Search Exotic Incidents Database

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries seized Darwin, a pet spider monkey, from his owner. Louisiana law bans private ownership of primates, but the owner argued that Darwin should be grandfathered in since she had him before the law went into effect in April of 2006. Darwin was temporarily placed in the custody of a zoo, and his former owner unsuccessfully fought the seizure in court until April 2017, at which point Darwin went to a sanctuary.

Austin, an 11-year-old black-capped capuchin monkey, escaped from a play pen in his owner’s suburban backyard. Despite search efforts by his owner, there have been no sightings.

A 5-6 foot snake was spotted under under a porch in a residential neighborhood. Someone believed to be the snake’s owner went door-to-door asking if anyone had seen it.

A pet caracal named Ameera escaped from a home, causing the nearby elementary school to go on lockdown. The cat returned after a day.

Clay, an 8-year-old red panda, was found dead in his enclosure. Necropsy results indicate that he likely suffered from cardiomyopathy, a heart condition that is not uncommon for red pandas.

A man was airlifted to a hospital after he was bitten by one of his venomous snakes, an Egyptian saw-scaled viper. Bites from that snake can cause moderate to severe envenoming and can be life-threatening if not treated swiftly. They are illegal to own as pets in New York, and that snake, plus five others (including a monocled cobra and two rattlesnakes), were removed from the man’s home by SPCA officers. The snakes will be taken to a wildlife reserve in Massachusetts.

A 14-foot-python was left in a car in a parking lot with the window cracked open. The snake, Ginger, escaped through the window and onto the roof of the car. She was spotted by passersby, and her owner recaptured her. He said she was a “service pet.”

Police officers were called to remove a 2-foot alligator from a residential neighborhood. He is likely an escaped or abandoned pet.

Dolly, an approximately 52-year-old Asian elephant, was euthanized due to declining health. She suffered from foot issues and age-related arthritis.

Nigel, a 16-year-old Bactrian camel, died after several years of struggling with arthritis and complications of aging.