Bodega cats, trash pandas, and a great white shark: the real stars of the GTA 6 reveal are all the animals hiding in plain sight

A mere 15 seconds into the new GTA 6 trailer and we've already spotted something exciting. No, I'm not talking about Jason Duval's chiseled torso. I'm talking about all the animals you can see if you're not staring at Jason Duval's chiseled torso.

You probably saw a bunch of seagulls and pelicans flying overhead as the trailer opens: they're easy enough to spot. But there's also an enormous iguana ambling toward Jason's house in the very second shot, and a raccoon can be seen, twice, digging through a trashcan in the background as Brian chastises our hunky hero. Aw, trash panda!

That's not all the wildlife and pets on display in the trailer and screenshots Rockstar released this week, if you pull your eyes away from the action. A bodega cat sits on an ATM cleaning itself as Jason buys beer, Jason and Lucia have a pet python in their house.

There's even a great white shark that can just barely be seen lurking beneath the waves of a busy marina.

I'm thrilled to see all these creatures in the background (I feel like I spot more each time I watch) and there are also plenty on full display: along with the trailer Rockstar released a buttload of screenshots this week featuring sea turtles, panthers, deer, gators, and don't worry, they didn't forget dogs.

Even screens with an animal front and center, like the one below showing a couple of gators, you can still see more animals: there are some herons or maybe spoonbills to the middle-right of the image and what may be nutria or muskrats to the middle-left.

I'm glad the tradition continues: GTA 5 also has tons of animals if you know where to look. Head to the farms of Grapeseed and you'll see pigs and chickens. Take a trip to Mount Chiliad and you might spot some elk or boars. From cougars to coyotes to cows to cats, the world is full of wildlife, livestock, and pets, so I'm happy to see GTA 6 is also bursting at the seams with feathered and furry friends.

Some of my excitement is purely selfish: a mod for GTA 5 let me play the game as a shark, which was quite honestly the most fun I had in GTA 5. Who needs guns when you can just bite your enemies in half? As long as they're in the water, that is. If not, you might have to wriggle out on land or call for a cabbie to have a snack:

I know my dream of being a shark in GTA 6 is a long, long way off: first the game has to come out in 2026, then it has to come out on PC in 2027 (?), and then modders will have to do whatever magic they do that will let me inhabit a shark instead of Jason Duval. But I bet it'll be worth waiting for.

I'm also happy because Rockstar gives a lot of attention to its animals in general. The wildlife in Red Dead Redemption 2 was so enjoyable, not just to hunt (though that was fun), but to observe. The horses were incredibly detailed, the bears were terrifying, and everything else from birds to beavers to bullfrogs were so caringly created that it made putting down your pistol and going on a nature walk supremely satisfying.

To me, GTA and RDR games are most enjoyable once you've finished the story missions and are left with a big, beautiful sandbox to explore and play around in. Once Jason and Lucia's drama is in my rearview, I'm looking forward to parking the car and going on a long nature walk to see how many animals I can spot. And hopefully, somewhere down the line, I'll get to play as a shark again.