Search Exotic Incidents Database

WICHITA, KS – The Sedgwick County Zoo just announced that 29-year-old African elephant Simunye delivered a stillborn calf following a healthy, full-term pregnancy. This would have marked the first elephant born at Sedgwick County Zoo in its 54-year history.

The journey of Simunye’s 22-month pregnancy ended sadly despite care provided by the elephant care and veterinary teams. Regular prenatal exams and behavioral observations indicated that both mom and calf were healthy with no sign of complications throughout the entire gestational term.

Simunye began showing signs of active labor early Thursday morning while the care team watched remotely to allow for the most natural birthing environment. She delivered her calf Friday afternoon and despite her best attempts to assist, the calf showed no signs of movement.

A necropsy determined that the calf died during the birthing process.

EDMOND, OK – Jalapeno, a 35-pound exotic serval cat, pushed his door open and escaped. The search for the animal captured the attention of Facebook groups and users. Jalapeno disappeared Sunday along 15th Street in Edmond. Posts about his disappearance were seen by thousands, with many asking for updates on the search for the serval. Jalapeno was found on Tuesday after a neighbor helped trap him.

MCMINNVILLE, OR – Four wolfdogs jumped a six-foot-high backyard fence in McMinnville on March 7 and roamed more than a mile, killing a pet dog and two cats before they were caught.

The wolfdogs’ killing spree shocked McMinnville but it didn’t necessarily surprise them. It was the culmination of a years-long standoff between city officials and Sandra Atwood, a 41-year-old resident who got her first wolf-dog hybrid mix in 2021 and, in the years since, acquired four more.

Although it’s unclear which of Atwood’s dogs killed the pets, all four are currently impounded, and Atwood faces 22 citations in McMinnville Municipal Court. She might never see her dogs again — an outcome that neighbors would be pleased with, after years of complaints about the dogs’ noise, smell, and ability to escape.

TUSCON, AZ – Reid Park Zoo delayed opening early Wednesday, March 5, after a giraffe got out of her enclosure. In a social media post, the zoo said 3-year-old giraffe Msituni was briefly outside her enclosure a little before 9 a.m. The zoo initiated its emergency response protocol and delayed opening for 90 minutes. The zoo said Msituni was found snacking on a nearby mesquite tree and did not move from that location. Luckily, according to the zoo, “She came back into her habitat on her own under the watchful eye of the Zoo’s animal care and veterinary teams.” The zoo says both short-term and long-term modifications will be made “to accommodate Msituni’s athletic and curious nature.”

BROWNSVILLE, TX – The South Texas zoo located in Brownsville announced the passing of its 17-foot-tall male giraffe, Malcolm, on Friday, February 28. Malcolm reportedly suffered an “incapacitating” injury on February 22, and despite “exhausting all efforts,” staff made the “difficult decision” to humanely euthanize him, according to a Facebook post by Gladys Porter Zoo.

Night keepers noticed Malcolm’s injury when they found him on the ground in the giraffe barn, where it seemed he was struggling to stand up. Shortly after veterinary and animal care teams were notified, maintenance technicians assisted the 2,500-pound giraffe to his feet using a hoist.