November 22, 2004 Wichita, KS A 6-year-old male jaguar killed his 18-year-old female companion at the Sedgwick County Zoo. After a long introduction process, zookeepers believed the jaguars were ready for cohabitation. The jaguars were placed on exhibit together with no access to their holding pens. The 165-pound male killed his 130-pound female companion within hours. Big Cats
November 20, 2004 North Liberty, IN A man was killed when his gnu, also known as a wildebeest, attacked and trampled him. Other
November 19, 2004 St. Augustine, FL A 350-lb Siberian tiger, while being walked on a leash, attacked and injured a 14-year-old boy at the St. John’s County Fair. The tiger’s handler was also attacked and injured when he attempted to pull the tiger off the boy. The incident was brought under control only after two police officers fired Taser stun guns at the tiger. The handler was the owner of Catty Shack Ranch where the tiger resided. Big Cats
November 17, 2004 Liberty and Girard, OH A capuchin monkey wandered through neighborhoods after he escaped from a car. The monkey was subsequently recaptured. Primates
November 15, 2004 New Haven, CT A 15-ft-long python escaped his enclosure. His possessors also had two crocodiles and an Argentinean boa constrictor which were confiscated because it is illegal to possess them in the state. Reptiles
November 13, 2004 Gentry, AR A Bengal tiger pulled the flesh off the right middle finger of a woman visiting the Wild Wilderness Drive Thru Safari after she reportedly placed her hand in the tiger’s cage. See 01/24/02 entry for another incident involving Wild Wilderness Drive Thru Safari. Big Cats
November 13, 2004 Bristow, OK An African serval escaped from its cage at Wilderness Safari and was shot and killed by a hunter. The hunter notified the operator of wild animal park of the killing and said he skinned the cat and put the hide in his freezer. Small Cats
November 12, 2004 Port St. Lucie, FL Vanilla Ice’s “pet” wallaroo escaped from his backyard and was on the loose. The animal was later found and returned. Other
November 10, 2004 Houston, TX A pregnant baboon being loaded onto aircraft at Bush Intercontinental Airport escaped after the door to her cage opened. She was eventually caught after clambering up into the rafters below the elevated terminal concourse. The baboon is part of a troupe of primates heading to a San Francisco area zoo. Primates
November 9, 2004 Palm Springs, CA A chimpanzee ran through a residential neighborhood after escaping from the Casa de Cheeta sanctuary for rehabilitation of show business primates. The 16-year-old chimpanzee knocked on residence doors and windows after the owner of the sanctuary forgot to latch the chimpanzee’s security door. A second security door was subsequently installed to prevent any further incidents. Primates