January 24, 1998 Jacksonville, FL Charges leveled by the USDA states a 3.5 year old baby elephant named Kenny died after being forced to perform two shows in one day while ill. The case was settled by agreement and Ringling Bros paid $20,000 to close a USDA investigation. Elephants
January 9, 1998 Chillicothe, OH The “owner” of a 12-ft-long, 95-lb python was charged with harboring a dangerous animal after several complaints had been previously filed. The “owner” left the python, Gidget, soaking in a bathtub in an upstairs apartment. Gidget brushed against the faucet and turned the water on. The tub overflowed and the downstairs neighbor called police. Reptiles
January 7, 1998 St. Petersburg, FL A tiger with Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus grabbed the trainer by the head and dragged him around the ring, inflicting severe head injuries. As paramedics tried to stablize the victim, his brother shot the tiger in its cage. Big Cats
September 24, 1997 Everett, WA A 3-ft-long king cobra bit his owner two times. The man was airlifted to a hospital and treated with antivenom medication. Animal Control officers later confiscated the snake. Venomous snake ownership is illegal in Everett, WA. Reptiles
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