December 28, 1997 San Angelo, TX A “pet” capuchin monkey bit the neck of a 19-year-old man who was a neighbor. Primates
December 15, 1997 Charlotte County, FL A baboon at the Octagon Wildlife Sanctuary grabbed a 6-year-old girl, inflicting minor injuries. Primates
December 11, 1997 Sarasota, FL A lioness at the Kissimmee Zoo escaped while handlers fixed her cage. She was recaptured after spending two days in a swamp near the zoo. Big Cats
December 3, 1997 Washington, DC A man was bitten on the left thumb by his “pet” viper and rushed to the emergency room to receive antivenin. The man required 14 vials of antivenin. The man was helping the snake shed his skin when it bit him. Animal Control officers took possession of the snake. Other
December 1, 1997 Triangle, VA A man was bitten by his Indian cobra while attempting to milk the snake for its venom. The snake wiggled loose and sank a fang into the man’s pinkie, injecting lethal venom. The man was rushed to the hospital where he received antivenin, which saved his life. This was the sixth time the man had been bitten by one of his ten venomous snakes. The police confiscated all ten snakes. Reptiles
November 29, 1997 A “pet” iguana struck his possessor in the foot. The woman required 12 stitches. Reptiles
November 27, 1997 Flushing, NY A man’s 3-1/2-ft-long “pet” albino cobra bit him on the pinkie finger while he was attempting to feed it. The man was treated with snakebite antidote at the local hospital. It is unknown what happened to the snake. Reptiles
October 31, 1997 Madison, WI A 3-ft-long python, Merlin, reported missing since mid-October, was discovered back home at the UW-Madison residence hall. Merlin was discovered four doors down from her room. Merlin had a history of disappearing for long periods of time. Once she was gone for three years. UW housing does not allow its residents to keep any “pets” except fish in the rooms. Reptiles
October 23, 1997 Superior, WI A 3-ft-long python was found lounging behind a woman’s toilet. The woman spotted the snake while she was bending over the bathroom sink to wash her hair. The snake will be returned to its “owner,” the former tenant in the same apartment. Reptiles
October 21, 1997 Cincinnati, OH A “pet” bear nipped a 4-year-old boy in the stomach. The bear belonged to a visiting neighbor. The boy was not seriously injured. Bears