Dog on Olympic course evokes memories of previous wildlife disruptions
Sports are enjoyable. Animals are delightful. The combination of the two can be remarkable — at times.
On Wednesday, spectators at the Olympics experienced an unexpected blend of these elements when a local Czechoslovakian wolfdog named Nazgul escaped his owner’s attention and sprinted onto the final stretch of the cross-country ski course in Lago di Tesero — during the competition. Fortunately, the race, which was a preliminary qualifying round, was only briefly interrupted, with a few seconds of confusion affecting the times of the competitors who saw Nazgul’s appearance.
“I thought, ‘Am I seeing things?'” remarked Tena Hadzic, a 21-year-old Croatian skier who was among those whose timing coincided with the dog’s presence. “I wasn’t sure how to react, as he might have attacked or bitten me.”
Nazgul was swiftly rounded up and returned home, but not before winning the hearts of onlookers and viewers at home.
DOG ON THE COURSE AT OLYMPIC SKIING. ๐จ
The late entry finishes strong at the cross country finish line! pic.twitter.com/o4mO28tXXW
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 18, 2026
This incident is far from the first time an animal has interrupted a sporting event. There was an occasion when a sportswriter’s dog ran onto the field, halting a Georgia football game. Additionally, San Antonio has experienced numerous bat encounters reminiscent of “Dracula.”
In recognition of these extraordinary occurrences, let’s revisit some other notable animal interruptions in sports.
What: Squirrel
Where: New York, New York
When: 2025
A squirrel appeared in the fourth inning of a Yankees-Red Sox rivalry game, emerging from behind home plate and stopping right at Jhostynxon Garcia’s left foot. The creature then darted to the third-base foul line before attempting to dig a hole in front of the mound and subsequently scampering down the right-field line in search of an exit.
SQUIRREL ON THE LOOSE AT YANKEE STADIUM! pic.twitter.com/lz2gcSwsVL
— MLB (@MLB) August 23, 2025
What: Squirrel
Where: Detroit, Michigan
When: 2025
The squirrel dashed around the outfield, eventually reaching the warning track before climbing into the Tigers’ bullpen during the first inning of the San Francisco Giants-Detroit Tigers game.
๐จ SQUIRREL ๐จ pic.twitter.com/QN9Big9IIX
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) May 27, 2025
What: Snake
Where: Charlotte, North Carolina
When: 2025
During the second round of the 2025 PGA Championship, golfers and spectators experienced an unusual encounter when a snake disrupted the tournament.
The snake slithered across the course, seemingly targeting a golf ball before moving past it.
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What: Bunny
Where: Norman, Oklahoma
When: 2025
During a college baseball game at L. Dale Mitchell Park, a bunny interrupted the proceedings.
With two outs in the top of the fourth inning, a bunny appeared on the third-base side. The creature began to run around behind home plate before heading toward the bullpen and quickly exiting.
What: Squirrel
Where: Oxford, Mississippi
When: 2024
A squirrel disrupted an SEC matchup between Ole Miss and Oklahoma at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
Late in the first quarter, a squirrel entered the field at the 17-yard line, ran to the end zone for a touchdown, and then disappeared into the tunnel.
๐จ SQUIRREL DELAY@OleMissFB x ๐บ @ESPN pic.twitter.com/M4yJKCN0xI
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) October 26, 2024
What: Insect
Where: New York City
When: 2024
During their quarterfinal match at the 2024 US Open, Frances Tiafoe and Grigor Dimitrov experienced a disruption caused by an insect.
Tiafoe pointed out the black insect during a dead ball as ball boys rushed onto the court and spent approximately 30 seconds trying to capture it by hand before the match continued.
NOT ALL HEROES WEAR CAPES! pic.twitter.com/MzQ0JMRYJj
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 4, 2024
What: Raccoon
Where: Chester, Pennsylvania
When: 2024
A raccoon caused a brief stoppage in play during a match between the Philadelphia Union and New York City FC at Subaru Park in Philadelphia.
The raccoon wandered onto the field midway through the first half, evading staff who attempted to remove it. Ultimately, after 161 seconds, the raccoon was escorted off the field.
play0:56Bunny hops around field to cause delay in Texas-Oklahoma
Play is momentarily paused between Texas and Oklahoma as a bunny hops around the field.
What: Turtle
Where: Bradenton, Florida
When: 2024
During a game involving the Bradenton Marauders, a minor league affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, a turtle caused a brief interruption. The surprisingly quick reptile wandered around the outfield for a while before pitcher Magdiel Cotto successfully removed it from play.
"Is that a squirrel? Or a rodent? … It's a turtle!"
A curious creature makes a mad dash across the outfield grass during @stluciemets/@The_Marauders action ๐ข pic.twitter.com/rlH3UJCaje
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) May 11, 2024
What: Bees
Where: Chase Field, Arizona
When: 2024
Before a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Arizona Diamondbacks encountered an unexpected situation with bees behind home plate.
A colony formed on the protective netting behind home plate, leading to a delay of one hour and 55 minutes, as reported by the Diamondbacks.
The Diamondbacks had to summon beekeeper Matt Hilton from Blue Sky Pest Control.
Hilton mentioned he was at his son’s T-ball game when he received the call. Unbeknownst to him, he would quickly become a fan favorite after addressing the bee issue.
“I thought I was just here to handle a bee problem, and people were quite excited,” Hilton told MLB Network.
Hilton also threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
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What: Cat
Where: Angel Stadium, California
When: 2024
There seems to be a connection between the end of April and animals appearing on the diamond.
On the same evening the Diamondbacks dealt with bees, a cat made an unexpected appearance during a game between the Los Angeles Angels and Philadelphia Phillies.
And the RALLY CAT is born ๐ธ @Markgubicza @WayneRandazzo@Angels l #RepTheHalo pic.twitter.com/RAYM7C0Rqe
— Bally Sports West (@BallySportWest) May 1, 2024
In the bottom of the seventh, the cat dashed into the Phillies’ dugout. Fortunately, as the broadcaster noted, it was not a black cat.
What: Squirrel
Where: Yankees Stadium, New York
When: 2023
Early in the 2023 season, a squirrel amazed the Yankee Stadium crowd when it traversed the outfield wall.
Squirrel sighting in the Bronxโผ๏ธ ๐ฒ๐ฟ๏ธ
(via @MLB)pic.twitter.com/LIkSIRtVa7
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 24, 2023
Fortunately, it seems that neither the fans nor the squirrel were harmed during the little creature’s adventure.
What: Bats
Where: AT&T Center, San Antonio
When: 2009 — and again in 2019
Bats can be quite intimidating if one is unfamiliar with them and their capabilities. At the AT&T Center, home of the San Antonio Spurs, they have made multiple appearances.
In October 2009, a bat disrupted the Spurs’ game against the Sacramento Kings. Fortunately, the agile Manu Ginobili was still with the Spurs and managed to swat the creature down and capture it. Interestingly, this incident occurred on Halloween night.
The bats were not finished, however.
During a January game against the Brooklyn Nets, the contest was briefly halted due to not just one, but four bats, as staff worked to clear the area. Fans clearly knew who was needed, as chants of “Manu, Manu, Manu” erupted from the crowd.
Spurs fans chanted "Manu" while bats flew around the court ๐ฆ๐ pic.twitter.com/YTDCqwx4Vo
— ESPN (@espn) February 1, 2019
Unfortunately, the bats were not done in San Antonio. A month later, during a Spurs game against the New Orleans Pelicans, another bat appeared on the court at the AT&T Center.
This time, the Spurs’ mascot, The Coyote, managed to capture the creature with a fishing net near the scorer’s table during the first quarter. The delay lasted about 90 seconds.
The bats returned for a third time in March when the Spurs faced the Milwaukee Bucks. Once again, The Coyote came to the rescue.
What: Squirrel
Where: Busch Stadium, St. Louis
When: 2011
Imagine making your debut and winning the World Series.
This is somewhat akin to what happened for the gray squirrel that dashed across home plate at Busch Stadium during Game 3 of the National League Division Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and the St. Louis Cardinals in October 2011.
There was no delay of play, although it was clear that all players were quite puzzled.
*Note: We searched extensively online, and there is no original footage of the Rally Squirrel. It appears that 2011 was indeed a simpler time.
The Phillies won Game 3, giving them a 2-1 lead in the NLDS. However, the Cardinals triumphed in Games 4 and 5, clinching the series and advancing to the World Series. St. Louis ultimately won the 2011 World Series against the Texas Rangers in seven games, with Rally Squirrel playing a part.
What: Cat
Where: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore and MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
When: 2017, 2019
Cats are quite agile creatures, so it is not surprising that they often find their way into sports venues.
In 2017, a kitten made its way into M&T Bank Stadium to watch a game between the Miami Dolphins and the Baltimore Ravens.
THERE'S A CAT ON THE FIELD!#MIAvsBAL pic.twitter.com/UrpmuAfWOa
— NFL (@NFL) October 27, 2017
Tony Romo’s commentary was highly entertaining. However, the adorable cat was eventually captured by stadium personnel and taken away.
The story concluded happily, as a stadium employee adopted the stray cat and named her “Rae” — short for Ravens.
In 2019, a black cat ran onto the field during a “Monday Night Football” game between the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium.
If we didn’t have @saquon, we should sign that cat! The cat was elusive! @Giants
pic.twitter.com/Z9TDBVA8Ds
— Michael Strahan (@michaelstrahan) November 5, 2019
What: Dog
Where: Dunhill Links Championship, Scotland
When: 2012
Dogs and balls naturally go together. Moreover, Scotland is known for being one of the most dog-friendly countries. Therefore, it is not surprising that Dunhill Links has seen its share of dogs during golf events.
In 2012, however, one dog took its fascination with balls a step further and snatched Paul Casey’s golf ball right off the third hole green.
“It’s the strangest thing I’ve ever experienced on a golf course,” Casey stated. “I noticed the dog at the 12th tee, and it seemed to follow us down the fairway before becoming particularly interested in my golf ball.”
The good news was that Casey was permitted to play his original ball and achieved a birdie on the hole.
Ever heard the story of Digby the Dog and @Paul_Casey at @KingsbarnsGL?
Eyewitness, caddie Keiren Smith relives one of #dunhilllinks strangest tales pic.twitter.com/vnRvw8aHxc
— Alfred Dunhill Links Championship (@dunhilllinks) September 8, 2018
What: Bees
Where: Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati
When: 2019
The unpredictable nature of bees can be concerning, as their flight patterns are often erratic. Additionally, they have the potential to sting.
An 18-minute delay occurred when a swarm of bees settled at the top of the backstop screen prior to the first pitch of a game in May between the San Francisco Giants and the Cincinnati Reds.
Ready now… play ball! ๐ pic.twitter.com/Z4ioWU8Ojp
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) May 6, 2019
Ultimately, we are just relieved that no one was stung.
Source: espn.com
