Sometimes the best part of a sports game has nothing to do with the game itself. Instead, it’s the hilarity or adorableness brought on by an animal who takes it upon itself to steal the show–or the ball. From squirrels to seagulls, this list is sure to bring a smile to your face.

Squirrel “Army belly-Crawled” His Way Into Baseball Fans’ Hearts

You know things aren’t going well in a baseball game when spectators and commentators are more entertained by a squirrel dashing around the field than the actual game itself. Not that the baseball players had a chance. This adorably confused squirrel was just too easy to love. Especially at moments where it flopped flat to the ground, crawling not-so-stealthily around the pitch. It was a “convincing” enough display for one commentator to declare that the squirrel was clearly an Army veteran.

Bee Swarm Causes Cricket Players to Hit the Dirt (and Do Push-Ups)

Bees are perhaps the least fun interrupters, but there might still be a little bit of fun to be had. When the South Africa vs. Sri Lanka cricket match paused due to a bee swarm, at least one player used the brief interruption to work in a few pushups! The bees disrupted the game multiple times, and at one point dozens of bees could be seen congregating on a discarded cricket helmet. Officials momentarily halted the cricket match to drive the troublesome insects away — a task that almost became something like a game in and of itself!

Rooster Dazzles Soccer Fans and Frustrates Security

An Israeli football game between Ligat ha’Al game and Hapoel Tel Aviv came to a halt in the 18th minute as a rooster inexplicably strode onto the field. You could tell as security and stewards approached the bird that they knew they were faced with a difficult task. On a sunny day, capturing a feisty rooster would have been a tall order. But the field was very slippery thanks to the rain. The wet grass didn’t bother the bird in the slightest as it easily dashed around and away from security members. One the men slipped during an attempt to corner the bird and it the moment was earned an instant replay.

Adding insult to injury, the bird calmly exited the field via the open gate. The act seemed to suggest the rooster could have left the field sooner, but wanted to have a bit of fun at the expense of flustered security personnel.

Cat Runs Onto Basketball Court, Chased off by Dog Mascot

It’s rare that animals interrupt indoor sports games such as basketball, but it does happen. In the case of this startled kitty, he found himself out in the middle of the basketball court. Getting the cat off the floor was a top priority, but the situation also provided a bit of unexpected comedy. After all, it’s not every day you see a cat chased off a basketball court by a dog mascot!

Seagull Flies Away With Golfer Steve Lowrey’s Ball

The 17th hole at Sawgrass will forever be remembered for a unique occurrence in 1998. Dubbed the “Seagull Incident,” golfer Steve Lowrey could only watch as a nosey seagull poked at and then outright stole his golf ball. If that weren’t enough, the cheeky bird then dropped the ball into the nearby water! Luckily, the bird’s mischief had the ball as moved “by an outside agency.” That meant that Lowrey wouldn’t be penalized, which was good as he’d already successfully made it to the green.

As you can see, animals have their own way of inserting fun into various sports games. For all of our rules and the hurried nature in which we play, these animals serve as reminders not to take ourselves too seriously. After all, at the end of the day the most important part of sports is to have a good time.

(Image courtesy of Andrew E. Russell via Flickr.)