Search Exotic Incidents Database

A 5-year-old zebra named Stuart has just tragically died at the Milwaukee County Zoo. Witnesses at the scene stated that Stuart was running very quickly when he made a turn, lost his footing, and collided with a fence post in his enclosure. According to the zoo, Stuart was running and chasing the impalas in the habitat. Zoo officials stated that Stuart’s injuries were too severe, and he could not be saved. The zoo is still awaiting results to determine his cause of death.

According to Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, a woman is now facing charges after a marmoset bit a child in her home. Officials with the agency stated that they received a tip and, after obtaining a warrant to search a home in Pendleton County, found and seized the marmoset that had bitten the girl.

The marmoset was euthanized “in accordance with state wildlife and public health laws so it could be tested for rabies to determine if the bite victim needed treatment for rabies.” The woman has been charged with one count of propagation and holding wildlife without a permit. According to court documents, this is the second time Wilson has been found in possession of a primate.

At the John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a pygmy hippo named Jahari attacked and fatally wounded a sitatunga (a type of antelope) named Chopper when zoo staff attempted to put them in the same enclosure.

The Lost Creek Safari petting zoo in Stillwater, Oklahoma, has temporarily closed following an incident with a baby lemur and a park guest. The zoo said the guest “acted inappropriately” during the incident at the petting zoo when a child on a field trip grabbed the back of the lemur, named Sunday, causing the animal to scratch the boy. The child’s mother claimed the lemur then bit the boy’s hand.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), along with the Wild Animal Sanctuary, have just announced that all animals have been removed from the Waccatee Zoo; an infamous roadside zoo in the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina area.

The last of the animals, including one llama, two North American black bears, and six emus, are now on their way to a sanctuary in Colorado.

PETA filed a lawsuit in April 2021 claiming that the Waccatee Zoo violated the federal Endangered Species Act and South Carolina’s public nuisance law, by confining and exhibiting over 460 animals in poor conditions.

The lawsuit also alleges that it has received over 150 complaints from the public about the roadside zoo. While the zoo was in the process of closing, many of the animals were sent to other roadside zoos or sold at shady exotic-animal auctions.

Seven-year-old African elephant, Ajabu, has just passed away at the Dallas Zoo from the viral infection elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV).

EEHV is considered the primary cause of calf mortality in the global captive Asian elephant population. While EEHV occurs in wild populations, it is not associated with mortality of the magnitude seen in captive Asian elephants.

A tornado in Troup County, Georgia, recently destroyed parts of a wild animal park. Wild Animal Safari Pine Mountain allowed a local news station inside to witness the damage on-site. According to the Zoo Director, thousands of trees were uprooted, and almost every animal enclosure in the park was damaged or completely destroyed.

Two tigers escaped their enclosure. Administration alerted the public. Luckily, they were safely tranquilized and returned back to their repaired enclosure within the following few days. Five animals died during the storm. Some of the animals had to be transferred to other zoos while their exhibits were being repaired. The noise of the ongoing cleanup and reparation machinery can be loud and distressing to many of the animals.

In Oklahoma, a woman’s ear was nearly ripped off by a neighbor’s pet monkey named Jack. The woman described the experience as traumatizing, as the monkey broke off a piece of the screen door on her porch when attempting to get inside.

When she went outside after police officers arrived at the scene, the monkey jumped on her head, bit her ear, and ripped out chunks of her hair. She will need plastic surgery. Quick to respond to the incident, a family member of the victim shot the monkey dead.

The woman now worries about letting her child go outside to play. People in the neighborhood were unaware that someone had a pet monkey.

A man in Ohio was hospitalized after being attacked by his pet zebra. Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a call after a man reported his arm being nearly dismembered by his pet zebra.

When police arrived, the male zebra continued trying to charge the victim and others at the scene until a deputy shot and killed him. It is believed the male was acting out of protective instincts regarding the several female zebras who lived in the same field. Following the incident, the man’s arm has been successfully reattached.

The Reid Park Zoo in Tucson, Arizona, has announced that they euthanized a 3-year-old giraffe due to issues with his ankle.

Officials said they made the decision during a medical procedure to determine the source of Sota’s ankle swelling. They discovered that the ankle had no useable cartilage and would not support his weight. Zoo officials said it’s not clear how he injured his ankle.