Ankara: With the new year just beginning, looking back at 2025 reveals a period marked not only by major political developments but also by a remarkable string of strange and unusual events that made headlines around the world.
According to Anadolu Agency, from an Italian village where getting sick was forbidden to drug-addicted mice in a police evidence locker, and from a thieving monkey lured by coffee to a woman who woke up in her own coffin, these incidents provided moments of astonishment, humor, and sheer disbelief.
The year began with some of its most peculiar stories. In Italy, the small village of Belcastro, with a population of 1,200 and located 28 miles (45 kilometers) from the nearest hospital, saw its local government issue an extraordinary decree: residents were instructed to avoid getting sick. The ordinance explicitly stated that villagers should steer clear of illnesses requiring emergency medical intervention. Mayor Antonio Torchia described the act as a "humorous provocation" aimed at exposing the inadequacies of the regional healthcare system. Meanwhile, in the US, the Houston Police Department in Texas reported a unique infestation. An evidence locker containing approximately 180 tons of confiscated narcotics had become the target of mice.
In February, a guest at a hotel near the coast in Vlissingen, Netherlands received a startling surprise. Upon entering their room, the customer discovered a seal fast asleep on the floor. After being awakened, the seal reportedly became grumpy but was safely handed over to authorities to be released back into its natural habitat.
A brazen heist took place in the US state of Florida in March. A thief named Jaythan Gilder posed as an assistant to an NBA basketball player to gain access to a special collection at a jewelry store. While distracting the staff, Gilder swallowed a pair of earrings valued at approximately $769,000. He also stole a ring worth $575,000 before being apprehended shortly after.
April brought a case of incredible coincidence in the UK. A man named Ewan Valentine, whose car had been stolen, unknowingly purchased his own vehicle back. Across the Atlantic in the US state of Massachusetts, a woodpecker was blamed for causing damage to more than 25 vehicles in a neighborhood.
In May, researchers from Germany's Max Planck Institute for Animal Behavior made a baffling discovery on Jicaron Island, Panama. They observed white-faced capuchin monkeys "kidnapping" the infants of another species, howler monkeys, for no apparent reason.
A wild elephant in Thailand went on a snack run in June. The owner of a convenience store shared security camera footage of the large animal wandering into his shop. The footage showed the hungry elephant using its trunk to grab and eat snacks from the shelves.
An unusual dining experience at a restaurant in China's Shanxi province drew media attention in July. The establishment was reportedly offering an afternoon tea service where, for a fee, customers could interact with lions. However, the local forestry department issued a statement clarifying that close interaction between humans and such animals is prohibited.
A long-lost piece of art surfaced in an unexpected place in August. "Portrait of a Lady," a painting by Italian artist Giuseppe Vittore Ghislandi that was stolen from the Netherlands during World War II, was spotted hanging on the wall of a house in a real estate listing in Mar del Plata, Argentina.
September saw a scam of cosmic proportions in Japan. An 80-year-old woman on the island of Hokkaido was defrauded after meeting a man on social media who pretended to be an astronaut. In Sydney, Australia, a grandfather experienced a stressful mix-up when he went to pick up his grandchild from daycare and was mistakenly given the wrong child.
A clever tactic led to the capture of an escaped monkey in the US state of South Carolina in October. A spider monkey named "Ava" fled from her owner during an autumn festival in the town of Eutawville. Although they located Ava quickly, she refused to approach any humans. In a stroke of ingenuity, officials placed a cup of coffee on the ground to pique her curiosity.
One of the year's most shocking events occurred in Thailand in November. A 65-year-old woman who had been brought to a funeral home for her own funeral was discovered to be alive. Upon the discovery that she was alive, the woman was immediately rushed to a hospital.