If there's one thing that we were frequently reminded of this year, it's that the animal kingdom never fails to be a source of surprise and fascination. But often we humans are so interested in our own species that we forget to marvel at the incredible curiosities of our cohabitants on this planet. When we take the time to notice what the other creatures are up to, we see what a remarkable place the natural world is. Like, a place where there are queen-saving bee swarms and talking horses and googly-eyed squids...all of which took top honors on TreeHugger this year, along with a number of other beautifully bizarre tales of animal wonders. Enjoy!
10. Inky the octopus escapes from aquarium through a drainpipe to the sea
Photo: YouTube/Video screen capture
In a tale of intrigue and derring-do, the crafty cephalopod slipped out of his enclosure and found his way to freedom. Go, Inky, go! Full story here.
9. Runaway unicorn leads police on wild chase
Photo: KTLA 5 News/Facebook
The California Highway Patrol spent hours trying to find the fugitive fantasy creature after it escaped from a fairy-tale photo shoot in Madera Ranchos. Full story here.
8. Man incubates supermarket eggs, gets a baby quail
Alwyn Wils was in for a happy surprise after trying an experiment to see if supermarket eggs really are unfertilized. The product of his curiosity? A cute little bundle of quail named Albert. Full story and video here.
7. Horses learn to communicate with humans
Norwegian researchers taught 23 horses how to express their needs using symbol boards, and the horses loved it. Full story here.
6. Study finds that, basically, goats are the new dogs
New research confirms what goat lovers already know; aside from the fact that goats are totally wonderful, they are also smart and have the capacity for complex communication with people. The other "man's best friend"! Full story here.
5. Amazing octopuses stand up on two legs and run
As if they weren't remarkable enough, now we can add "prancing about on a pair of arms" to the cephalopod's impressive bag of tricks. Full story and video here.
4. Scientists capture "googly eyed" squid on film
Wide-eyed with surprise? Nope, it's a stubby squid, says researchers - and it's purple. And what a cutie it is! Full story and video here.
3. Wildlife cameras capture strangest creatures of all
A Kansas police department set up trail cameras to investigate reports of a mountain lion; the photos they got were quite a surprise. Full story here.
2. Crabs' shell swap is a crazy remarkable thing (video)
This is how a group of hermit crabs performs a housing exchange, the orderly nature of it all and the crabs' patience is incredible! If only humans could show such efficiency when it comes to sharing resources. Full story and video here.
1. Swarm of bees follows car for 2 days to rescue queen trapped in back
Photo: Tom Moses/Facebook
When Carol Howarth parked her Mitsubishi in the town of Haverfordwest, Wales, to do some shopping, little did she know the mayhem that would ensue. Two days of it! The moral of the story is: Devotion knows no bounds when it comes to bees and their leader. Full story here.
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