March 15, 2013 Los Angeles, CA A large snake thought to be a python or boa constrictor was discovered by staff at a downtown Los Angeles storage space used by the homeless. The snake was found among belongings of a woman who hadn’t been to the storage facility in over a week. Efforts to contact the woman were unsucessfull and the snake was turned over to animal services. Nothing was reported on the condition of the snake. Reptiles
March 15, 2013 Los Angeles, CA A shark used in a K-Mart commercial died while filming the commercial. The shark was originally transported from New York and allegedly showed signs of distress and stress. American Humane Association was on the set to monitor the shark. Marine
March 12, 2013 Newburgh, NY Town police who responded to a domestic dispute found an illegally kept poisonous black-necked spitting cobra in a glass enclosure next to the bed. The man responsible was charged with possessing and handling a venomous snake, a violation of state environmental conservation laws, and third-degree assault. The case remains under investigation. Reptiles
March 12, 2013 Minneapolis, MN Firefighters found three ball pythons crawling around a home after being called to a home on fire. The pythons, all nearly three-feet long, likely escaped when their plastic cages were destroyed by the heat of the fire. Investigators believe a warming device for the reptiles likely started the fire. One snake died and the others were taken to the veterinarian’s to be checked out. Reptiles
March 11, 2013 Newburgh, NY A venomous African snake was seized when it was discovered following the arrest of its owner. The police were called in for domestic violence. Reptiles
March 11, 2013 San Antonio, TX Boo, a 59-year-old male Asian elephant who was suffering from lymphoma, was euthanized due to a declining quality of life. Elephants
March 7, 2013 Gentry, AR A 7-month-old male lion was found dead in his enclosure. A zookeeper had put a collar on the lion, left the lion alone, and when he returned, it appeared that the lion had been strangled by the collar. Big Cats
March 6, 2013 Dunlop, CA A female volunteer for Project Survival Cat Haven in Dunlop, CA was killed by a male African lion. The lion was in turn killed by authorities. The lion was hand-raised by humans at the organization. Big Cats
March 3, 2013 Coloradon Springs, CO Eva, a 7-year old howler monkey, escaped her enclosure and was spotted by zoo visiters before being captured by staff. Primates
February 28, 2013 Troutman, NC A customer was allowed to lie face-to-face on the floor with a white tiger cub, who bit the man on the nose. Big Cats