September 30, 1999 Dallas, TX An elephant walked out of her performance at the Texas State Fair and into an intersection filled with spectators, causing a traffic jam. Elephants
September 22, 1999 Tarpon Springs, FL A “pet” wallaby was on the run after escaping from her pen. Other
August 30, 1999 Northern New Jersey, NJ A man’s 4-year-old daughter found him slumped at the bottom of a stairwell, unconscious and foaming at the mouth, after he was bitten by his snake. Reptiles
August 29, 1999 Des Plaines, IL A “pet” African serval cat roamed the city for a day before authorities recaptured it and returned it to its “owner.” Small Cats
August 15, 1999 Centralia, IL An African rock python escaped from its unlocked cage and asphyxiated a 3-year-old boy. The python was a family “pet.” The parents of the boy were charged with child endangerment and unlawful possession of a dangerous animal. Reptiles
August 14, 1999 West Covina, CA A “pet” chimp, Moe, bit the finger of a 43-year-old woman after she stuck her finger in his cage during a visit. This is the same chimp that bit 4 people on 08/16/98. Primates
August 6, 1999 Clermont, IA A black bear cub with Swenson’s Wild Midwest Exotic Petting Zoo was taken to a barnwarming where reportedly it nipped people. The bear died two weeks later of rabies after having potentially infected more than 400 people. Bears
August 5, 1999 Fruitland Park, FL A 13-ft-long “pet” python squeezed its possessor’s 18-month-old son nearly to death after it slithered into the backyard. The boy was bitten in the face and required plastic surgery to repair damage to his eye. An Animal Control officer subsequently destroyed the python. Reptiles
August 1, 1999 Bellevue, NE A “pet” monkey bit a police officer on the leg. The monkey had a history of biting people. Primates
July 30, 1999 Chicago, IL A 12-ft-long “pet” snake escaped from its home and was found in the neighbor’s yard. Reptiles