Animals

Happy the elephant will NOT be freed from the Bronx Zoo ... after New York's highest court ruled the animal is not legally a person and is thus not being illegally detained.

The ruling from the Court of Appeals came down Tuesday ... a 5-2 decision rejecting an animal rights organization's argument that Happy deserves the same liberty rights as a human.

Remember ... the Nonhuman Rights Project sued to get Happy out of the zoo and moved to a more spacious sanctuary, arguing the Asian elephant is worthy of protections afforded to people as a cognitively complex and autonomous animal. Happy was captured in Asia back in the '70s when she was only 1 year old and has been at the Bronx Zoo ever since.

The issue before the court ... whether the writ of habeas corpus -- which humans use to challenge illegal confinement -- should apply to super smart animals like elephants. The judges ruled, no.

It's interesting ... the decision noted the potential snowball effect legally recognizing Happy as a person might have on society, with Chief Judge Janet DiFiore noting there could be "an enormous destabilizing impact on modern society."

However, two judges dissented, saying Happy should not be prevented from having certain liberty rights just because she's an animal.

A stray dog is lucky to be alive after it found itself in a less than familiar environment ... getting stuck inside a gorilla enclosure at The San Diego Zoo.

Officials say, the canine somehow wandered into the gorilla habitat Sunday, after sneaking inside the San Diego Zoo Safari Park -- you can feel the anxiety from the crowd as they watch on, desperately trying to get the dog to climb out and to safety.

The gorillas chase down the pup at points, but keep their distance in an intense stare-off during others ... one thing is for sure -- the dog is terrified.

The good news? ... the zoo staff ended up moving the gorilla so that officers from the San Diego County Humane Society could get in and safely get the doggy out.

While officials have yet to find an owner for the pup, he was reportedly given the shelter name of 'Mighty Joe Young' and the Humane Society is hopeful its owner will come to bring him back home.

Yellowstone National Park looks like it's going through Noah's flood all over again -- the place is buried in water, with currents so strong ... they're taking down nearby bridges.

Check out these wild videos showing the absolute downpour going on near the park, which has forced officials to close off pretty much every roadway to get in. Looks like there are people on the ground there still, and they're capturing some gnarly footage of the conditions.

With water levels rising to dangerous heights, it seems there's already been some major damage -- namely, one of the crossings there, Carbella Bridge, appears to have been ripped down and washed away in the rapids. That's nuts ... 'cause the thing's made of metal!

As you can see, the bridge -- or at least part of it -- is seen floating away in the roaring stream, leaving onlookers shocked.

In addition to the flooding, there are reports of rockslides and other hazards being flagged -- including power outages around the area. The rain is expected to continue for at least a couple more days ... scary since the water is already sky-high. Evacuations are underway.

Cats are a lot more scrappy and resourceful than we humans ever thought -- and the evidence is right here ... a whiskered warrior that wouldn't let a coyote get the best of it!

Check out this insane video of a house cat being chased around a beach house deck in Surfside Beach, TX -- where it's about to be torn to pieces by a wild canine that made its way onto the property ... which belongs to a guy named Tony Gray.

In his original post, he writes ... "Someone almost lost a cat." Keyword there is almost -- because this kitty put up one hell of a fight to survive. And, in the end, it won.

Watch how the feline outsmarts its opponent. It uses a foldable chair to its advantage and successfully evades the critter. After a lot of back and forth -- and some close calls -- the tabby goes all Sly Stallone on a nearby wooden beam ... hanging on for dear life.

It seems the cat might've ended up with a few bite marks here and there ... but it lived to fight another day, as the coyote trots away. Garfield here wasn't taking any chances though.

Orangutans are known for being aggressive, especially with humans, but one animal was clearly pissed off ... and one guy learned just how strong the great apes really are.

Check out the video -- the guy gets too close to the cage -- and the orangutan quickly grabs him by the shirt, pulling him closer and closer, and possibly trying to bite the man.

From there, it's a tug of war between the ape and the man's friends ... and his friends are losing.

At one point, the animal grabs the man's leg, and he's totally horizontal ... the strength is incredible. Unclear exactly when and where the vid was taken, but supposedly the man was ok in the end.

As you might imagine, the insane video is sending social media into a frenzy. One user wrote, "Google people who have been attacked by apes. They are strong enough to rip you to pieces. And they go for your face and your hands first."

Doc Antle has been mixed up with some shady business dealings involving huge sums of cash that crossed over into illegal territory -- at least according to federal prosecutors.

The 'Tiger King' star's federal indictment was unsealed Monday -- this after he was arrested by the FBI last week in South Carolina -- and his charges are spelled out clear as day. He's facing 2 money laundering counts ... and is accused of having laundered upwards of $500k with an employee/business partner of his who was in on the alleged plot.

Per the docs -- obtained by TMZ -- Doc and this employee, Andrew Sawyer, were soliciting people as early as 2019 to help launder money through a check-writing scheme in which they'd get cash upfront and write a check back to the person ... minus a fee for helping clean the money.

The feds allege Doc and Sawyer had a 15% washing fee ... and that the guys laundered around $505,000 between February and April of 2022. The FBI says they had 2 undercover informants working the case -- and claim to have tons of incriminating audio recordings and tapes of both men.

We'd already been told his bust had to do with alleged money laundering, but now we're getting the full breadth of the case -- and it's pretty insane. They make Doc sound like a regular white collar crook ... albeit one who lives in a lot of greenery.

As you know, Doc runs a wildlife preserve down in Myrtle Beach ... where he houses a ton of different animals in a zoo-like environment. Unfortunately for him, the operation there has also been the subject of much scrutiny since he was put on the map via 'Tiger King.'

In fact, Doc had previously faced criminal charges on the state level for alleged wrongdoing at the Myrtle Beach Safari -- Virginia's AG hit with an indictment of their own, alleging he was trafficking lion cubs across state lines ... which Doc denied at the time.

He's also gotten heat from PETA for letting celeb guests swing by and interact with the animals on a very personal level. Still, PETA never had any real power to make him change his practices.

Doc's due to show up in court on Monday to hear the charges against him -- although, it's unclear if he's going to enter a plea or not. The first count carries a max sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

Absolutely wild scene in Oklahoma City on Monday ... a cow got loose on a busy highway -- and two cowboys (not the ones from Dallas!) had to wrangle it in with horses and lassos!!

A news crew's camera in the sky captured the entire incident ... from the pursuit to the moment the cowboys captured the escaped animal.

Two people using vehicles attempted to pin the cow to a fence near the road ... but once that failed, a cowboy riding on his horse sprang into action and took off after the cow with a rope in hand.

The cowboy then threw the lasso out ... and hooked the beast around its neck. A second cowboy came in and lassoed the cow's feet, mercifully bringing the wild chase to an end.

The takedown was heroic -- considering there were cars zooming by at a high rate of speed on the opposite side of the road just feet away.

Still no word yet on how the cow broke loose ... but, fortunately, it appears all parties involved came away from the scene OK.

Doc Antle -- who found fame among the sea of characters on 'Tiger King' -- has been arrested in South Carolina.

Online jail records indicate the 62-year-old -- real name, Bhagavan Antle -- was booked within the last hour in Horry County, South Carolina. Interestingly enough, the arresting agency is the FBI ... though, at this time, it's unclear why he's been arrested.

Antle's the owner of Myrtle Beach Safari, and has faced plenty of criticism over the years for his operation, a lot of which has come thanks to celebrity visits he's held.

However, in October 2020 he was indicted in Virginia for felony wildlife trafficking after an investigation found evidence he trafficked lion cubs between South Carolina and Virginia.

After the indictment, Doc told us, “I am terribly shocked and disappointed at the charges that have been filed against me by the Commonwealth of Virginia, and how they have sought to involve my daughters in this matter. I categorically deny any act or conduct that could ever be considered as “animal cruelty."

He's also come under fire from PETA for hosting guests like Larsa Pippen and Chris Brown's daughter, Royalty, and allowing them to interact with young animals.

Story developing ...

PETA is pissed at Jack Harlow for "glamorizing horse racing" in his latest music video ... calling on him to make things right by donating his earnings for the project immediately.

A rep for PETA tells TMZ ... Jack made a big mistake showing off the sport in his "Churchill Downs" video with Drake. They say he's only showing the positives about the event, and is "missing the whips, drugs, and deaths that run rampant in the industry."

They believe Jack's profiting off the abuse of animals, and are urging the rapper to pay for the care of American Thoroughbreds who would otherwise be sent off to slaughterhouses.

According to PETA, an average of 3 racehorses die on U.S. tracks every day ... and they claim 7,500 Thoroughbreds are exported to be slaughtered every year.

The people of Australia have a lot to deal with when it comes to vicious wildlife -- but very rarely do they have to square up with the country's national animal, the kangaroo -- which makes a new video that much more shocking.

The clip starts out with a man seemingly running for his life, until you see what's chasing him ... a full-grown roo! The man trips, and the animal stomps on him before turning back around the two square up.

From there ... the guy grabs a stick to try and defend himself, but it doesn't phase the kangaroo -- the animal stays on the attack.

Finally, the man grabs the animal by the arm and wrestles it to the ground before putting his weight on the animal and calming it down. Unclear what started the attack or how it officially ended ... but certainly not a battle you see every day.

Stephanie Matto's newest business venture, selling jars of boob sweat, has come to a screeching halt after a bear ventured onto her property, making production way too life-threatening.

The "90 Day Fiancé" star tells TMZ she's been bottling up jars of mammary sweat for the past two weeks ... laying by her new pool to build up enough sweat to fill bottle after bottle.

She says her boob sweat was selling like hotcakes -- from between $300-$500 a pop. She says she was averaging $5K a day before the black bear made its presence known in the yard.

Stephanie's now sweating, but not in a productive way. She can't lay by the pool and sweat, so she's now thinking of investing in a sauna.

This isn't her first time cashing in on her bodily functions -- Stephanie started selling her farts in jars last year and says she made more than $100K.

While it sounds like easy money, Stephanie told us back in December she ate way too many fiber bars and it nearly sent her to the emergency room!

A couple of golfers in Florida unexpectedly encountered a real-life version of Gator Golf over the holiday weekend ... when an alligator straight-up snagged one of their balls on the green -- and then waddled off with it!

The cool (and scary!) moment was captured on video on Sunday ... when Mark Harb and some of his buddies were playing a round at the Ormond Beach golf club.

You can see in footage that Harb shot, as the crew was walking toward the green to putt their balls ... they spotted a gator right next to the flagstick.

"Adam just hit the green," Harb said while recording, "and a gator just had the ball in his mouth."

As Harb got closer, the large reptile bit at the ball, and then crushed it in its teeth repeatedly. The guys joked about it -- from a safe distance! -- saying, "have him just drop it in the hole."

But, doesn't seem that happened -- 'cause the gator kept on moving ... with the golf ball in its mouth.

A lion's not-so-purrfect hairdo is raising eyebrows ... prompting a zoo in China to brush the blame off themselves and onto mother nature.

Hang Hang the lion has the Internet buzzing about his rockstar mane, because let's face it ... sure looks like a total failure of a haircut -- but the Guangzhou Zoo claims it has nothing to do with his unique look.

They say high humidity is to blame for Hang Hang's blown-out mullet, claiming the lion licked his paws and brushed his hair out during a recent extreme heatwave.

The zoo chalks it up to "nature's magic," adding Hang Hang looks like a blonde supermodel, but most others don't see it that way. Some say he looks like one of The Beatles, mop-top and all, while many draw a resemblance to the "Tiger King" himself, Joe Exotic.

Zoo visitors are still skeptical the weather is at fault here ... one claims his hair looked nothing like this 2 months ago when they went to the zoo, and some even say the staff has ruined the lion's appearance altogether.

The state of Massachusetts is going to need a bigger boat after hearing about this ... a great white has been spotted for the first time this season, and it's having a big meal right next to the beach.

Beachgoers saw quite the scene Sunday at a beach in Nantucket as a huge shark took down one of the nearby seals ... the clip shows the water quickly turning from blue to red as it takes bite after bite.

With this being the first sighting of the season, the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy is urging people to play it safe while catching rays -- things like staying close to the shore and avoiding areas with a lot of seals or schools of fish.

They also recommend people in the water keep their splashing to a minimum -- what a bummer.

Of course, this story seems too familiar ... great white spotted near a beach on a holiday weekend? Reminds anyone of that Jaw-dropping flick? Not to mention Spielberg filming his blockbuster in Martha's Vineyard -- on an island just a few hours away from this new sighting.

Matthew McConaughey and some friendly pooches have touched down in Uvalde, TX -- but their presence alone won't fix what's become a major scandal on the slow police response.

The actor is back in his hometown, where he's meeting with families and children affected by the massacre on Tuesday ... when 21 people were slaughtered by a crazed gunman, including 19 children who were wiped out in a classroom he'd barricaded himself in.

Looks like he's with U.S. Congressman Tony Gonzalez -- representing Texas' 23rd district, encompassing Uvalde -- who posted some pics of their time together and thanked MMC.

Shortly after the news broke, Matt posted a lengthy message online calling for action and change on gun laws in the country, saying this phenomenon is "an epidemic we can control."

BTW, Matt's not the only one in town offering support ... there are doggos being trotted around town that are specifically aimed at making people feel better. The LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs are also making the rounds in Uvalde ... letting folks pet 'em to calm their nerves.

Not to knock any of these efforts to bring about calm and healing -- which this community desperately needs -- but there are slightly more pressing matters at hand ... like figuring out why Uvalde-area cops who were on the scene quickly waited so long to engage the shooter.

Col. Steven McCraw -- the director of the Texas Dept. of Public Safety, and Texas' top cop -- said the commanding officer that day made the "wrong decision" in his evaluation of what was happening ... which is why he ordered everyone to not approach for nearly an hour.

Apparently, this guy -- who's been ID'd as Uvalde School District's police chief, Pedro "Pete" Arredondo -- thought there was nobody (or nobody left alive) in the room the gunman had locked himself in ... but he was clearly wrong. Kids were calling 911 from inside.

Eventually -- as the story has now been reported -- Border Patrol agents eventually showed up and were told to stand down ... but after some time and building frustration, they went in anyway and killed the gunman themselves. At that point, though, it was far too late.

There are even reports of parents attempting to run into the school to get their kids since upwards of a dozen-plus cops were just standing around ... only to be cuffed and detained.

Even the "Kings of Pain" have a limit when it comes to voluntarily being bitten by poisonous animals ... telling us rattlesnakes are a no-go.

History Channel stars Adam Thorn and Rob Alleva joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday and told us why they're down to keep getting bitten by animals whose poisonous venom is geared towards defensive purposes, and where the cutoff lies.

The guys puked and were hospitalized following a bite from a Mexican beaded lizard, and they say that's about as much as they can handle ... because if they were to cross into deadly venom territory, the stakes are obviously much higher.

The way Adam and Rob see it -- rattlesnakes, for example, are on the attack when they take a poisonous bite -- and those bites can have potentially life-changing consequences, or even result in death.

In the second season of their show, they're bitten by lizards, urchins, piranhas, lionfish, centipedes and this scary beast ... the tarantula hawk wasp.

Adam and Rob are all about pushing their boundaries ... but some animals are clearly out of bounds.