This year saw its fair share of odd headlines -- drunk pigs fighting cows, octogenarians fighting bears bare handed and eel being shoved up parts of the body where the do not belong -- just to name a few. We've rounded up some of the weirdest stories of 2013 below, listed in no particular order.
Chinese Man Fails to Smuggle a Turtle Disguised as a Hamburger
A traveler in China resorted to an unusual camouflage technique in an attempt to take his pet turtle on onto an airplane with him. The man disguised his turtle as a hamburger. The ruse turned out to be unsuccessful after security screening workers at China's Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport airport noticed "suspicious corners" of a bag as it passed through the airport's X-ray scanners.
Flesh-eating Maggots Found in UK Woman's Ear
Rochelle Harris returned from holiday in South America with mysterious headaches, a sharp pain in her face and an inexplicable pool of fluid on her pillow when she woke up one morning. It turned out she took home and unexpected souvenir from a recent trip to Peru: eight flesh-eating maggots stowed away in her ear canal.
80-year-old Man Fights Bear, Wins with Headbutt, Eats Pie to Celebrate
A trip to his backyard raspberry patch turned into the fight of Yusuf Alchagirov's life. As the bear approached the 80-year-old shepherd, he drew a knife on the creature, but it was quickly knocked out of his hands. The man used kicks and headbutts to fight off the bear and celebrated his victory with pies.
Stowed Away in Supermarket Bananas, Deadly Spiders Force UK Family to Flee Home
At first glance, Consi Taylor thought the fuzzy white spot on her banana was mold. But when she took a closer look she realized she was seeing a mass of tiny spiders. Her London family was forced to evacuate their home because of a potential infestation of lethal Brazilian wandering spiders that stowed away in a package of supermarket bananas.
Australian Wild Pig Drinks 18 Beers, Gets in Fight with Cow
At a remote campsite in rural western Australia, a group of campers reported a wild boar ransacking the campsite and getting into a case of beer, then getting drunk and starting a fight with a cow. The story made international headlines, but the boorish boar met an untimely end weeks later when it was killed on the highway by a passing vehicle.
Eel Shoved Up Man's Anus Eats Its Way Through His Intestines
A 39-year-old man checked into a hospital in southern China after allowing a 20-inch live eel to slither into his anus in an attempt to recreate something he has reported witnessed in a porno film. It took an all-night surgury to get the eel out from inside the man. The eel was alive when it was removed, but later died. Doctors said it was "probably a mercy."
Millions Of Wasps, 22-Foot Nest Found In Abandoned Home
A small island off the coast of Morocco was abuzz after authorities found an abandoned home occupied by countless millions of wasps. The insects constructed a 22-foot-long nest, which is one of the largest ever found.
Anteater Gives Birth Without Mating, Zoo Officials Puzzled
A female anteater that gave birth despite the absence of a male partner at a zoo in Connecticut has zoo officials puzzled, offering a bizarre situation where likely explanations to the mystery are in short supply. Calling it an immaculate conception would not be completely accurate, but it provokes the right idea.