September 9, 2001 Richfield, WI A 33-year-old man was bitten by two of his “pet” poisonous snakes while attempting to clean their cages. He was bitten on the right forearm by an Indian cobra and on the left index finger by an Egyptian cobra. Reptiles
September 2, 2001 Danville, NH A monkey was spotted several times roaming the area. It was believed the monkey was an endangered species from South America and was being kept illegally as someone’s “pet.” Primates
August 31, 2001 Arlington, VA A “pet” 7-ft-long boa constrictor escaped from its cage and was later recaptured. Reptiles
August 27, 2001 Boynton Beach, FL A 12-ft-long python escaped and was on the loose for more than three weeks. The snake was found 09/19/01 in a neighbor’s backyard. Reptiles
August 26, 2001 McGregor, MN A free-roaming cougar was killed after she attacked a dog. Two lion cubs appeared in the same area the next morning and were captured. It was suspected that the lion and cubs were “pets” and were released in central Minnesota by the “owner.” Big Cats
August 26, 2001 Charlton County, GA An 18-year-old girl died from a venomous snake bite. The girl was doing laundry in her home when the snake crawled through a vent and bit her. Reptiles
August 23, 2001 Leavenworth County, KS A “pet” bear bit a 31-year-old man on the inside of his right forearm. Bears
August 22, 2001 Knoxville, TN A 40-year-old elephant, Mamie, spooked by something she saw, broke free from her handlers and injured two elephant handlers. She broke through a metal gate and charged onto a wood patio. The patio was not designed to hold her weight and began to break, upsetting her more. The injured employees suffered head gashes and one had a broken rib. Elephants
August 22, 2001 Irwin, PA An 8-year-old girl died after her family’s “pet” 10-ft-long Burmese python suffocated her. The snake was one of five “pet” snakes owned by the family. The girl’s father was charged with involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment, and child endangerment; the mother was charged with child endangerment. Reptiles
August 19, 2001 Richmond, TX A black panther jumped into a neighborhood backyard and grabbed and killed the family’s dog. The panther was suspected of belonging to a former neighborseveral of whose exotic animals previously escaped. Big Cats