Animals

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.

Lisa Vanderpump is going all out to celebrate some four-legged friends by hosting her 6th annual 'World Dog Day'!

The 'Real Housewives' star (and her pup) joined "TMZ Live" to give us the lowdown on this weekend's festivities in West Hollywood, which raises awareness about global dog abuse.

Lisa tells us, "World Dog Day' is a real feel-good factor ... especially coming amid some very tough times in America, around the world ... and even for Lisa's charity Vanderpump Dog Foundation.

From the sounds of it, it'll be a whole 'lotta fun ... Lisa says, they're doing it big for all the furry folks -- live music and a DJ, vendors with doggy treats ... also a dog water park, pie-eating contest and even a fashion show with dog models!

While the foundation puts on a great show for pleasure, it also gets down to business too. The org has rescued and adopted over 2,300 dogs domestically and hundreds internationally ... even more of a reason to celebrate!

This year's event is co-sponsored by WeHo as a part of the city's celebration of Pet Week.

"Kings of Pain" star Adam Thorn signed up to get bitten by a venomous lizard, and while he survived ... the pain was so unbearable he ended up vomiting.

Adam put his arm, and as it turns out his stomach, on the line for his History Channel show -- getting bitten on the arm by a Mexican beaded lizard. The critter has a venomous bite, but it hasn't been studied as much as its more famous relative, the Gila monster, making this a scary situation for Adam.

The guy's a real 'King of Pain' ... Adam's been bitten and stung by countless animals, and nearly strangled by a reticulated python, but this is the first time one of these encounters made him hurl.

Adam uses a 30-point pain index to rate his stings and bites ... and he's giving the Mexican beaded lizard a 26.5, which is higher than last season's 25.75 for the reticulated python.

The pain index includes intensity, duration and damage, and Adam experienced it all. The lizard's bite debilitated him so much, he couldn't handle the lizard when it came time for his co-star Rob Alleva's bite.

Soccer star Kurt Zouma has pleaded guilty to charges he attacked at least one of his cats in an abhorrent act back in February -- admitting in court on Tuesday that he did kick and slap at least one of the pets.

Zouma was seen on video back on Feb. 6 punting one of his two felines across his house's floor, and then slapping one of them as well. Earlier this week, he was formally charged over the incident.

The 27-year-old, who's a member of France's national team, appeared at Thames Magistrates' Court in London ... and pleaded guilty to two charges -- one accusing him of kicking a cat in the abdomen, and one accusing him of slapping a cat in the head.

Kurt's younger brother, Yoan, also pleaded guilty to a charge that he aided and abetted Kurt during the incident after officials say he was the one who filmed it all and posted it to social media.

The two are due back in court on June 1 for sentencing -- it's unclear if either is facing significant jail time.

Kurt had previously apologized for his actions in the days after the video went viral, saying, "There are no excuses for my behaviour, which I sincerely regret." He was later fined by his West Ham team, and lost sponsorships as well.

At the hearing Tuesday, Kurt agreed to give up the cats -- which have been in the possession of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals since February. They're now in the process of finding a new home.

Nobody puts baby in a corner, and more importantly -- nobody steps on their head by mistake ... especially when it comes to deer, as this poor fella learned the hard way.

Check out this wild video of a man leaving his house out the front door ... only to find his foot on top of a fawn that was hiding somewhere near his porch, which he didn't see until it was too late -- and with somewhat hilarious results.

The little thing shrieks in pain, which completely freaks out the gentleman who jumps with fright and hops away -- looking back to realize it's a young deer. His screaming wasn't over just yet though ... before long, its mother comes charging at him, sending him running.

Eventually, mama doe gives up the chase ... and trots away with her little one without further incident. The person who posted this says the fawn ended up being uninjured.

Here's a real mother goose ... a mom breastfeeding her baby ran out of her house and saved the family's pet goose from a bald eagle's talons ... and it's all on video.

The crazy scene played out this week in Canada, where a family's surveillance camera captured the moment an eagle swooped down and tried to carry off the goose ... springing the mother into action before she could put down her baby or put on a top.

The hero here is Cait Oakley, and she told Global News she was getting her baby ready for bed when she heard the cries of the family's female goose, Frankie.

Cait says the eagle grabbed Frankie by the throat, but she was able to frighten the eagle enough to where the bird of prey let go of the 20-pound goose.

The mom says the goose is like her 4th child and she didn't even realize the moment was captured on camera ... but the family later shared a good laugh over the footage, which is now going viral.

'Bachelorette' star Shawn Booth, who was once engaged to Kaitlyn Bristowe, has been having lots of sleepless nights ... cause he discovered a snake in his house ... a snake that is now lurking somewhere inside!

Shawn tells TMZ ... he first spotted the snake Monday in the basement of his Nashville home, and tried to cover it with a blanket to calm it down and catch it. His plan was to somehow gently place a basket on the snake's head ... not to kill it but to apply just enough pressure so the reptile would lose consciousness. He did the basket thing and then went to get a shovel so he could remove it from the house.

Thing is ... when Shawn returned with the shovel the snake was nowhere to be found and he hasn't been able to locate it. He's still living in the house but getting a decent night's sleep is impossible. He's worried it'll pop up in his room and do God knows what!??!!!

Shawn says every night before bed, he does a full search of the house, and even has his dog sleep with him in hopes the pooch can alert him to slithery danger.

Shawn tells us there aren't many things he's afraid of in life ... but snakes are top of the list.

Shawn says he thinks the snake got into the house while he was doing yard work. He says he brought out Terminix and they found possible entry sites ... which he plans to patch up.

It's unclear what kind of snake it is or if it's poisonous ... which Shawn says is the scariest part.

There's an incredible case before the highest court in New York ... a case in which an animal rights org has filed legal docs asking the judges to give an elephant at the Bronx Zoo the same rights as a person ... to sue over illegal confinement in order to gain freedom.

The elephant in the room -- or in this case the Zoo -- is Happy, who was captured in Asia back in the '70s when she was 1-year old.

A group called the Nonhuman Rights Project has filed a writ of habeas corpus -- a legal move to get the animal out of confinement -- claiming Happy has effectively been imprisoned by the Zoo in a 1-acre facility. The group wants Happy removed from the facility and taken to a more spacious sanctuary.

The NRP claims Happy should be treated as a person in the legal system, arguing the animal is cognitively complex and autonomous ... worthy of protections afforded humans.

The org claims Happy is the first elephant to pass a self-awareness test ... she consistently touched a white "X" on her forehead as she looked in a mirror.

The New York Court of Appeals heard oral arguments yesterday, and the lawyer for the Zoo argued Happy is indeed happy, swimming, foraging and doing stuff elephants like to do.

At least one of the judges was skeptical, asking the lawyer for NRG, "So, does that mean that I couldn't keep a dog? I mean dogs can memorize words." The NRG lawyer shot back, elephants are way more cognitively complex than pooches.

If NRG is successful, it could literally open the gates of zoos in New York and possibly other states ... at least for the smartest animals in such facilities.

Yes, Pamela Anderson's a big Broadway star now, but she's still an animal lover at heart -- which is why she's going out of her way to walk someone else's dog during her downtime in NYC.

Pamela's in the middle of an 8-week-run as the lead, Roxie Hart, in "Chicago." A source close to the actress says she wasn't able to take her own dogs with her to the city, but was still taking daily walks in Central Park.

That's when we're told Pamela had the idea to ask her assistant -- who has friends in the city -- if he knew anyone who needed a dog walker.

Pammy lucked out because someone happened to have an Irish Setter, named Dash, in need of a world-famous actress and sex symbol to stroll with him.

When Pamela showed up to get Dash for his walk, his owners were stunned to see it was the "Baywatch" actress ... and now, she's been walking him every day for the last 3 weeks.

Pamela's run on Broadway continues until the first week of June, and she's gotten a ton of fan support and positive buzz. We're told she'll continue to walk Dash until she heads home to her own 4 pups.

The alleged Buffalo shooter once detailed a grisly account of beheading a cat -- an incident that left him feeling absolutely nothing at all.

18-year-old Payton Gendron documented the killing in a digital journal entry on Discord -- which was public for a time before being taken down -- in which he describes slicing up a feral gray tabby cat that was apparently attacking his family's own pet cat in their garage.

He goes on to say he spent the next hour chasing it around and stabbing it with a camouflage knife ... until the animal died. Gendron is said to have also logged times on when it went limp, and how it bled from its mouth.

Doesn't sound like the guy was done desecrating the body ... Gendron went on to say he pounded the cat onto the concrete with its tail, and then cut off its head with a hatchet after about 20 hacks -- with blood splattering on his face.

He then wrote, "Honestly right now I don’t feel anything about killing that cat. I thought I would be in pain but I literally just feel blank," adding ... "Well my cat Paige is safe now from that evil feral cat, may you find bliss from consciousness less."

Gendron ended that entry by noting his cat had hung out with him more than anyone in the last few years, and that he hoped his family would care for it when he was "gone."