Search Exotic Incidents Database

State wildlife agents confiscated four monkeys, 3 marmosets and a patas monkey, from a TX woman and FL man, who were subsequently convicted of cruelty to the monkeys who they dressed up as pirates and brought on to Bourbon Street in New Orleans before Mardi Gras, and for not obtaining permits. The woman claimed that the monkeys were service animals, which the state didn’t buy. The judge ordered them to forfeit the monkeys to the state of LA. Upon confiscation, the monkeys had diaper rashes and diarrhea.

The Houston SPCA seized ore than 300 domestic and exotic aimals from a ranch in Coyrell County, TX from deplorable conditions. The animals included 200 dogs, 40 puppies, 1 tamarin, 2 Bengal tigers, 2 mountain lions, 18 domestic cats, 5 birds, 1 lizard, 10 rodents, 1 deer, 1 raccoon and more than 30 horses and donkeys. Dead animals were alson found on the property.

A pet albino cobra snake bit a 25-year old New Jersey man sending him to a hospital in critical condition. The man was in possession of the cobra, a copperhead, and a rattlesnake. The incident is under investigation and the snakes were turned over to the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife.

A pet capuchin monkey bit and scratched a human care-giver and escaped from his cage and was later euthanized to test for rabies. The monkey was being kept in violation of a county ordinance prohibiting residents from owning exotic animals.

A 12-15 foot python weighing 150-200 pounds was captured behind a residential apartment complex. It was not known whether the snake escaped or was released intentionally.

Animal services officers captured a 5-foot long Monitor lizard wandering around a condo complex. Officers thought the lizard is an escaped pet.

Two chimpanzees at the Riverside Discovery Center in Scottsbluff bit off two fingers from a keeper while being petted. The keepers injuries were not life-threatening and the doctors will try to re-attach the fingers.

Police officers performing routine license checks at a McDonald’ parking lot found a metre-long alligator in the back of one of the cars. The reptile belonged to a man wanted for drug possession and driving on suspended license. The alligator was transported to Monkey Island Sanctuary in MO.

An 8,000 lb elephant named Edie at the Knoxville, Tennessee Zoo backed a trainer into a wall and crushed her to death.

Three zebras from Hearst Ranch escape and wander onto nearby property and are all killed by two ranchers purporting to be protecting their horses and cows from the zebras. The two ranchers then immediately called a taxidermist to have the 3 zebras skinned and their hide tanned to make rugs out of them.