Search Exotic Incidents Database

A pregnant sea lion at the Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium died after zookeepers tranquilized the animal when she was claiming another sea lion’s newborn pup as her own. She was tranquilized shortly after the zoo opened, leaving spatters of blood in the partially drained pool as a few zoo guests watched. She came to and started calling out to her family. Keepers stayed with her for 30 minutes, then left to check on the pup. When they returned 10 minutes later, the sea lion was dead, about two hours after being tranquilized. A necropsy showed that her unborn pup had died a day or more prior.

A woman was hospitalized after being injured by her pet kinkajou. Animal Control staff said the woman has three of the animals in her home, and has the proper permits.

A zoo euthanized a male wolf named Rebel after he nipped a child’s hand. A worker left a gate to an off-limits area of the zoo open. Several visitors took advantage of the open gate to go into the staff-only area and get up close to the wolf pack. While one mother was taking photos, her four-year-old son stuck his fingers through the enclosure’s chain-link fence. After the child’s parents declined to get rabies shots for him, the Division of Public Health mandated that authorities kill the wolf so rabies testing could be conducted. The test came back negative.

Kiki, a male Canada lynx, was euthanized after a year of declining health.

A caracal owned by music producer Jamal “Mally Mall” Rashid died in a house fire. The cat, named Nyla, was one of many exotic animals owned by Rashid.

Animal control officials in Jacksonville are investigating after receiving reports of a monkey sighting. Witnesses estimated that the monkey was two feet tall.

A 22-year-old white-faced capuchin monkey named Luna was seized from a house, and her owner of more than two decades is now facing charges for not having the proper permits.

Luna was taken to a licensed wildlife facility.

Two of the four cubs born to a seized tiger died at Ohio’s exotic animal holding facility. The cubs arrived after officials took five tigers and five other exotic animals from Stump Hill Farm on May 4 (see https://www.bornfreeusa.org/database/exo_incident.php?id=2400).

The remaining two cubs were separated from their mother and moved into temporary care at a zoo.

A Patagonian mara named Chupacabra was found wandering on a street. He was taken to an animal shelter and the owner was identified, but the large rodent did not return to the private home. He was instead relocated to the Oregon Zoo for use in educational programs.

A pet emu named Freeda escaped from the home of Brian Johnson after a tree fell on her enclosure. Motorists noticed the emu walking down a road and called Space Farms Zoo & Museum, which captured Freeda and took her to the zoo. Johnson reclaimed Freeda two days later.