Animals

It's a dog-eat-dog world, but in one pro fishing team's case ... a shark-eat-marlin one too, which ended up costing 'em a ton of dough -- to the tune of millions of dollars!

Officials for the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament in North Carolina disqualified a crew this weekend after they hooked a massive marlin that they'd spent upwards of 6 hours reeling in ... and weighing in at over 619 pounds.

It should've won 'em the grand prize. Should have ...

That award would've been a whopping $3.5 million ... but the team, cruising on their boat Sensation, got screwed out of it -- all because their catch had been mauled.

Indeed ... tourney honchos came down with their controversial decision to disqualify the marlin after Sensation landed the massive fish and had taken tons of pics with it hanging over their boat and deck too. Apparently, the thing had significant shark bites in it.

Those bites aren't all that visible to the untrained eye ... the marlin appears to be mostly intact and in good shape -- but, as it turns out, there was enough damage to it for the Big Rock people to cross it out.

Instead, another fishing crew -- riding on a boat called Sushi -- ended up winning with a much smaller marlin ... which weighed only 484 pounds or so. The Sensation team, of course, was bummed about losing out ... saying it was a tough pill to swallow.

Celebrity stylist Jonathan Wright recently took to IG to mourn the death of his pet monkey Deor ... an animal PETA says he had no business owning in the first place.

As a result, PETA has sent a letter to Dallas authorities requesting an investigation into Deor's death. The org also wants Wright banned from buying another exotic animal.

PETA thinks Wright might have violated a city ordinance that prevents the ownership of prohibited animals, like the 2 macaque monkeys Wright owned ... in addition to a Texas Penal Code designed to enforce the proper care of domesticated animals in one's custody.

Deor is the second monkey since 2021 to pass away in Wright's care -- the other was named Freeenn.

It's unclear why either animal died, but PETA Foundation primatologist Debbie Metzler tells TMZ that monkeys that are snatched at too young an age from their mothers are at high risk for zoonotic diseases.

Metzler says Herpes B, which is deadly to humans, is commonplace in macaque monkeys. Medical risks aside, she says humans are generally ill equipped to give monkeys the highly social environment they need to thrive.

Born in London, England ... this brunette kiddo with big brown eyes was just getting cozy up in her PJs, cuddling with her black cat and growing up in San Diego, California ... all before she turned into a supermodel.

This gorgeous gal is also an actress ... she started her career when she was just a youngin' appearing in a couple of episodes of Nickelodeon's "iCarly," and in most recent years she acted alongside Ben Affleck in "Gone Girl" as well as in Amy Schumer's "I Feel Pretty."

Need one more clue? Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" music video!

An Ecuadorian pilot was greeted by a bird at 10,000 feet after it smashed through the cockpit ... forcing the aviator to keep his cool while maintaining flight.

The clip began making rounds Wednesday, showing some sort of dead massive bird dangling right in front of pilot, Ariel Valiente, above Vinces, a city in the Los Rios Province of Ecuador.

Most shockingly, however, is the fact Valiente keeps the small aircraft in the air ... even turning the camera on himself to show his blood-covered face. He seems pretty unfazed by the terrifying ordeal. The blood is likely from the feathered-creature ... but hard to tell for sure.

Obviously, the people on social media are havin' a field day with the whole thing. While some applaud the pilot for not freaking out, one user said it looked like a scene "straight outta horror movie."

Some beachgoers in Florida got more than some surf, sand and sun over the weekend ... thanks to a friendly bear that made itself at home, walking right out of the water!!!

Check out the clip, shot Sunday in Destin, showing the black bear first swimming in the water before taking to land seemingly comfortable with all the other people around.

Obviously, most people were stunned, staring at the animal as it carried on like a pet dog enjoying a beach day -- you can even hear one kid yell out, "It's a bear!!!"

A witness told Fox13 he started recording as soon as he spotted the animal, saying, "It kept swimming in. He got to shore, shook off, and ran into the brush in the sand dunes ... I think most people were shocked instead of being scared. No one expected to see a bear in the Gulf of Mexico."

Authorities believe they've captured the tiger shark responsible for attacking and killing a Russian man in Egypt.

Videos popped up late Thursday showing the massive animal brought to shore by heavy-duty nets ... with several boats used in the effort.

A statement from the Ministry of Environment confirmed they caught the shark, though beaches are to remain closed until Sunday to make sure nothing similar happens.

The Ministry noted the shark stayed in the area following the attack, near the surface of the water ... though it's unclear how long it took to capture and kill.

As we reported, terrifying video of the attack hit the internet from the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Hurghada. In it, you can see a man, now identified as 23-year-old Vladimir Popov screaming and fighting for his life as the shark continues to attack.

A shocking video captured the last moments of a man swimming in Egypt's Red Sea as a vicious shark attack unfolded in front of horrified onlookers.

The clip, which we're not showing because it's just that graphic, began circulating online Thursday from the resort city of Hurghada. You can see a man treading water, as a shark continues to attack him ... biting him several times. At one point, the shark pulls the man upside down, forcing both of his legs above the surface in a headstand formation.

The woman recording can do nothing but gasp, as the man screams out in pain for help.

Finally, in what appears to be one final strike ... the shark pounces on the man's upper torso and takes him under the surface.

A statement from Egypt's Ministry of Environment stated it's believed the attack was from a tiger shark, and the man died from his injuries.

A tourist at Yellowstone National Park could find himself in jail, and it's all because of some videos of him running up to bears ... which park officials say is against the law.

Yellowstone rangers are reportedly on the hunt for the tourist, who is going viral for all the wrong reasons. The social media clip shows him hopping out of his car and charging at a bear, at least twice ... grunting, growling and barking at the wild animal.

In the footage, posted to an Instagram account dedicated to shaming Yellowstone tourists, the bear books it away from the tourist ... running off into the woods. The man then turns back to the camera, ripping his shirt off and flexing.

Yellowstone officials have seen the video and say they're investigating ... telling Cowboy State Daily the man could face criminal charges for disturbing wildlife, disorderly conduct and approaching wildlife.

Remember ... the National Park Service has strict rules in place at Yellowstone, where visitors are required to stay at least 100 yards away from bears and other animals.

Yellowstone officials also say the man could be fined $5,000 and thrown in jail for up to 6 months if convicted on the misdemeanor charge.

2 Chainz is mourning the sudden loss of his beloved French bulldog, TrappyGoHard, his adorable sidekick for nearly a decade.

2 Chainz posted the sad news on Monday and said the loss is hitting him like a ton of bricks.

The Atlanta rap star praised Trappy for his laid-back demeanor, and fondly recalled how he was able to make the pooch a permanent part of his entourage for worldwide treks.

2 Chainz got Trappy from a top breeder back in 2015, and they instantly became a recognizable duo.

The "T.R.U." rapper says he's confident their union inspired fans to acquire French bulldogs of their own, and openly admitted his love for Trappy runs greater than his care for some humans out there!!!

Trappy was a regular on 2 Chainz's "Most Expensive S**t" series and also made frequent cameos in interviews and social media.

Losing a pet can be just like losing a family member in most cases ... and 2 Chainz's dog was a bona fide star.

Pete Davidson getting his new dog from a pet store and not from an animal shelter comes as a disappointment to the folks over at PETA.

Daphna Nachminovitch, the Senior VP of Cruelty Investigations over at PETA, tells TMZ ... "It's tragic that Pete didn’t seek out a borough-born mutt from a city animal shelter, because a scrappy New Yorker with charm, personality, and unconventional handsomeness could have been his perfect match."

As we reported ... Pete and his actress girlfriend Chase Sui Wonders picked up a cavapoo puppy last month from Citipups in Manhattan, and the dog is from a breeder.

PETA is urging Pete to consider adopting the next time he needs a four-legged friend, with Daphna telling us ... "Since shelters in New York and across the country are overflowing with homeless animals, PETA urges Pete to show some big heart energy by adopting, not shopping, in the future."

Remember ... Pete picked out the pup after seeing a photo of him on Citipups' website.

Of course, the whole reason Pete was looking for a puppy in the first place was because his dog Henry recently died at just 2 years old.

We covered it all in the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

Instagram model Liziane Gutierrez and her 10-lb pooch fell victim to some nasty crooks who not only broke into her home but decided they also needed to mace the pup in the process.

Check out the video, obtained by TMZ, showing 3 men break into Liziane's Vegas home Thursday night through a back door. You see her maltese, Duchess, approach the intruders in a friendly manner only to be blasted with pepper spray.

From there, the men rush upstairs and into Liziane's bedroom, ransacking her closet and making away with Gucci bags, a Rolex, a gold chain and designer sneakers.

Thankfully, Liziane was at the gym at the time of the incident ... but she tells us the men made away with over $50K in luxury goods. She called the cops as soon as she got home.

As for Duchess, she was taken to the vet -- given a bunch of baths and some medication for her lungs and eyes -- we're told she's still having a tough time recovering and isn't yet back to 100% ... though things are looking good.

MMA fighter Mike Dragich is used to squaring up against proverbial beasts inside of a cage, but last month, he got to go up against a literal one -- wrestling a 10-foot alligator away from onlookers ... and the wild scene was all captured on video!!!

The crazy matchup happened outside of an elementary school in Jacksonville ... when Dragich -- a 33-year-old amateur fighter and licensed gator trapper -- was summoned to help Florida fire and rescue officials wrangle a giant reptile away from a campus full of students.

You can see in footage that Dragich posted to his social media page, he didn't look nervous about the upcoming fight at all ... strolling up to the gator in a cut-sleeve shirt and tight pants.

Video shows Dragich tried to grab the alligator by its tail multiple times ... but the animal wasn't budging.

Finally, Dragich was able to hook its head with a catch pole ... but the alligator didn't go down easily, causing a group of spectators nearby to scream with fear.

It rolled multiple times in an effort to break free from Dragich ... though, eventually, the man was able to corral it with the help of JFRD responders.

After the battle, the gator wrangler told Fox 35 Orlando, "I felt like Batman, for real."

"A lot of fighters will understand that uh, when you go to the cage, you're nervous but once that cage door closes, you gotta be focused and honestly that's what I remembered from that night," Dragich said.

The mixed martial artist is no stranger to these kinds of situations, in addition to taking multiple fights in his career ... he's also taken down a bunch of gators over the years too, showcasing many of his conquests in videos on his IG page.

Of course, he's far from the first notable figure to get in brawls with scary creatures -- UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov gained fame for wrestling bears regularly. And, who could forget Chuck Norris' own tilt with a bear?!?

Begs the question, what's crazier ... fighting a gator, or a bear???

Pete Davidson has a new best friend, a super cute pup ... and he was all smiles as he picked up his new buddy with girlfriend Chase Sui Wonders.

They picked up the pooch in New York City, going to Citipups in Manhattan to get their furry friend ... the pet store just posted footage of Pete and Chase at the counter.

Folks who work at Citipups tell TMZ ... Pete and Chase came through May 21 and left with a cavapoo puppy. We're told the pup, a boy, was only 2.5 months old ... and he didn't have a name, so Pete and Chase have a big decision to make.

The puppy's not a rescue or anything ... we're told it was from a breeder.

Leading up to Pete's in-store visit, we're told Pete was in contact with Citipups and told them he fell in love with the cavapoo after seeing a photo of the pup.

Pete brought Chase along with him ... and we're told they loved the dog and bought it on the spot. Naturally, we're told Pete and Chase are super excited with their new pup ... though it's unclear if it's Pete's dog or if they got it together.

Pittsburgh Pirates minor leaguer Travis Swaggerty is asking his fans for prayers ... revealing on Wednesday his wife is dealing with a rare blood disease after she was attacked by a raccoon.

Swaggerty -- the No. 10 overall pick in the 2018 MLB draft -- said his partner, Peyton Swaggerty, was bitten by the rabid animal over a year ago ... and her life has been hell ever since.

In a statement posted on his social media page, the outfielder said Peyton has been "riddled" with "unresolved pain and problems" that have "completely taken her quality of life away from her."

Travis said in his note that she was headed for an appointment at the Mayo Clinic later Wednesday to try to find solutions to the issues.

"I wanted to share this to ask for support and prayers for her," he wrote, "along with reminding everyone to not take anything for granted in this life, especially the little things."

Travis said in a separate tweet that Peyton, despite all of the medical issues, has remained a stellar mom to their baby daughter.

"She fights through everything she’s feeling to be the best mom she can be," Travis said.

Peyton thanked her husband and his fans for their support in a tweet of her own on Wednesday morning ... adding, "We're on our way to the Mayo Clinic right now."

"I'm trusting God and the doctors!"

Jay Cutler has gone from playing for the Bears ... to slaying them -- the ex-Chicago quarterback just revealed he shot and killed a wild one while out on a hunt in Montana.

The 40-year-old has been in Big Sky Country for the last few days enjoying the state's spring bear hunt ... and on Tuesday morning, he came away with a big trophy.

According to Outsider, Cutler shot a cinnamon black bear with a scoped bolt action rifle ... and it wasn't hard to see the former NFL star was thrilled with his catch.

Cutler posted a pic with the dead animal on his social media page ... writing, "MT bear hunt in the books" -- and saying he was off to go enjoy a beer now.

Cutler also had a memorable moment on the hunt over the weekend, he found a huge elk rack and skull that was nearly as big as him.

Cutler's become quite the outdoorsman in his retirement from football -- he posts about his hunts regularly. In fact, just last summer, he said he hunted down a deer that he had been stalking for some two years.

Several Yankees fans nearly got a lapful of peanuts, Cracker Jacks and squirrel out at the old ballgame Tuesday night -- and the Pinstripes supporters couldn't have been more mortified by it!!!

The Animal Planet-like scene all went down during New York's tilt against the Baltimore Orioles ... when, somehow, a squirrel broke into Yankee Stadium and took an in-game jaunt around the outfield.

First, it was seen posted up near the Yanks' bullpen ... then it was spotted in the center field grass. But, when it made its way near the stands, that's when all hell broke loose.

Check out video of rodent's run across an outfield wall -- fans were absolutely terrified to be so close to the creature!!

You can see most of the guys in the area had alarmed looks on their faces -- which is not too surprising ... considering New York is, after all, known as a concrete jungle.

Don't worry, no one was bit by the creature -- and as far we know, no squirrels were harmed during the game. Plus, the Yanks seemed to get some good mojo by it all ... going on to beat the O's, 6-5, in a walk-off thriller.