Search Exotic Incidents Database

FULLERTON, CA – A California family’s pet tortoise escaped just fast enough to avoid a massive shed fire that broke out when a heat lamp tipped over. Leo, a 3-year-old female tortoise, was dozing inside her pen at a Fullerton home while her owners were at a Super Bowl LX party Sunday night.

When the heat lamp tipped over, a fire started, while Leo appeared to be sleeping on the pet camera near the enclosure. Moments later, Leo luckily made an escape into the yard. Their neighbors extinguished the fire. Leo was later found hiding in a bush nearby. The medical team confirmed that Leo had “some inflammation in her bronchioles” and is undergoing daily saline breathing treatments.

RENO, NV – A pet zebra named Ziggy briefly escaped from their enclosure in south Reno before being recaptured by the owner. Washoe County Regional Animal Services received calls about the zebra and responded to the area of Huffaker Lane, where the animal was last seen, but was unable to locate the zebra before the owner rounded them up.

A call came in around 2:30 p.m. on Sunday from a person who saw a post on Nextdoor about the zebra, but an officer was not dispatched since the person had not actually seen the zebra themselves. A second call came in around 3:30 p.m. from a person who confirmed that a zebra named Ziggy lived at an address close to where the zebra had been spotted. An officer arrived on scene around 5 p.m., but could not find Ziggy. The next day, the owner of the zebra was called. They confirmed the zebra got loose for 10 to 15 minutes on the 8th.

HUDSON,CO –  Officials are investigating an attack that left one of her alpacas dead and two other animals injured. Friday morning, her dogs alerted her that something wasn’t right. Mager left her home to check on the commotion. “I see this big old bushy thing, and I know it’s a dog. It was a German shepherd,” she said.

She says two of her neighbors’ dogs were roaming free and somehow got into her yard. She chased one off, but the other one had already done damage. “I noticed the other one was in my pen, where the- some of the farm animals were, and it was over my alpaca,” Mager said. The alpaca was dead. She found another one badly injured, and her Shetland pony had also been attacked. Adams County Animal Control officers found the dogs and impounded them.

LITTLE ROCK, AK – According to zoo staff, Catherine the gorilla passed away on Monday, February 2nd, at nearly 43 years old. The week prior to her passing, animal care staff had noticed that Catherine had been having some swelling in her hand and was also experiencing some shortness of breath. She was then given medication, which did help, but she needed further examination to best determine how to treat her.

ONTARIO, CANADA – A female emu named Enzo briefly escaped from an eastern Ontario animal rescue sanctuary earlier this week. Enzo’s exploits unfolded Monday in Almonte, Ont., a town located 50 kilometers southwest of Ottawa. She lives at Gagné Homestead and Rescue, off Highway 29 on the community’s southern outskirts.

Enzo’s emu companion Blue also fled their holding pen, but didn’t make it past the property. The rescue owners remain unsure how the animals got out.

ENTERPRISE, AL – A fire swept through the barn at a south Alabama petting zoo on Jan. 28, 2026, killing all of the animals that were housed inside. Two By Two Petting Zoo is a walk-through indoor exhibit located about three miles outside of downtown Enterprise. The petting zoo, owned by Stephanie and Charles Jones, was a total loss, including its barns and animals such as lambs, bunnies and birds. Approximately 116 animals died.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known. Fire crews said the investigation continues.