August 20, 2012 Mount Pleasant, DC A 6-foot long ball python was found near a sidewalk in a residentail area. Officials believe the snake was a former pet that was released in a nearby park. Reptiles
August 18, 2012 West Valley City, UT A woman working in her yard was attacked by a large snake, believed to be a boa or a python, probably someone’s former or escaped pet. The woman, upon trying to rescue her dog, was bitten and sustained injury from the snake wrapping itself around her and being squeezed. Reptiles
August 14, 2012 Seattle, WA A 7-foot reticulated python was reported missing by a homeless man. The snake went missing around Seattle park. It is legal to own a snake in Seattle that is less than 8-feet long. Reptiles
August 14, 2012 Hinsdale, IL A pet snake valued at $450 was allegedly stolen by a former boyfriend. No arrests have been made. Reptiles
August 11, 2012 Las Vegas, NV For the second time in almost a month, a female chimpanzee escaped form her enclosure tying up Las Vegas police and the city’s animal control for more than an hour in the northwest valley. CJ, a female chimpanzee, was tranquilized and transported to the Southern Nevada Zoological-Botanical Park. CJ’s handler was not given an opportunity to reclaim her. CJ had escaped with her male counterpart, Buddy, on July 12. Buddy was fatally shot after he allegedly “aggressively approached” a group of onlookers. Primates
August 9, 2012 Hialeah, FL Authorities seized dozens of sick animals, including exotic birds, turtles, sugar gliders, and hedgehogs, among several breeds of dogs and cats kept in deplorable conditions from a town home. The couple who lived there have several charges pending along with animal cruelty. ReptilesOther
August 6, 2012 Indianapolis, IN The Indianapolis Zoo announced the arrival of two new dolphin calves on the evening of July 12, but according to the zoo, one of the calves has died presumably due to being premature. Marine
August 2, 2012 West Milford, NJ A New Jersey man was reading on his deck when he spotted a snake, which turned out to be a 15-foot albino python. Police arrived with snake handlers to capture and take away the snake. Four days later, the same man spotted a 10-foot python. Animal control believe the snakes were released by someone who had moved. Reptiles
July 29, 2012 Python, UT A 12-foot python spent more than 24 hours wedged in Richfield’s sewer after it got away from its owner during visit to a neighborhood park. The snake’s owner had taken the 45-pound python to a park to spend time outdoors and play in the grass. Reptiles
July 26, 2012 Lowell, MA A man spotted an alligator swimming in a city canal. Animal control caught the two-foot long juvenile reptile with a net and turned it over to a tropical animal expert. Police think it was a pet that was let loose when it got too big. Reptiles