A waterskiing squirrel became one of the biggest attractions at the Alaska State Fair, leaving crowds stunned as she zipped around a pool on tiny skis.
Twiggy the waterskiing squirrel performed five days a week during the fair, which wrapped up on September 7. Even after the event ended, people were still talking about the unusual animal act.
Videos show Twiggy confidently circling the pool while appearing to look toward the crowd as spectators cheer her on.
WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW:
The sight was so unusual that some viewers joked it looked like something created by artificial intelligence.
“There’s a water skiing squirrel, but my kids tease me for almost falling for an AI video of a Dachshund ice skating,” one commenter joked.
But Twiggy is very real — and she comes from a surprisingly long line of waterskiing squirrels.
The squirrel performing at the Alaska State Fair is actually the eighth Twiggy trained to waterski.
Chuck and Lou Ann Best began teaching squirrels the unusual trick back in 1978 after taking in an orphaned baby squirrel following a hurricane.
The squirrel quickly became part of the family, and Chuck jokingly claimed he could teach her to waterski.
He eventually did exactly that.
What started as a family joke turned into a decades-long animal entertainment tradition, with multiple generations of Twiggy squirrels performing for crowds around the country.
The family has also worked with an unusual collection of other animals over the years, including horses, Poodles, an armadillo, black cats and even a toad.
One viewer remembered seeing a waterskiing squirrel at a boat and vacation show in Louisville, Kentucky, years ago, suggesting Twiggy’s predecessors have been entertaining audiences for generations.
Judging by the reaction in Alaska, the latest Twiggy is keeping that strange and beloved tradition alive.