August 18, 2001 Leavenworth County, KS A “pet” lion bit a woman trying to feed peaches to some bears. Big CatsBears
August 13, 2001 London, KY A “pet” monkey bit a 6-year-old girl on the arm during a county festival. The monkey slept with the possessor’s daughter. Primates
August 10, 2001 Clearwater, FL An 11-ft-long Burmese python, Jake, escaped from his backyard cage and was loose for two days before being recaptured. The snake remained in the custody of a reptile trapper. Authoriities were investigating the circumstances regarding the snake’s escape. Reptiles
August 3, 2001 Hannibal, MO A “pet” iguana, Elvis, escaped from his backyard after he was let out to sunbathe. Elvis was found two weeks later in a tree. Reptiles
August 2, 2001 Pittsburgh, PA An African serva cat, Mr. Bigglesworth, escaped from his home and roamed the neighborhood for a month before he was recaptured. Small Cats
August 1, 2001 Knoxville, TN A “pet” Burmese python escaped from his cage and was found nearly a block away on a bench near a nursery. This was Pete’s second escape in three days. See incident of 7/31/01. Reptiles
July 31, 2001 CA A “pet” serval, Paka, was found walking along the side of a freeway. The cat, who was declawed, was placed with the PAWS Sanctuary in Galt, CA. Small Cats
July 31, 2001 Center Hill, FL A 500-lb male Siberian tiger at Savage Kingdom broke into an adjoining cage and fatally mauled a workman who was there to make repairs. The tiger was shot by the park’s operator. Big Cats
July 27, 2001 Knoxville, TN A “pet” Burmese python, named Pete, escaped through a window and appeared more than a mile away on a house porch. Reptiles
July 25, 2001 Berkeley County, WV A “pet” monkey bit three children and was placed under quarantine to be tested for diseases. The monkey tested negative for hepatitis B and was relocated to a wildlife sanctuary. Primates