While cute and seemingly harmless on their own, packs of animals can be dangerous if provoked. I remember hiking in Thassos one summer and reaching a secluded spot that oversaw the beach and the sea. We were so busy staring at the turquoise water on our left, we didn’t notice more than a dozen wild goats on our right, just staring at us. A few rams stood closest to us, with threatening curly horns, staring without blinking. I was already imagining the headlines about two tourists being attacked by wild goats. We kept our distance and tried to avoid eye contact, no sudden movements and we managed to leave the wild goats behind. If this story wasn’t terrifying enough for you (I guess it was one of those ‘you had to be there’ moments), keep reading about 10 scary stories of pack behavior.

10. Squirrels attack stray dog

Russian squirrels are not really the definition of cute and harmless. When a stray dog started barking at some squirrels in a tree, they didn’t hesitate and scuttled down to attack it. They tore the dog from limb to limb, to the amazement of the people who were strolling in the park. Their aggressive behavior can usually be explained by long and severe winters which leaves them craving for food and protein.

9. Badger grave diggers

Swindon, an English town, has been dealing with a gory issue for many years. The badgers that have been burrowing under the town cemetery managed to push the bodies to the surface. All attempts to bury them back are useless, since the incident repeats every night. The cemetery workers’ hands are tied by the Protection of Badgers Act which prohibits destroying or disturbing badgers’ dens.

8. Cows trample women to death

You didn’t seem this coming, did you? Neither did a 61 year old woman from Cardiff. She was walking her dog when she was trampled by a herd of cows. The fatal incident came two years after another woman was trampled to death by another herd of cows also from Cardiff. The cows’ outrageous ridiculous behavior could have been triggered by the ladies’ dogs, who were seen as a threat.

7. Stray dogs kill a pig

There are many cases of stray dogs attacks, but the most gruesome of them all is the attack on a Californian farm in 2013. A pack of stray dogs killed at least eighty animals on the farm: chickens, rabbits and even a pig were killed by the feral dogs. This is a problem that keeps spreading around he world, with National Geographic reporting that stray dogs numbers are reaching alarming levels in the USA.

6. Feral cats attack

It appears not only man’s best friend can go mad. In 2013 a French woman who was walking her dog with her daughter was attacked by half a dozen aggressive cats who managed to pierce one of her arteries. Veterinarians were puzzled by the incident and couldn’t come up with a logical explanation for the feral cats’ behavior.

5. Raccoons go mad

A 28 year old woman was jogging when her dog started chasing a couple of raccoons. While the dog was busy barking at the tree, the raccoons got back ups and came back for revenge. They chased the woman back to her home while biting at her legs. She got more than one hundred wounds and managed to get away after her dog scared some of the aggressive raccoons.

4. Chihuahuas here, chihuahuas there, chihuahuas everywhere

A neighborhood from Phoenix struggles with an unusual breed of stray dogs. Packs of chihuahuas reportedly terrorize the area, attacking children who are going or coming back from school. During summer breaks they dig up random yards and pick fights with any pets they happen to meet. The packs are usually made up of a dozen barking chihuahuas and are a real pest for Maryvale inhabitants.

3. Elephants in full revenge mode

Following an elephant being killed by a train in India, a herd of fifteen elephants attacked more villages in the nearby areas. It’s not unknown that elephants have funerary rituals, but their behavior left villagers wondering if the animals were seeking revenge or if it was only a weird coincidence.

2. Dolphins are not always cute

Although their reputation precedes them as sweet and docile, dolphins can be extremely aggressive. They have been observed as they were having fun killing a baby porpoise and even murdering their own offspring. They’re not always very friendly with humans either. Four people were hospitalized in Ireland after they were attacked by a bottlenose dolphin.

1. Crows never forget

Unsettling researches show that crows remember unkind people’s faces. In addition to being very creative and having common sense, crows will even tell each other about dangerous humans, so they can recognize the people that did them wrong on the spot. Crows are known to gather into flocks and descend in a “dive bomb” over a human they’re not particularly fond of. So you might want to think twice before taking out that slingshot next time you see a crow.

Image sources 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10