Search Exotic Incidents Database

A pet muntjac, a small barking deer native to Southeast Asia, escaped during a thunderstorm. This was the second escape for this deer. The owner was handed a citation on the escaped animal charge and issued a warning to increase the height of the fence around his yard.

Two chimpanzees are reported to have escaped their facility. One chimp was caught quickly, the other became frightened and ran off. Animal Control officers located the other chimp the next morning and he was returned to his enclosure. As of this report, no USDA investigation has been launched.

A pet capuchin monkey kept by famed artist and bed-and-breakfast owner, Allen Hirsch, attacked a Queens hairdresser while she was staying at his upscale bed and breakfast. She was left with a scar that snakes down her cheek. Lawsuit filed in Queens Supreme Court.

CJ, a two-year-old alligator, was found in a Johnson City park and was turned to an experienced reptile handler who will attempt to find CJ a suitable home. CJ was suffering from blisters on his snout due to being kept in a cage that was too small for him.

A man transporting animal carcasses crashes his truck and in the accident his pet monkey escapes,and dashes up a utility pole. Driver is okay and able to coax the monkey from his perch. No charges have been filed but police are investigating.

Young male Zebra dies after being startled and running into a wall in his exhibit,breaking his neck. Zebra’s death delays plans to field a new herd of Zebras at Zoo’s Giants of the Savannah habitat. Zebra is the second to die at the Dallas Zoo. Another young male died in a similar fashion several months ago.

Toledo Zoo’s star elephant, Babie Louie, a 7-year-old African elephant, attacks his trainer leaving him in serious condition at a nearby hospital. Authorities are investigating.

One ofthe two young male giraffes in the Peoria Zoo’s Africa! exhibit died in its outdoor enclosure in a strange accident in front of a large crowd of visitors, including children.

The giraffe was eating leaves froma tree on te other side of an internal 4-foot fence in the enclsoure when its head and neck got caught in the fork of the tree. The animal struggled some but couldn’t dislodge its head. Somehow the movements of the 15-foot tall giraffe flipped its body onto the opposite side of the fence with its head still stuck in the tree. Zoo officials were able to extract his head while he was still alive, but the giraffe stopped breathing 5 to 10 minutes later.

Tony, an 18-year-old Siberian tiger, was euthanized by zoo veterinarian due to failing health. He had been at the zoo since 1993.

34-year-old Nebraska man dies after being strangled by his 9-ft, 25-lb boa constrictor. Police and paramedics pried the snake free of him but he died later at a hospital. Authorities believe incident is Nebraska’s first fatality by a snake. Omaha has no ordinance against ownership of such animals. Attempts will be made to place the snake with a zoo or sanctuary.