Mother Nature’s playground: Sometimes in the wild it is all about fun

From surfboard-stealing sea otters to sailboat-chomping killer whales, the summer of 2023 was a landmark year of wild animal antics. Why is wildlife suddenly interacting with humans and their toys in this way? Speculation and headlines have espoused theories about learned behaviors due to enticements with food, increased intrusion, and proximity of humans in wild habitats, as well as aberrant animal responses instigated by oceanic noise or disease-related neurological disorders. However, the most honest answer is, “We don’t really know. Maybe the animals are just playing around.”