The Aporia · Say cheese! Hilarious photos show pelicans playing with a ball

Say cheese! Hilarious photos show pelicans playing with a ball

Read the original at Daily Mail ↗

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Leng, C. (2026, October 20). Say cheese! Hilarious photos show pelicans playing with a ball. Daily Mail. https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16222143/Say-cheese-Hilarious-photos-pelicans-playing-ball.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490

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Quick Summary

Photographer Lea Scaddan captured a series of playful images showing two pelicans interacting with a dog ball that resembles teeth, giving the illusion of the bird smiling. The photos depict one pelican picking up the ball from the sands of Safety Bay beach in Western Australia and passing it to another pelican, who accepts it enthusiastically. Ms Scaddan noted that the birds were simply investigating the abandoned toy rather than intending to eat it.

Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-20, using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the same event (that is the story summary below).

AI analysis runs on qwen2.5:14b, locally

Story summary

Lea Scaddan, a wildlife photographer in Western Australia, captured pelicans playing with an abandoned dog ball on Safety Bay beach. One pelican picked up the ball, and due to its teeth-motif design, it appeared as though the bird had a human smile. The pelicans then passed the ball back and forth, engaging in playful behavior rather than eating the toy. Ms Scaddan noted that the birds were just investigating the object before starting to play with it on a tidal sandbank that is accessible at low tide but cut off by rising water. This unique scene has garnered attention for its humorous depiction of wildlife interaction.

Written for “Pelican Playing With Ball Photos” on 2026-10-20, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

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sentences that state something as happening or true

Uncertain

0 of 7 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")

Leaning

not political

takes no side on a contested political question

Publisher signals

64/100

Daily Mail's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.

Outlets on this story

Entertainment

Same framing elsewhere

articles that frame the event the way this one does

Who wrote this

Caitlin Leng

41 article(s) here · 0 carrying a prediction

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Also by Caitlin Leng

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Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

All 41 articles by Caitlin Leng →

Claims (7 extracted, 0 hedged)

A pair of pelicans have proven a smile is the best accessory to wear after being captured in a hilarious moment playing with what appears to be a grinning ball. asserted

what → prove → moment

Pictures of the birds - taken by wildlife photographer Lea Scaddan - show them jovially playing together at a beach on Safety Bay in Western Australia, with one scooping up an abandoned dog ball from the sands. The pelican is then shot in a hilarious moment with its mouth agape and the ball inside - with the teeth-motif imprinted on the toy giving the illusion of the bird having a human smile. asserted

bird → take → smile

The bird then passes the ball to its companion, who keenly accepts. asserted

who → pass → companion

Talking about the scene, Ms Scaddan said the birds had 'investigated' the dog toy, and rather than eat it, appeared to be 'playing' with it. asserted

birds → talk → it

She said: 'Two Australian pelicans investigated an abandoned dog ball on a tidal sandbank. asserted

pelicans → say → sandbank

The sandbank is accessible to people and their dogs at low tide but becomes cut off as the tide rises.' asserted

tide → cut → tide

A pelican was snapped on an Australian beach scooping up a dog toy with a teeth motif - giving the appearance of the bird having a human smile Photographer Lea Scaddan said the birds had 'investigated' the dog toy, which was abandoned after tides became high on the beach The birds were jovially playing together with the ball at a beach on Safety Bay in Western Australia asserted

birds → snap → Australia

Say cheese! Hilarious photos show pelicans playing with a ball

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Claims (7 extracted, 0 hedged)