Search Exotic Incidents Database

47-year-old grandmother ignores warning signs, puts hand through fencing to feed Asiatic black bear and loses thumb and forefinger and suffers damage to other fingers. Bear also bites woman’s boyfriend as he attempted to free her from bear’s jaws. Both treated at local hospital. Zoo closed for the day. Alcohol played a factor in adults behavior. Bears will not be euthanized as victims agreed to undergo rabies shots.

Dogs broke into the Baton Rouge Zoo during the night and killed 17 flamingos, more than a third of the zoo’s flock. One other bird was injured but survived. Workers didn’t discover what happened until the next day when they arrived to check on the birds

12-year-old Zebra named Lima, belonging to Ringling Brothers Circus, escapes his handler and leads police on a chase through downtown Atlanta. Zebra is finally captured and suffers cuts to her hooves. Circus spokesperson said she will likely perform as scheduled.

Three-year-old girl is bitten on the hand at a residence in Carencro. Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries euthanizes 35-pound Japanese snow macaque to test for rabies and Herpes B virus. Enforcement Division agents cite possessor for having a non-human primate without a permit

A female volunteer as attacked by a chimpanzee. She was bit on the back of the head, her elbow, a broken thumb, and various bites and scratches. The sanctuary refused to allow an officer to come inside the sanctuary to check on the volunteer and took her to the emergency hospital themselves. This sanctuary has been written up on numerous violations by the USDA and for a time had their license revoked.

According to a citation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, zoo owner Nick Sculac failed to obtain veterinary care for a female leopard in obvious distress. He stated that the leopard was giving birth. After she was found dead an hour later, Sculac left her body overnight in the enclosure she shared with a male leopard. In the morning, the male leopard was found on top of the female, vocalizing and in distress. Sculac administered tranquilizers to the male and used a noose around his neck to remove him from on top of the female. Sculac then injected the male with a reversal drug and removed the noose. The male leopard appeared to have trouble breathing and was bleeding from the nose and mouth. He was discovered dead the following morning.

30-year-old father and his 8-year-old daughter are attacked by a raccoon who had escaped from his cage. Man suffers severe bit wounds to his fingertip. Raccoon was captured and euthanized to undergo rabies test. Test proved negative. Zoo officials had prior knowledge that raccoon had escaped.

According to a citation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, zookeepers failed to obtain veterinary care for a week for a female lynx named Phoebe who was suffering from a prolapsed uterus. Surgery revealed several inches of impacted feces, including wood shavings. Phoebe died following surgery from septicemia due to the length of time of the impaction.

A “pet” monkey attacked and caused injuries to a visitor’s infant child. Visiting parents got too close to the “pet” monkey’s cage when the monkey grabbed the hood of the baby’s coat, causing the baby’s head to repeatedly strike the metal cage. The infant’s injuries were not life-threatening and she was treated and released from the hospital the same night. Indiana is one of the few states that permits monkeys to be housed as “pets” without a permit.

Amali, a 5-year-old giraffe who recently arrived at the Tulsa Zoo, died after an attempt to determine and treat injuries she suffered at the Wilds Zoo.