Curiosities,Creepy WorldJUN 27, 2026

71 Times People Got Way Too Close To Something They Should Have Avoided

Indrė Lukošiūtė, Rokas Laurinavičius and Rugilė Žemaitytė

We humans have an innate urge to lay our hands on things. And while it's not just reasonable, but advisable with cats and dogs, there are plenty of objects—living and inanimate—that we should approach only with our eyes.

However, as the subreddit r/WhyWouldYouTouchThat shows, not everyone is that careful. Whether they're fearless or just completely clueless, some of us just cannot resist poking, pinching, and prodding everything from venomous critters to radioactive waste.

Mandatory "don't try this at home!"

#1 Oooh, That’s Going To Sting

A two-panel image shows a person holding a small bird with orange and black feathers, things that should be left alone.

This is the Hooded Pitohui. These adorable little orioles are poisonous to touch because of the malarid beetles that they eat, exhibiting feathers which, when touched, can cause burning and irritation. If the toxin is ingested, it causes respiratory paralysis, similarly to cobra venom.

shiriyokup

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131points

#2 Can You Tell Me What Is This Little Shiny One?

A hand holding a radioactive cylinder, illustrating things that should be left alone.

BigOlPenDisorder: Half life of cobalt 60 is ~5 years so it should be practically non-radioactive (manufactured in '63)

But still, why

Ippus_21

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105points

#3 Does This Count?

A close-up of a bee leaving a trail of bee feces on someone's jeans, an example of things that should be left alone.

TOGCHAMP

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93points

#4 That's A Yellow Bellied Sea Snake Brother

A person holding a yellow and black sea snake on a sandy beach, things that should really be left alone.

itpainsohurt

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88points

#5 A Tiny Alligator Snapping Turtle

A person holding a small, spiky snapping turtle with an open mouth, a clear example of things that should be left alone.

Quick-Incident-4351

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87points

#6 What This?

A two-panel image showing a hand poking a translucent, gelatinous sea creature, likely a Portuguese man-of-war, with a flip-flop on a sandy beach, a dangerous thing to touch.

that is a man o' war! it's kind of like a jellyfish, though it isn't actually one. the "balloon"/sail is safe to touch, but please don't, in the future! if any tentacles are still attached/wrapped around the balloon, they can hurt you VERY badly. the stinging cells remain active after passing and can cause some very severe pain, and worse in some rare circumstances!

Existing_Asparagus39

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87points