Take a walk on the wild side with Central Alabama's top animal stories of 2024

Live snakes have been discovered inside Westhills Elementary School in Bessemer, prompting the local teachers union to involve the health department.

At least four snakes were caught on glue traps across the campus, with sightings reported since September.

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For seven years, Gary Rasco and his wife have had several trail cameras on their wooded property.

They like to see what animals share the space with them.

In April, they got the surprise of a lifetime when the cameras captured clear pictures of a male black bear.

They estimate he weighed more than 300 pounds. As excited as they were to see the clear images, they were a little concerned as well, since the couple and their neighbors often walk these trails.

“I don't know what would’ve happened if I’d slipped up on him coming out here," Rasco said.

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Researchers from the University of South Alabama (USA) were monitoring fish near Alabama's artificial reef zone in April when they captured video of the shark.

You can see the curious shark approaching the diver and getting very close before veering off in another direction.

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The Joro spider has been spreading across the southeast since 2014.

The Asian native spider is commonly found in Georgia, but there have been reported sightings in Alabama.

A new study from the University of Georgia finds the Joro spider thrives in cities.

What looks to be a large bobcat was captured on a hunting camera in Jefferson County.

The camera caught the cat moving through a field near the Graysville community.

Seeing a bobcat during the daylight hours is rare, as they typically hunt at night, according to the Alabama Department of Conservation.

Bobcats are carnivores that feed primarily on rabbits and other small mammals.

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