1.The huntsman spider that has taken the Internet by storm
The huntsman spider that has taken the Internet by storm
The huntsman spider above just looks terrifying, but she is, according to her handlers, a sweetheart.
Charlotte was rescued by Barnyard Betty’s Rescue in Queensland in 2015 and is currently blowing the collective minds of people on the Internet.
The group said Charlotte “was a beautiful, calm spider, not aggressive in any way and like most spiders she just wanted to go about her business eating bugs and living in peace. She didn’t or doesn’t need to be killed! Poor spiders are so misunderstood!”
Charlotte has already been released back into the wild.
2.The bird that has been known to attack humans
The bird that has been known to attack humans
The cassowary is a giant of the bird world. They can grow to over six and a half feet tall, weigh over 100 pounds, gallop around at speeds of over thirty miles per hour, and have middle toes that feature dagger-like claws that can grow up to five inches long.
Cassowaries can be territorial, defensive of their young or be expecting food if people have been doing the wrong thing by feeding them. Many people having been chased, charged, kicked, pushed, pecked, jumped on, and head-butted. They are quite capable of killing dogs by gutting them with their sharp claws and have even been rumored to have killed small horses.
3.The bats that took over a small Australian town
The bats that took over a small Australian town
More than 100,000 bats have descended on Batemans Bay, New South Wales with politicians declaring a state of emergency in spring 2016, as the town residents were hit with a wave of dirt and destruction caused by the animals.
The noisy bats, commonly known as flying foxes, have created power outages, kept tourists away and hit property prices in the south coast town. The government has approved $2.5 million to solving the problem by disbursement, but the bats are an otherwise protected species and cannot be culled.
4.The couple that was attacked by a snake AND box jellyfish while vacationing in Australia
The couple that was attacked by a snake AND box jellyfish while vacationing in Australia
A woman vacationing in northern Australia was bitten by a snake just hours after her husband was stung by a poisonous box jellyfish during an outback family camping trip.
Box jellyfish, potentially deadly creatures, are common in the area. A park ranger saw the man and he reportedly recovered after being treated with vinegar. His wife was walking near the family’s campsite when a small yellow snake bit her. She was treated at a nearby hospital. (Source | Photo)
5.The frilled-neck lizard that chased a helpful teen
The frilled-neck lizard that chased a helpful teen
Australian teen Ricky Mackenzie wanted to help a frilled-neck lizard when he saw it stuck by the side of a dirt road but he got more than he bargained for.
The budding wildlife photographer tried to move the lizard to safety, but the angry reptile chased Ricky before climbing his leg. The hostile creature opened its jaw and lunged towards the young hiker with its frills outstretched. Luckily for Ricky, frillys are non-lethal to humans and relatively harmless.
6.The kangaroo that tried to fight its own reflection
The kangaroo that tried to fight its own reflection
Video footage uploaded in 2016 shows the terrifying moment a kangaroo started tapping on a homeowner’s window. The ripped kangaroo with its massive claws became even more unnerving when it began throwing itself violently against the glass in an attempt to fight its reflection.
7.The woman who shooed away a crocodile with her flip flops
The woman who shooed away a crocodile with her flip flops
Brave, stupid or a little of both? An Australian woman forced a prowling saltwater crocodile to retreat by shaking her flip-flops and shouting at it.
In the video below, the woman stands with her dog at Cahill’s Crossing — a popular feeding ground in an Australian national park where more than 120 crocodiles can be found. In response to the video, local rangers in the Northern Territory are now calling for stricter safety measures.
8.The snakes that fight each other in a springtime mating ritual
The snakes that fight each other in a springtime mating ritual
It’s springtime in Australia, and love is in the air.
For snakes to find a mating partner, a battle must ensue between the males to determine a victor. Various snake fights captured by Australians have been uploaded on YouTube and social media. According to Dr. Mark Hutchinson who is Head of Research & Collections and Senior Researcher at the South Australian Museum, the snakes display a repeated plaiting together of their bodies and squeezing each other, which makes breathing difficult.
