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Can a two-pound ball of fluff play a practical joke?
Fennec fox keepers at the Endangered Wolf Center
in Eureka, Missouri, think so. They’ve been tricked
multiple times by fennec fox pair Fezz and Daisy.
The duo watches closely when staff enters
their enclosure to clean it. The keepers wear
treat pouches on the backs of their belts so
they can give the animals snacks at the
end of the day. But the foxes don’t like
waiting. “Daisy distracts us by doing this
play bow: Her front legs go down, her butt
goes in the air, and she wags her tail superfast,”
says Regina Mossotti, director of animal care and
conservation. While the keepers are distracted by Daisy,
Fezz swoops in and swipes a pouch. “They’ve fooled us a few
times,” Mossotti says. “Once Fezz gets away, he always turns
around and looks like he’s grinning, as if to say ‘Ha! We got you!’”
Do you ever feel like your dog is laughing at you? Research suggests maybe it is! Dogs make huffing noises that
scientists think is essentially doggy laughter. They make the sound when they’re inviting another animal or
person to play. They also make it when they’re tossing a toy around by themselves.
Gorillas, orangutans, and rats are among other animals that laugh. But does the ability to giggle mean these
creatures have a sense of humor? No one knows for sure, but researchers are working to answer the question.
Check out seven stories and decide for yourself if these animals’ antics mean they find things funny.
WHAT’S
SO
FUNNY?
1
TRICKY
FOXES
7 cool stories about animals’ sense of humor
BY ALINE ALEXANDER NEWMAN AND JAMIE KIFFEL-ALCHEH