Watch these wild animals steal the spotlight in unforgettable moments captured on camera

From an elk channeling its inner soccer star to a bear on a mission for some healthy snacks, sometimes the antics of wild animals are so wild you almost wouldn't believe it! But good news... these hilarious hijinks were all captured on camera!

Move over Messi; there's a soccer-playing elk in town. A pair of teenagers in Evergreen, Colorado, got a surprise addition to their backyard soccer game when a curious elk joined in the fun.

Their mom, Shira Moffatt, captured the scene as the elk excitedly nudged the ball back and forth with the teens for several minutes. "Our kids were playing soccer and accidentally kicked the ball up the hill where the elk were," Moffatt explained. "One of the elk got interested and started playing with them...We see elk quite a bit, but they have never played with us before. It was pretty incredible."

Watch the video below to see an enthusiastic soccer-playing elk.

A California bear with a hankering for healthy snacks pulled off a daring heist at a La Cañada Flintridge family's garage.

Chris Yee and his family were in for a shock when they spotted a brown bear casually strolling into their open garage. As they watched in disbelief, the bear stood up on its hind legs and, with the finesse of a seasoned burglar, opened the refrigerator. But what it grabbed next left the family in stitches.

Watch the video below to see what healthy snack this hungry bear enjoyed in the family's backyard!

An unlikely friendship unfolded at the Twala Trust Animal Sanctuary in Zimbabwe, where an orphaned vervet monkey named William has found solace in a rescue kitten named Marble. William lost his mother and arrived at the sanctuary in need of comfort and companionship. He found just that in Marble, a gentle kitten who also was recovering from trauma and the loss of her own mom.

Watch the video below to see the unlikely friendship develop at the animal sanctuary!

According to the sanctuary, Marble offered William "the gentle nurturing" he was craving. The duo quickly became inseparable, with footage capturing their adorable cuddles and Marble's soothing purrs as William clings to Marble's soft fur.

While William and Marble's bond is undoubtedly special, William's ultimate goal is to return to the wild. The sanctuary plans to gradually integrate him into a troop of monkeys once he's older and stronger.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Feel-good wildlife moments: Watch memorable wild animal encounters