May 28, 1997 Scappoose, OR A “pet” leopard escaped its cage and attacked a neighbor. The neighbor was hospitalized with deep puncture wounds to her neck. Big Cats
May 27, 1997 Little Rock, AR Two gorillas at the Little Rock Zoo escaped from their cage during the night and remained loose in the room next to their outdoor area until they were discovered the next morning by zoo employees. One gorilla was darted and both were led back to their cage. Primates
May 8, 1997 Gainesville, TX An elephant at the Frank Buck Zoo crushed her handler to death when he entered the animal’s pen to move her to another pen. Elephants
May 7, 1997 Carrollton, PA A 400-lb tiger with Frazen Bros Circus killed his trainer by pouncing on him and dragging him around the ring by his neck in front of 200 kids. Big Cats
May 5, 1997 Lubbock, TX One of five “pet” Bengal tigers mauled its “owner” as he worked on its cage. The “owner” was hospitalized with bites on his throat, chest, and abdomen. The man’s son killed the tiger. Big Cats
May 1, 1997 Knox County, TN A “liger” (tiger/lion mix) mauled a 4-year-old boy at Joe Robinson’s Farm roadside zoo, when the boy got too close to the animal’s cage. The boy hospitalized with lacerations to his right leg and buttock. Big Cats
April 27, 1997 Oklahoma City, OK A leopard escaped from its cage and killed a woman at the Oak Hill Center for Rare and Endangered Species exotic animal rehabilitation center. The animal escaped into the woods and was later shot by police. Big Cats
April 27, 1997 MA An 8-year-old boy contracted Salmonella from his “pet” iguanas. The boy developed severe vomiting, abdominal cramps, bloody diarrhea, and headaches. Reptiles
April 24, 1997 San Antonio, TX A tiger bit off a man’s finger and injured his friend when they broke into the Wild Animal Orphanage and tried to pet the tiger. Big Cats
April 4, 1997 Salisbury, NC A chimpanzee escaped from a roadside zoo, the Charlotte Metro Zoo, and attacked a woman in a car, damaging the car. Primates