Of the 12, one was unmistakable: A 5-year-old mini horse, a stallion, had just three legs. Fitzpatrick later learned a neighbor had shot off the horse's left hind leg years prior.

The "LocoMan," robot is unique because it can transition from its all-fours stance to a standing pose and use its two front legs to manipulate objects. (Image credit: Changyi Lin/Carnegie Mellon ...

The mama grizzly rose up on her hind legs and turned her head from side to side. Keep walking, I said to Natalie, as we strode downstream through thigh-high grasses and bushes.