July 10, 2008 Atlanta, GA Ozzie, a serval cat, escaped from his caretaker walking him near Georgia Tech. Ozzie was recaptured and the Department of Natural Resources attempted to contact Ozzie’s possessor to verify the necessary permits, etc. The cat was taken to an unnamed facility pending further investigation. Small Cats
July 10, 2008 Fairfax, VA Police found 17 exotic snakes, 12 of them venomous, inside a room at the Hy-Way Motel near Fairfax Circle. The motel manager investigated a foul odor coming from one of the rooms and police discovered the snakes concealed in luggage. Two had died. The investigation was ongoing. Reptiles
July 5, 2008 Las Vegas, NV Officials of the MGM Mirage Hotel were investigating the death of a dolphin at the hotel’s aquatic habitat. Sage was 11 years old at the time of death. Thirteen other dolphins had died at Sigefried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat since the attraction opened in 1990. Marine
July 4, 2008 Webster City, IA An American alligator was found in a floodwater pool in a resident’s backyard. Authorities captured the alligator and transported him to the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines. Reptiles
July 4, 2008 Richmond, VA A “pet” monkey bit a teenaged girl at Dogwood Dell in Byrd Park. The Health Department issued a press release to gather information about the monkey’s general health history so proper medical treatment could be provided to the patient. Primates
July 4, 2008 Columbia, MO A “pet” Japanese snow monkey got loose and bit a woman who was visiting the possessor’s home. The monkey was recaptured and was put in the care of a St. Louis veterinarian. Authorities attempted to identify the monkey’s possessor. Primates
July 3, 2008 Jacksonville, FL A Japanese macaque was seen on Castle Oaks Court according to state investigators who received photos of the animal. No permit was issued to anyone in the area to keep a captive macaque. A wildlife trap was set in an attempt to capture the monkey. Primates
July 1, 2008 Salt Lake City, UT Wildlife officials captured a 3-ft-long alligator after fishermen spied the animal at Grandpa’s Fishing Pond. Officials chose to euthanize the reptile. Reptiles
June 30, 2008 West Covina, CA Moe, a domesticated chimpanzee, disappeared from Jungle Exotics. Experts believed he was in the San Bernardino Forest. The couple who raised Moe were viciously attacked by two other chimps in 2005 when they attempted to visit Moe for his birthday at the sanctuary. Primates
June 26, 2008 New Castle, DE Police responding to a domestic dispute entered an apartment and found three glass tanks containing dangerous snakes, including a Gaboon viper, a Venezuelan rattlesnake, and a pigmy rattlesnake. Kent County SPCA confiscated the snakes and destroyed them. Reptiles