Search Exotic Incidents Database

PALM DESERT, CA – Keepers at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert believe the fox is “on grounds, likely in one of the gardens, munching on small insects,” the zoo said in a news release.

The bat-eared fox, who weighs about 10 pounds, escaped from a behind-the-scenes holding facility at the zoo on the evening of Monday, Feb. 10, the zoo said. The fox was spotted several times overnight by searchers but remains on the loose, the zoo said. The zoo asks visitors to be on the lookout for the fox and to call 760-346-5694 if they spot it. They ask visitors not to approach the fox.

MIAMI, FL – A Miami resident sprang into action upon witnessing a giant tortoise making an escape from the owner’s home.

The man managed to capture the tortoise between his legs to prevent the animal from wandering further into the street. As he wrestled with the animal to keep them from crossing the road, he called upon another neighbor to knock on the owner’s door and inform them of the situation. The tortoise was recaptured and returned to the owner.

Mobile, AL – A Starbucks employee was attacked by a customer’s pet monkey, Alabama police say. According to the police, the employee was working the drive-thru when a monkey inside a customer’s vehicle got free. A co-worker rushed to help and pulled the monkey off of the employee. “The monkey then re-entered the customer’s vehicle before the customer drove away,” police said.

The owner of the animal could face charges. This remains an active Animal Services investigation,” police said. Mobile County health officials told Lagniappe Daily that the animal has been identified as an owl monkey, a nocturnal primate.

Frankfort, IN – The City of Frankfort has been cited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture after 78 birds died at its petting zoo. According to a USDA inspection report, a veterinary medical officer visited the facility to conduct a routine inspection on Dec. 11 and recorded several violations, including the deaths of 78 birds in a five-month period. This change included a reduction of 32 zebra finches to 19, 27 lovebirds to 17 and 77 parakeets to 22. In total, the report alleged the small avian species population declined from 136 to 58, resulting in a 57% overall reduction.

When employees were questioned about this, the report outlined how they told the veterinary medical officer that they would sometimes find dead birds but were unsure what the cause was. No veterinary exams or necropsies were conducted to learn more about what may have caused the deaths, according to the report. The report also highlighted additional violations, including personnel not being able to provide proof that the facility had an active contingency plan, noted that employees could not offer a written program of veterinary care, and pointed out that the animal food storage conditions were unsanitary. There was an additional issue with the facility’s twilight exhibit that was responsible for providing housing to three foxes. The report said the interior and the north end of the enclosure had an area that did not feature a dig barrier alongside two tunnels that measured around 8 inches in diameter, and that animals would escape regularly.

Bear, DE – Emily Lynch of Wilmington, DE, was dining at the Texas Roadhouse restaurant when she noticed a monkey stroll in wearing pants and a belt. Lynch said the primate, who appeared to be a spider monkey, looked confused when entering the restaurant and began to walk down the aisle where Lynch was seated.

“[The monkey] then jumped up to sit next to someone and jumped on the table and started eating their peanuts and bread which was hilarious!” Lynch said in a DM on Facebook. Apparently, the restaurant’s staff did a good job of trying to handle the situation, which included the workers calling the police. Based on witness accounts, it’s unclear whether the monkey’s handlers originally intended for the animal to dine inside the restaurant.

Lynch said the animal’s owners were eating in the restaurant, unaware that the monkey got loose from their vehicle. It is believed that the monkey “was brought in by one of the patrons and escaped the carrier it was in.” He said after the monkey spent about 15 minutes on top of a table, the owners were reunited with the animal.

Rumors are floating around social media that the monkey bit someone at the restaurant, but according to a witness, “the monkey didn’t bite anyone.” However, Lynch said she thinks the monkey might have bitten one of the handlers when they tried to pick them up.

Jefferson County, MO – An escaped spider monkey kept as a pet wearing a pink tutu was rescued on the side of a Missouri highway after running up to a sheriff’s deputy. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said the small primate escaped from a house when they opened the front door and wandered outside.

Deputies responded to a call for an animal complaint involving a monkey and came upon the animal near Highway 21 and Highway M around 4 p.m., about an hour southwest of St. Louis. “After careful negotiations and some coaxing, Deputies were able to get close enough to go ‘hands on’ with the subject and bring this bananas situation under control without incident.” Deputies were able to determine the timeline of events and the owner brought the monkey back home, the outlet writes.