12 Amazing Animal Stowaway Stories

SNAKES ON A DASHBOARD

The main highlight of one family’s road trip happened before the group could even make their first stop. While cruising along a Tennessee highway, the driver spotted a snake climbing out from the car’s engine. The reptile slithered across the windshield and around one of the side-view mirrors. Before the family could decide what to do with their unexpected passenger, the snake slid off the car to hitch another ride. (WFLX)

ROLLING IN STYLE

For some reason, the mild Midwestern manner didn’t agree with an armadillo on the run. The animal sneaked onto a truck packed with tires in Orlando and ended up in Cheyenne. Once the critter was found, it refused to eat. Hoping to perk up its spirits, its rescuers sent it via jet to Atlanta, where it was met by a limo that took it to its natural habitat in the Gulf of Mexico. (Los Angeles Times)

SMALL AND SWEET SOUVENIR 

Marni the possum turned one couple's vacation into a getaway for herself. The pygmy possum sneaked into the suitcase of some folks vacationing in the Blue Mountains of Australia, and ended up riding inside the bag all the way to Sydney. When the travelers discovered the stowaway, they turned her in at a nearby zoo. Marni's bumps and bruises from the trip were healed, and she was moved into a new home with the other pygmy possums at the zoo. (Telegraph)

COYOTE’S CRAZY RIDE

When a driver collided with a coyote at 70 mph and couldn’t find the animal afterwards, he figured the coyote slunk away. It wasn’t until the man drove from Nevada to California that he found out what truly happened. Somehow the animal ended up inside the car’s engine after the crash, staying caught in the odd spot for the whole trip. Luckily, rescuers were able to carefully extract the animal from the vehicle and were amazed to find that the coyote only had a few scratches to show from its terrifying trip.

ODD BIRD

An exotic red-tailed tropic bird got tired of its wings and tried out boat life for a while. The usually solitary and rarely seen bird boarded a ship from Korea to Los Angeles. Once it was discovered, the bird was treated at a California rescue center and given a new set of wings. The animal was put on a plane to Hawaii. After landing in paradise, it was released back into wild. (International Bird Rescue)

DOG HUNT GOES DIGITAL

One early-rising Jack Russell decided to take the morning train to Dublin from its home in Kilcock Ireland. The dog scampered off from home and found its way to the train station, boarding one of the cars. While it slipped by unnoticed, people quickly picked up on the ownerless dog. The train line sent out a tweet about the lost pet, which quickly spread around the Web. Soon enough, the dog’s owner got word and drove to Dublin to pick up her wanderlusting pooch.

TRY TO WEASEL OUT OF THIS ONE

An albino ferret got tired of life on four paws and tried out being a trucker for a while. The critter managed to scuttle onto an English truck and take a 200-mile trip before the driver discovered it. The animal was taken to a nearby shelter where it was given a clean bill of health and put up for adoption. Hopefully, the new owners know that there is a flight risk with this little friend. (The Journal)

KEEP ON TRUCKIN'

Yonda made the poor choice of snoozing on a Turkish truck getting ready to head out on a cross-country trip. The cat woke up part way through a 2,000-mile journey to England. Workers unloading the truck at its final destination discovered her. The staff took such a shine to Yonda that they made sure she received top medical care, and they donated money to cover the expenses. 

FLEW THE COOP

A bird reached new heights when it somehow ended up on a plane from Taiwan bound for California. The animal broke loose from an unknown location inside the plane and flew around the cabin until passengers were finally able to catch the winged hitchhiker. Once the plane landed, the bird was given to customs. No other birds were found on the flight, but officials believe a passenger may have been attempting to smuggle the animal into the U.S. (KTLA)

HOT RIDE

Curiosity almost killed the dog. A pooch nosing around a tractor trailer in South Carolina ended up locked inside when the driver didn’t notice the animal. The canine remained in the trailer -- with temperatures of 100 degrees -- until the vehicle reached Georgia. The vets who picked the dog up from the driver were worried about the animal’s chances of survival, but the dog surprised everyone, making a quick recovery after the harrowing and heated journey. (Alive 11)

BUMPER CATS

Next time you hear meowing, check under the hood. One couple accidentally took a cat for a 400-mile ride inside the bumper of their car. The pair heard meowing at the start of their journey, but after searching the car and finding nothing, they assumed it was the neighbor’s cat making noise. The couple continued to hear meows throughout their road trip, but each time they searched the vehicle, they found nothing. Finally, the travelers stopped at an auto-repair shop to have a professional take a look. Good thing they did, because the mechanic uncovered a kitten hiding away in the bumper.