Maeve Dunigan

The specialists at FreeMe Wildlife, an animal rehabilitation center in South Africa, are trained to expect the unexpected. Every day, they open their doors to all kinds of patients — from tortoises to owls to wild cats.

Recently, a woman named Summer was visiting a small shop in a rural Chinese village when she noticed movement underneath a parked digger truck outside. Summer, a longtime animal activist and rescuer with Harbin SHS Animal Rescue, immediately suspected something was up.

Every day, on her way to the animal shelter where she works in Adjud, Romania, Camelia Dobos treks through a dense forest. Recently, on one of these walks, Dobos noticed an odd sound echoing through the trees.

Last month, a little terrier named Krakka was at her home in the United Kingdom when she felt a sudden urge to run. Tempted by open fields and exciting smells, Krakka and her dog sibling escaped their house and headed out on an adventure.

Meet Oreo: a resilient stray pup who recently got his happy ending.

Earlier this month, a resident of East Sussex, England, looked out their upstairs window and noticed a tiny, rain-soaked animal splayed on the rooftop.

Last year, a bald eagle was flying above Logan Township, Pennsylvania, when he decided to perch on some telephone wires near a local roadway.

Recently, five friends — Morgan, MaKenna, Jessica, Karmen and Kristina — were enjoying the river view from their inner tubes when Morgan noticed something “unexpected” out of the corner of her eye.

Recently, team members at Brandywine Valley SPCA received an emergency call from officers at the Marple Township Police Department. Apparently, there were nearly 50 small dogs and puppies living in unsanitary conditions in a dilapidated home nearby.

Every day, team members at Wildlife in Crisis in Weston, Connecticut, receive over 200 phone calls about animals in need. After 38 years of operation, the animal experts assumed they’d seen it all, until just recently, when they examined a rescue hawk and found two wild surprises clinging to his back.