1. Snake on a plane
Derided as the most ridiculous concept for a movie ever, the Samuel L Jackson flick, Snakes on a Plane, has, in fact, turned out to be quite prophetic.
Last December, an Egypt Air flight from Cairo to Kuwait was forced to make an emergency landing after a snake bit the Jordanian man who had smuggled the reptile onboard. The man had hidden the Egyptian cobra in a carry-on bag and was trying to control the snake after it escaped and started slithering under the seats.
Then last week, a scrub python hitched a ride on a Qantas flight from Cairns to Port Moresby. It was spotted by passengers as it desperately clung on to the wing. Sadly, things didn’t end well for the python.
It seems being a snake in a plane, has its advantages.
2. Crocodile on a plane
Crocodiles don’t make the best passengers either. A plane crash in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2010 has been blamed on a crocodile escaping after being smuggled on board, sparking panic among passengers.
Another crocodile gave baggage handlers a fright in Melbourne after it escaped from its container en-route during the flight from Brisbane. It was only 60 cm long, but still proved a bit of a handful.
3. Penguins on a plane
Who says penguins can’t fly? Buy them a First Class ticket on a commercial flight from San Antonia to Atlanta, ply them with drinks (on the rocks, of course), and they're as happy as any other frequent flyer.
As this video shows, however, they don’t appreciate being told to sit down and buckle up when the seatbelt sign starts flashing.
4. Bat on a plane
Not sure what it is with animals and planes to Atlanta, but back in 2011 another flight there was diverted after a bat started flying around the cabin, causing passengers to duck for cover.
Eventually, a passenger near the rear of the plane was able to swat the bat into the bathroom and shut the door, to the cheers and applause of fellow passengers.
The mystery continued, however, after the plane landed. Maintenance staff checked the toilet and found the bat had disappeared.
Spooky.
5. Dogs on a train
Stray dogs in Moscow have taken to riding the subways there in search of food, catching trains to places with richer pickings.
Apparently the dogs have developed a number of ingenious tactics to secure food. Some packs send their cutest puppies out to beg. Others bark and grab – sneaking up behind someone who has just bough food, barking to startle them and then grabbing the food they drop.
There's even a statue to stray dogs at Mendeleevskaya station, to commemorate Malchik, a stray who who was stabbed by a fashion model who didn't like how Malchik barked at her terrier.
