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If you think outside influences can never hamper an individual game like golf, then you are wrong. The perfect, serene lawns, a passionate crowd following you around as your polos are tucked in tight. That’s basically the aesthetic of the game, isn’t it? But quite often it has turned into a wildlife arena. From thieving dogs to fights with baboons, golf has seen it all. Here are five of the most bizarre animal encounters in pro golf.

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1. Pablo Larrazábal’s battle of the hornet

Nothing, we repeat, nothing, can ever come close to Pablo Larrazábal’s horrifying (and equally unbelievable) encounter in Malaysia. It was the second round of the 2014 Maybank Malaysian Open when the Spaniard suddenly saw himself engulfed by hornets. Around 30-40 swarmed around him, stinging him mercilessly. Each was reportedly three times the size of a regular bee!

Surprised by the mysterious attack, Larrazabal initially tried to swat the insects away with his golf towel and hat. But as the stings got worse, someone from the course yelled at him to jump into the nearby lake.

As quickly as he could, Larrazabal stripped off his shoes and dove headfirst into the water hazard. Once the hornets dispersed, he emerged, covered in roughly 20 stings. Two injections in, the Spaniard was allowed back on the course.

2. Andrew Loupe’s iguana showdown

Did you know that iguanas are extremely ball-curious? Well, if you didn’t, you are not alone. Andrew Loupe, on the Coco Beach Golf Course for the 2014 Puerto Rico Open, also found this out in the weirdest way possible.

As he prepared himself for the 16th hole, a massive iguana appeared on the course, spotted Loupe’s golf ball, and attacked it. For whatever reason (our best bet is that it thought the ball to be an egg), the creature rammed its head thrice into it, picked it up in its mouth, before finally realizing that the ball was not edible. Nothing left to do, the iguana scurried back into the jungle. All this while, Andrew Loupe stood and watched.

Once the initial surprise had settled, the officials brainstormed and eventually let Loupe replace the ball under the interference rule. The golfer finished T12 and went home with a cool $77,000.

3. Steve Lowery’s snatch and drop with…a seagull

This is a clip every golf fan would have seen at least once. The incident can be traced back to 1998 when Steve Lowery shot solidly on the TPC Sawgrass’s famous island green. As his golf ball landed, a seagull swooped in, picked it up, and casually flew away.

A second later, people watched as the bird dropped the ball straight into the water hazard. Brutal!

The crowd burst into laughter. Lowery looked stunned, trying to make sense of the situation. Again, the responsibility fell on the officials to come up with a decision. Because the bird was an outside agency, the officials decided to replace the ball as close as possible to the original spot.

Eventually, Lowery was allowed to play with no penalty.

4. Paul Casey and Digby the dog’s great ball heist

Now, if birds and iguanas are having their way with the ball, then why can’t a dog, its long-known friend? Well, Digby, the dog, might have thought the same. During the 2012 Alfred Dunhill Links, Paul Casey was standing over a 20-foot eagle putt near the par-5 12th, when a cute brown dog appeared on the course, trotting right in as a king.

Suddenly, he burst into a run, approached Casey, and took the golf ball in his mouth before running away like the world was on fire.

Casey and Michael Phelps (yes, that Michael Phelps) — his playing partner — stood jaw-opened, staring into the distance. Luckily, a spectator retrieved the ball near the 13th tee and handed it back to the team. The rules officials got hold of it, and upon examination, it was found that Digby had not left any teeth marks. Still, Casey was allowed to replace the ball under no penalty.

Unfortunately, he missed the eagle putt and settled for a birdie. As he walked off the course, he later handed the same golf ball to Digby, now its rightful owner!

“It’s the weirdest thing I’ve seen on a golf course,” Paul Casey later said.

5. Luke Donald vs. the Sun City Baboon

European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald might seem very calm on the outside, and that calmness, at times, has saved his face. During the R2 of the 2014 Nedbank Golf Challenge, in South Africa, Donald had a close encounter with a…baboon.

Donald was lining up for a shot on the green when he saw something approach. As he looked up, his eyes fell on a dark creature. When he looked closely, he realized what it was. As the baboon kept nearing the golfer, the crowd went silent, and the atmosphere soon got tense.

But Donald, in his classic relaxed demeanor, moved aside, letting the animal go. The baboon walked away quietly, and the European continued with his play, shooting a 63 to eventually take a lead.

These incidents prove that not just humans, but animals too have a lot of interest in golf, especially its white ball. As long as the sport is going to be played outdoors, the list of such absurd (and sometimes painful) incidents will continue to grow.