Search Exotic Incidents Database

A 7-year-old male Bactrian camel named Nikolai died suddenly from an acute gastrointestinal disease.

An orangutan named Luna got loose at Tampa Bay’s Busch Gardens amusement park. The primate was tranquilized with a dart and returned to her enclosure, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

A 3-4 foot ball python was captured on a Maui coffee farm. Ball pythons are not indigenous to Hawaii, and was likely part of the pet trade. Snakes have no natural predators in Hawaii and pose a serious threat to Hawaii’s environment. The snake was euthanized due to the condition it was found in.

Firefighters battling a blaze encountered an alligator in a bathtub. The alligator is being held at a reptile shop while the owner looks for a place to stay. Twelve snakes, including Western hog noses and ball pythons, also survived the fire, but many other reptiles perished.

Dorothy, a 58-year-old Cuban crocodile at the National Zoo, suffered a hole in her jaw from a fight with another crocodile named Blanche. Veterinarians performed surgery to fix it.

Officers responded to a report of a large snake attacking a poodle. Tenants told deputies that they heard their dog yelp and found a ball python coiled around the dog, biting its ear. The tenant then threw the snake out of the apartment. It was found on a nearby patio in July, and was turned over to Wildlife of Wisconsin.

A ball python named Jake was stolen from the Noccalula Falls Park petting zoo. The snake was returned to the park and police are investigating.

An 8-year-old boy was bitten by an exotic pet snake while on vacation. The family came across a man allowing people to hold or pet a nearly 5-foot-long Colombian red tail boa constrictor. The boy attempted to pet the snake, who bit him on the forearm. The snake was not venomous, and the owner will not face charges.

Emergency crews encountered a pet alligator while responding to a medical call. Animal Control Services took the alligator into custody.

A 7-month-old black bear cub named Joanie escaped her enclosure by climbing a 14-foot fence and avoiding an electric “hot wire.” The zoo went on lockdown, tranquilized the cub, and returned her to the enclosure 15 minutes later.