5 Crazy Conspiracy Theories From All Around The World

5

Israel's Neighbors Live In Fear Of Animal Spies

In some parts of the world, fears over Israeli spying are not unfounded, and it's reasonable for people in such places to be suspicious of certain things. Just maybe not this. An Iranian military advisor has recently gone on the record accusing lizards of committing espionage. Found in the vicinity of uranium mines, these lizards have skin capable of recording atomic waves, you see. At least in this guy's mind, while it comes as a big surprise to both scientists and the lizards themselves.

a chameleon committed espionage." width="350" height="233" class="lazy" data-src="https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/7/9/8/658798_v2.jpg" />Milan_Jovic/iStockTo be fair, this wouldn't be the first time a chameleon committed espionage.

In 2007, Iranians "detained" 14 squirrels with spying equipment on them, after what must have been the most amazing sting ever. Also, a vulture was captured by the Saudi government in 2011 (after what we can only presume was a series of increasingly wacky hijinks) and found to be wearing a GPS tracking device. Turns out this was part of an Israeli university's attempts to track the movements of these animals, but oh boy, the suspicions ... they were there. Something similar happened in 2016, when a different vulture strayed into Lebanon, and oh shit what if it was the same vulture?! What if this is like the James Bond of vultures? Has anyone optioned this movie yet?

In 2013, Egypt detained a stork with a strange device on its leg under suspicion of espionage. That stork was later determined to be innocent, though it was still killed and eaten, because those are the stakes of the game, apparently. Egypt was no doubt on high alert for such shenanigans after that time in 2010 when an official accused the Israelis of using a mind-controlled shark to disrupt tourism. That's a crime ... recycling an Austin Powers plot point like that.

4

Nazi Science Is Responsible For An Outbreak Of Twins In A Brazilian Village

The town of Candido Godoi in Brazil has an unusual claim to fame: Up to one in five pregnancies in the town have resulted in twins, which is way above the usual rate of, like, one in eighty. And while this has likely led to a spike in tandem bicycle sales and an endless cavalcade of Parent Trap-esque situations, it's also turned up something more interesting: a conspiracy theory suggesting that all this came to pass thanks to Nazi science.

3

The British Countryside Is Secretly Terrorized By Lions

Britain is an island that has been populated by humans for a few thousand years now. Anything that once lived there which was in any way dangerous or unwelcome -- bears, lions, the French -- has long since been driven off. There are pests, sure, but there are no superpredators.

So it's weird that every few years or so, there's a wave giant wildcat sightings. Called "alien big cats," or ABCs, these reportedly lion-sized beasts are occasionally spotted lurking in the bushes and moors of the country, usually sparking massive hunts and media coverage. Most of the time, the beast vanishes and everyone shrugs and goes back to their tea and Hello magazine. But sometimes the beast is captured, or shot, and everyone gathers around to gawk at the corpse of what turns out to be a stuffed animal or fairly fat house cat.

Claire Greenway/Getty Images

2

NGOs Are Working With Human Traffickers To Bring Down The Italian Economy

Every day, countless migrants attempt to cross the Mediterranean into Europe from the Middle East and North Africa, sailing on dangerously overpacked boats operated by individuals ranging from shady to incredibly shady. Many of these refugees die in the process, and in response, various governments and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have begun keeping rescue ships at the ready. Saving lives is one of those things that sounds quite unobjectionable.

Turns out it's not.

Italian opinions on these migrants are a little mixed. They are a lot for the country to deal with, and combined with the basic Fear of the Other that lurks inside all of us, this can lead to some less-than-cuddly sentiments. And one spectacular conspiracy theory. A public prosecutor has accused some of these NGOs of encouraging this immigration, not just by providing a safety net, but by being in contact with the human traffickers themselves, even being financed by them.

1

The Dulles Plan Is Destroying Russia By Making Them American

The "Dulles Plan" goes a long way toward explaining almost everything about Russia's actions since the fall of the Soviet Union. The theory goes that in the 1970s, CIA head Allen Dulles devised a plot to undermine Russia from within. Using propaganda, cultural materials, and other soft methods, the plan was to make Russians doubt themselves, their government, and their country in general. Russians would grow to mistrust and fear their neighbors, become ruder, do more drugs, and begin wasting their resources on the conspicuous consumption of goods.

And if all that seems vaguely familiar -- "Shit, we have that here. We call it capitalism" -- well, you can see why it's so pervasive. It can explain everything. More importantly, all of the loss in prestige and power that Russia has experienced since the Cold War can be easily chalked up to this one amorphous, sinister plan.