Search Exotic Incidents Database

Police found a 3-foot alligator in a house while arresting his owner during an assault call. The gator was brought to a local animal shelter to stay until more permanent housing can be found.

A neighbor found a young, 8-inch spitting cobra after it escaped from a snakekeeper’s house, and reported it to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The owner was cited for six violations of the laws for caging and keeping venomous reptiles. The cobra was given temporarily to a third-party licensed to keep venomous snakes but will probably be returned to its owner.

An 8-year-old male beluga whale named Miki, who had been at the Mystic Aquarium for less than six months, died “as a result of complications from a prolonged illness.” He was on loan from Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium as part of a breeding program.

A police officer spotted an 8-foot-long boa constrictor by a road, and trapped it in a nearby recycling bin. The snake was reclaimed by its owner shortly thereafter.

In response to a complaint, a 6-foot alligator was removed from a backyard enclosure by police and zoo staff. The gator, known as Wally, is being housed at the Zoo at Forest Park. He was living in the home for the past 26 years after having been brought from Florida in a cooler. Owning an alligator as a pet is a violation of MA state law.

A 9-year-old girl visiting Virginia Beach suffered a bite from a pet monkey that was in a tourist area with its owner. The owner fled with the monkey immediately after the girl was bitten, and officials are searching for them.

Joseph Carrao reached into a pen and picked up a Chilean flamingo named Pinky, who he then slammed into the ground “in a rage.” Veterinarians made the decision to euthanize Pinky due to the severity of her injuries. Carrao was charged with felony animal cruelty.

Utah Reptile Rescue, a facility that exhibits reptiles at events and on film sets, was served with a notice by the city saying it could not keep exotic animals on a residential property. This displaces more than 300 animals, including snakes, turtles, alligators, lizards, and non-reptiles including rats, exotic birds, and ferrets. The animals will find a temporary home at a warehouse.

Police launched a counterfeit money investigation after two baby monkeys were sold to someone in Houston. The woman who transported the vervets says the buyer paid her with phony money and she’s concerned about the animals’ well-being.

The Scottsdale Fire Department captured a 10-foot pet albino python after it was found in a residential area. The snake was turned over to the Phoenix Herpetological Society. A local dentist later came forward to claim this snake and two others found in the area, saying they had escaped from his office.