March 1, 1997 San Antonio, TX A tiger escaped from the Wild Animal Orphanage, killed a duck and an ostrich, and wounded a llama before being caught. Big Cats
February 27, 1997 Houston, TX A “pet” capuchin monkey turned on his possessor and nearly killed her, severing her thumb and part of her index finger and slicing her legs. Primates
February 18, 1997 Sioux Falls, SD A 10-ft-long python escaped from an aquarium after he broke the glass of his aquarium and pushed aside 60 lbs of weights placed on the top of the cage. The snake went on a rampage in his “owner’s” home before three people recaptured him and placed him in a sack. The snake was later killed. Reptiles
January 30, 1997 Mansfield, OH A woman found a 3-ft-long python in her toilet. A police officer removed the python and planned to keep the snake unless the “owner” was found. The snake probably came in through a wall of the woman’s apartment. Reptiles
January 27, 1997 Madison, WI Two owners of a gift shop were bitten by a 20-ft, 275-lb python on display at the shop. The python wrapped around one man’s chest and face, causing him to pass out then bit his hand. The second man was also bitten on the hand. The gift shop has several exotic animals on display in the store. The python was recaptured and returned to its cage. The snake was subsequently sent to a nature and breeding preserve in Texas. (Wisconsin State Journal) Reptiles
January 5, 1997 Harris County, TX An “owner” transferred possession of her “pet” cougar to an animal shelter after the cougar repeatedly stalked her children. Big Cats
January 5, 1997 Sarasota, FL “Pet” cougar bites hand of woman trying to pet it after being reassured by its possessor that the animal is tame. Bites to hand and forearms cause serious injury. Big Cats
December 31, 1996 Sarasota, FL A “pet” cougar bit the hand of a woman assured by the handler that the animal was tame. Bites to her hand and forearms caused serious injury. Big Cats
December 28, 1996 Brooklyn Park, MN A “pet” tiger became aggressive and scratched two pet store workers and bite another while the tiger was having her photograph taken. The “pet” tiger was one of two owned by the family. Big Cats
December 1, 1996 Denver, CO A 8-foot-2-inch-long venomous king cobra escaped its habitat and went into a crevice high above the glass enclosure. Handlers kept watch for hours and tried luring it into its home with rat meat and used a blast of carbon dioxide, but resorted to killing it with a rifle shot to avoid injury to themselves. Reptiles