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According to a citation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, zookeepers failed to notice or communicate to a veterinarian that a 6-year-old tiger named Thurston was extremely thin, with visible ribs and protruding hip bones.

A Lincoln man was arrested after he shot and killed his pet snake. He faces several charges including felony cruelty to animals and was jailed on a $20,000 bond.

An alligator was found roaming free on a Long Island golf course. The animal was captured and taken to the aquarium in Riverhead. This was the fourth alligator found roaming freely in Long Island in five days. The animals are thought to have been released by an owner(s) that no longer wanted them.

An 11-foot Burmese python named Rogue went missing from a residence or two weeks before it was found. There had been rumors that the snake was killed and dismembered. The owners were fined and had to pay for a permit to keep the snake.

A Fort Lauderdale battalion chief handling a motorcycle accident was bit by a pet marmoset reached over to turn off the motorcycle. The marmoset had been riding in a bag attached to the motorcycle. The owner was issued a warning for failing to label the monkey bag with what was in it and the monkey received 10 days in quarantine.

School officials found a python snake near the Chaffee High School football field. As the team was changing in the locker room after practice, coaches and school staff noticed the snake. The Missouri Dept of Conservation took possession of the snake. The snake is not native to Missouri and is believed to be a former pet.

Cleveland Animal Control was called out to a residential backyard for the report of a alligator. Officers found a 4-foot alligator in a small pool with four dogs in the yard. All 5 animals were confiscated. The owner of the animals was already in jail when the animals were seized – the reason for his incarceration was unknown at the time.

A wolf-dog hybrid that had been on the loose since March of this year has been caught. The animal is believed to be a wolf-Alaskan malamute mix that was purchased in Florida as a pet and escaped when the owners were visiting Philadelphia. Wolf-dog hybrids are legal in Pennsylvania only with a special permit. The animal was taken to the Wolf Sanctuary in Lancaster County.

Jozu, SeaWorld’s last false killer whiale is critically ill. Jozu is the last surviving false killer whale in the Continental U.S. Born in captivity, she has lived at the Orlando facility since 1976. Jozu at 17 is considered a young false killer whale since these whales have a maximum longevity of 63 years. The cause of illness is unknown.

Jozu’s illness follows the death of Sully, the pilot whale, who died at the San Diego facility on May 23 of unknown causes.

Several African Painted Dogs escaped their main exhibit area into an enclosed backup yard. Although zoo officials claim there was no danger to the visitors, they called a Code Red, ushering about 200 people on the zoo grounds into buildings. The dogs were eventually coaxed back into their exhibit. The zoo is fixing the fence.