Search Exotic Incidents Database

NEW LONDON, CT – New London Animal Control is searching for the person responsible for abandoning a ball python and a bearded dragon in Bates Woods Park this week. Officials say the ball python was found alive and in good health, but the bearded dragon died after being exposed to harsh weather conditions.

According to a Facebook post from New London Animal Control, both reptiles were discovered near the back entrance of Bates Woods Park. Mary Paolucci, who said she frequently visits the park, said abandoned animals are an ongoing problem in the area. “It’s just awful,” Paolucci said. “People have dropped off animals, and then they get hit over there on the busy street of Chester Street. They’re just cowards, and it’s not fair to the animals.”

Animal control officials say the ball python appeared to have been well fed before they were abandoned. The snake will be transferred to a local reptile rescue organization.

BRONX, NY – Happy, a Bronx Zoo elephant known for giving researchers new insight into the animal’s behavior and became the crux of a closely watched animal rights case, has been euthanized at age 55, the zoo said Wednesday.

The Asian elephant was put to sleep Tuesday at the zoo where she lived for almost a half-century. Zoo officials said some age-related conditions accelerated in recent weeks, and she showed signs of a falloff in kidney or liver function.

A necropsy revealed arthritis and large, inoperable uterine tumors that are impossible to diagnose in elephants through exams or imaging, the zoo said. Since Happy’s death, the zoo’s 57-year-old Patty is the last elephant on exhibit. Happy had sadly lived in solitude since 2006.

WACO, TX – A kangaroo has been contained after a second escape from a Waco Wildlife Rescue.

The Waco Police Department received a call at 10:07 a.m. reporting a kangaroo on the loose near 2718 La Salle Ave. Officers were able to track the animal down and capture them on Robinson Drive.

It’s the second time a marsupial escaped at this facility. A pair of kangaroos first escaped from the Waco Wildlife Rescue on the evening of Tuesday, Sept. 2, when a concerned citizen spotted them bouncing down a neighborhood street around 7 p.m. That initial escape was traced back to an employee who had mistakenly left “multiple gates” open, allowing the kangaroos to wander into a lot next door.

BRONX, NY – A worker at the Bronx Zoo was bitten by one of the crocodiles on Sunday afternoon. The zoo said it happened around 2:30 p.m. when the wild animal keeper was cleaning an enclosure. They said the keeper slipped and was nipped on the left forearm.

The zoo released a statement saying,

“There was an incident with a wild animal keeper at the Bronx Zoo today at about 230 pm with a tomistoma, also known as a Malayan gharial. The keeper was cleaning an enclosure and after slipping, a small tomistoma nipped at the left forearm of the keeper. The keeper was treated at a local hospital and released for a minor wound which did not need stitches.”

The worker was taken to nearby St. Barnabas Hospital in stable condition. They were treated for a minor wound which did not need stitches.

TACOMA, WA – Orchid escaped from her keepers after the carabiner between her leash and collar detached, zoo spokesperson Tessa Miller told The News Tribune. During the show, the clouded leopard was secured with a multipoint leash system, including two leashes and a third connection attached to a keeper as standard safety procedure, Miller said.

Something startled Orchid while she was on stage, causing her to move quickly and wrap one of her leashes underneath a log. The tension on her leash caused the carabiner to detach from the collar. Orchid then moved behind the theater and climbed a tree, where she remained for about two hours, Miller said.

After methods to coax her from the tree were unsuccessful, trained staff used a sedative dart to help the 34-pound cat fall into nets and blankets positioned below. Orchid has been at the zoo along with her brother Banyan since they were born in May 2015, according to the zoo’s website.

ELMENDORF, TX – Police in Texas said an escaped kangaroo was safely wrangled with assistance from a local game warden and Texas Parks & Wildlife personnel. The post said authorities were working together to locate the marsupial and warned members of the public to keep a safe distance from the animal.

Police later updated the post to report the kangaroo had been found and secured. Police did not reveal where the kangaroo came from or how they managed to escape.

HOLLYWOOD, CA – A snake handler in Hollywood let his reptiles loose on the Walk of Fame while running away from police, according to local authorities.

On May 6, the Los Angeles Police Department’s Hollywood Division shared news on social media about a run-in with an individual who was “parading exotic snakes around for tourist money” along the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The agency said that after the man fled the scene, leaving the exotic animals on the street, officers were able to wrangle the reptiles and safely transport them to Los Angeles Animal Control.

The LAPD did not identify the snake handler, nor state if he was arrested or cited for charging tourists to pose with the boa constrictors.

GRAND SALINE, TX – A hyena involved in an attack at an East Texas animal facility was being walked through a public area on a thin dog leash before a guest was seriously injured. According to the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the incident happened Dec. 20, 2025, at Mystic Misfits in Grand Saline.

CAMERON, NC – A sloth bit a child on their face attempting to hug/kiss them at the Aloha Safari Park near Cameron. The child was treated for a small wound on her chin. Apparently, the attendant was talking to the parent of the child when the incident happened. The report listed the incident as a critical violation of the USDA’s animal handling code, finding the zoo failed to provide adequate space and barriers between the animal and the visitors.