Search Exotic Incidents Database

Austin, TX – The city’s tranquil Barton Creek Greenbelt has been rocked by an unexpected visitor: Emily the pet alligator. The 4-foot-long reptile escaped from her enclosure and has been roaming freely, causing a stir among park-goers and wildlife enthusiasts alike. Emily’s owners, who live nearby, had kept her as a pet for several years. It is believed that Emily managed to break free by overpowering the lock. Since her escape, Emily has been spotted in various areas of the park.

Wildlife experts have advised against approaching Emily, as even small alligators can be dangerous. They have also emphasized that it is illegal to keep alligators as pets in Texas without a permit. Authorities have been actively searching for Emily, using bait and traps. They are urging anyone who sees her to call 911 immediately.

Miami, FL – On August 6, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) demanded that the U.S. Department of Agriculture investigate Zoological Wildlife Foundation after animals injured staff and customers in a string of incidents at the Redland facility. Among the incidents were a capuchin monkey named Romeo biting three children and a Gila monster bite that put the zoo director — exotic animal enthusiast and 1980s drug kingpin Mario Tabraue — in anaphylactic shock.

PETA claims the zoo engaged in “dangerous publicity stunts and hands-on encounters that have gone horribly wrong.” The organization sent a letter to federal regulators, saying they should investigate the Miami-based zoo for potential violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) records show that in January 2022, an Endangered Species Act-protected jaguar lacerated a staff employee’s finger while being fed. The employee received stitches at the hospital. Additionally, in 2014, a white tiger bit off a construction worker’s thumb; six years later, a 40-pound chimpanzee purportedly bit a child, PETA says. Then, in 2021 and 2023, a lion cub bit guests during public encounters, according to the organization.

Chester County, SC – Chester County officials are searching for a loose African serval that escaped a house during a fire on Wednesday night.

The fire happened at a home on East Lacey Street in Chester. When firefighters arrived at the house, the owner told them his African serval ran away during the fire. Two domestic cats were found dead at the house, but the serval remains unaccounted for as of 11 a.m. Friday.

The African serval is not domesticated and poses a “significant risk” to the public due to potential aggression and strength, the sheriff’s office said. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources initially issued a “shoot on sight” order, but rescinded this notice after consulting with local law enforcement.

Chester County officials gave the owner four hours to locate the animal. If the animal wasn’t found in that timeframe, officers were told to take “necessary measures,” including killing the serval.

Toronto, CANADA – A young giraffe named Matu died this week at the Toronto Zoo after regurgitating his stomach contents during a castration procedure. The zoo said that “Amani, Mstari and Kiko, the three remaining giraffes, are doing very well and do not appear to be impacted by his loss.” A necropsy was performed Friday on Matu and the zoo said the “most significant preliminary finding was that of stomach content in Matu’s lungs – a finding that explains the respiratory, then cardiac arrest that occurred.”

“The regurgitation of material from the rumen (part of the stomach) is a well-recognized risk when animals that regurgitate their food (such as cows, sheep, deer, and giraffes – all referred to as ruminants) are anesthetized,” the zoo said. “This is why we took detailed precautions to minimize this risk by modifying Matu’s diet in the lead-up to this procedure.” Fasting animals in the days leading up to anesthesia can reduce the risks associated with regurgitation.

Despite the many precautions taken, the zoo said it’s believed Matu regurgitated and inhaled ruminal content. The zoo explained there is always a “significant” risk when performing any surgical procedure under general anesthesia on large species such as giraffes.

Des Moines, Iowa — An employee at Blue Zoo in West Des Moines was bitten by a shark Monday afternoon. According to the West Des Moines Fire Department, an employee was inside of a tank and performing regular caretaking duties when they were bitten by a 18-inch long bamboo shark. The employee was transported to a Des Moines hospital with non life-threatening injuries.

According to a statement from the zoo: the shark “became startled and latched onto the skin of [the caregiver’s] hand between her thumb and forefinger and refused to release. The team made multiple attempts to pry the shark’s mouth open, but the Bamboo Shark’s teeth, similar to small hooks, made it difficult. Consequently, management decided to call emergency responders. Despite their efforts, the EMTs were also unable to open the shark’s mouth, leading to the humane euthanasia of the shark.”

Oklahoma City, OK – The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden shared that one of their Asian elephants, Asha, went into premature labor on July 20 at almost 13 months pregnant, resulting in the miscarriage of her stillborn calf on July 21.

The OKC Zoo said that this was Asha’s fifth pregnancy. The zoo confirmed that Asha is back to her normal routine, and has been reunited with her family group. The Zoo veterinarian stated that following Asha’s miscarriage, caregivers gave her time to be with her calf and let her say goodbye.

Calgary, Alberta, CANADA – Necropsy results of Friday’s polar bear death just released by the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo confirm that 7-year-old male polar bear ‘Baffin’ died by drowning, following a crushing injury to his trachea by 8-year-old male polar bear, ‘Siku’, sustained during rough play. It is presumed that Baffin lost consciousness underwater due to the tracheal injury and subsequently drowned. The necropsy also confirmed that Baffin was in excellent physical condition and there was no evidence of heat-related stress (hyperthermia).

Baffin was rescued as an orphaned cub when he was less than a year old and brought to the Leatherdale International Polar Bear Conservation Centre at Assiniboine Park Zoo (APZ) in December 2017. He was eventually introduced to the other polar bears at APZ and lived in APZ’s Journey to Churchill habitat until last fall, when he and Siku, who was rescued as an orphaned cub in 2016, were transferred to the Taylor Family Foundation Polar Bear Sanctuary.

Baffin and Siku were long-term enclosure mates prior to the incident.

Old Saybrook, CT – An Old Saybrook resident made a startling discovery in his shed last night. “I didn’t know if I was going to be attacked or what,” O’Connell said. “It just looked crazy.” At first, O’Connell said he thought the animal he discovered in his shed was a bat and then realized it was a small monkey.

“It’s probably some species of marmoset,” said Jenny Dickson, the wildlife division director for the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. “We’re still working on the exact identification of the species.”

The man who owned the monkey came forward and helped Environmental Conservation Police Officers capture it. The police have taken possession of the monkey and are conducting an investigation.

Limestone, TN – Brights Zoo in Limestone, Tennessee is mourning the death of a 7-year-old sitatunga (a rare African antelope) named Lief. A guest at the zoo snuck in a banned item, a squeezable fruit pouch with a plastic cap. Somehow the cap ended up in the antelope’s enclosure, and the curious animal choked on it after trying to eat it.

Brights Zoo posted to Facebook on Saturday, June 9th with a short explanation of why these fruit pouches are banned, “The reason is simple – the packaging is dangerous to our animals. Today we lost a beloved animal due to choking.” The Zoo went on to explain that to animals, the red caps look like food, and while the Zoo does bag searches, guests found a way to sneak this banned item in.