As it turns out, humans aren't the only ones who appreciate the aroma of a fresh batch of beer. According to researchers at the Oregon Hatchery Research Center in Alsea, Oregon, the scent of ale is tempting to fish, too, and could successfully lure salmon back to their home hatcheries.
Wild salmon are famous for their arduous migrations between the ocean and the rivers of their origins, where they return as adults after several years of ocean wandering to spawn. Relying on their finely tuned senses of smell, they swim their way back to the rivers where they were born, all for the purposes of reproduction.
But some salmon released into the wild from hatcheries do not use their sense of smell in the same way, wreaking havoc in the wild whenever they fail to return to their home hatcheries. After trialing a host of scents, however, researchers are finding that the leftovers of beer production could be used to attract these released fish back to their hatchery homes.
Of course, salmon are far from the only species with a keen sense of smell for the odd and curious. All sorts of animals are interested in strange scents, which they use for all manner of purposes, such as attracting mates and finding meals. Here are six more animals with strange senses for surprising smells.
