories from around the world. This week, we’re diving into tales of people who took their illegal antics involving innocent animals to new levels of absurdity.
Gator-Aid not Gatorade
In a stunt that epitomizes “Florida Man” behavior, a boater went viral after using a live alligator to open a beer can. The jaw-dropping footage shows the daredevil luring a small gator to his boat and using its sharp teeth to pierce the can, much to the cheers of his friends.
The boater then handed the beer to a companion who chugged it down in true party fashion. While the stunt may have earned high-fives and laughs, it also violated Florida’s laws against harassing wildlife. As fun as it might seem, experts warn that using gators as party tricks is not only illegal but incredibly dangerous.
Is that a Snake in Your Pants?
So if you thought sticking your hand in a gator’s mouth was dangerous, this next one has Florida man beat. In Shenzhen, China, customs officers were in for a shock when they stopped a man attempting to smuggle 104 live snakes through Futian Port. The man had hidden the reptiles in six canvas drawstring bags taped inside his pants pockets.
The species included milk snakes, western hognose snakes, corn snakes, Texas rat snakes, and bullsnakes, none of which are native to China. Although the snakes were non-venomous, the bizarre attempt at reptilian contraband could land the man in serious legal trouble. Customs officials are cracking down on such illegal activities, reminding everyone that smuggling live animals is not only illegal but also inhumane.
B&E for a Menagerie
Continuing with the animals-shouldn’t-be-in-your-pants theme, in Columbus, Ohio, police arrested Matthew Pancake, a suspect believed to have broken into multiple businesses, including a pet store where several animals were released. Officers responded to a burglary alarm and found that both a restaurant and a pet store had been broken into.
Amid the chaos, animals including dogs, birds, hamsters, and bunnies were seen running loose in the parking lot. The suspect was eventually found sleeping near a Big Lots store with four hamsters in his pants. Pancake was arrested and taken to a hospital for his injuries, adding charges of breaking and entering to his rap sheet. As one police sergeant quipped, “One day, you’re running after a suspect. The next day, you’re running after ferrets and bunnies.”
