Search Exotic Incidents Database

PORTAGE, WI – Four kangaroos escaped from a trailer on I-39 near Portage around noon on Aug. 23 after their owner stopped to transfer animals between vehicles.

Two of the kangaroos were hit by vehicles on the northbound on-ramp from WIS 78 to I-39 and did not survive, according to the Wisconsin State Patrol. The owner recovered one of the animals.

One kangaroo remains unaccounted for. The incident occurred at mile marker 85.

State Patrol is asking drivers not to stop on the interstate to look for the missing animal. Anyone who sees the kangaroo should report the sighting to law enforcement.

ST. LOUIS, MO – A man is in police custody after illegally entering an animal enclosure at the Saint Louis Zoo. The incident happened just before 5 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 22, at Big Cat Country, according to a zoo spokesman.

The man climbed over a fence and onto a barrier of artificial rockwork, just above the animal habitat. The habitat is home to Amur leopards, Amur tigers, and ocelots. Other zoo guests immediately alerted security. Members of zoo security and animal care staff arrived at the habitat within minutes. However, the man had already climbed back down and on the public walking path.

The man was not injured and the animals were unharmed, Brennan said. Zoo security took the man into custody and turned him over to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. The zoo is investigating the matter to see if any modifications need to be made to prevent a similar incident from happening.

PHILADELPHIA, PA – The Philadelphia Zoo said goodbye to its last African lion, Makini, who died after a battle with advanced arthritis.

The Zoo announced Makini’s death on Friday, saying ever since the death of his longtime partner Tajiri, in November 2025, they have been closely monitoring his health. The zoo said Makini was euthanized after months of arthritis significantly affected his joints, along with recent significant signs of weakness and difficulty navigating.

Makini was born at the Tulsa Zoo and arrived in Philadelphia in 2011. He and his mate, Tajiri, welcomed four female cubs in June 2014. The cubs are no longer at the zoo.

SAN ANTONIO, TX – The San Antonio Zoo is mourning the loss of Epulu, a male okapi who had been at the Texas zoo since 2014.

Zoo officials said Epulu’s care team noticed signs of colic and a loss of appetite last week. Despite treatment, his condition worsened.

ASHEBORO, NC – A 12-year-old cougar at the North Carolina Zoo died after developing chronic kidney disease and age-related mobility problems that affected his quality of life, according to the zoo’s social media post. After consulting with animal care and veterinary teams, zoo officials decided to euthanize Heath since the animal’s quality of life was declining.

Heath and his sisters, Olive and Willow, arrived at the zoo in 2014 after being orphaned in the wild in Oregon.

SACRAMENTO, CA – The Sacramento Zoo announced the death of a 35-year-old Abyssinian ground hornbill named Mark, who had been at the zoo since 1992.

The zoo said Mark suffered from age-related health issues that included heart disease.

TURNER, OR – Roughly 1,500 mink escaped an Oregon farm after a hole was cut in a fence — with an extremist animal rights group linking themselves to the plot to free the animals, according to authorities and reports.

The scores of minks were intentionally let loose from Cascade Farm in Turner late last Wednesday night as the farm’s manager, his wife, children, and other employees were sleeping, KOIN reported.

The Animal Liberation Front — a decentralized group of international animal rights advocates labeled as extremists by the FBI — appears to have taken responsibility for the break-in, the outlet reported.

The farm owners have since recovered about 90% of the cute, semiaquatic mammals, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office told the outlet.

FORT WAYNE, IN – For nearly a month, visitors at the Fort Wayne Zoo haven’t been able to see Penny, the resident ostrich.

Dr. Caitlin Hemby, Fort Wayne Zoo Associate Veterinarian, explained a plastic cup blew into Penny’s habitat, and she tried to swallow it. The zoo’s Animal Care & Health Teams swept in to remove the cup from Penny’s esophagus before the situation became life-threatening.

Hemby said that during the intervention, Penny injured her right wing, and it was fractured beyond repair. The following week, she had surgery to amputate the wing.

SANTA BARBARA, CA – The animal care team at a California Central Coast zoo is grappling with yet another loss – the fourth animal death in the past month.

“It’s been a difficult few weeks for us here at the zoo,” the Santa Barbara Zoo shared on Instagram Monday in announcing the death of Poppy, an 8-year-old capybara. The zoo’s only other capybara is also facing a serious health challenge.

“Poppy was euthanized on Friday after specialist veterinarians discovered an inoperable mass in her throat, making it difficult for her to breathe or eat,” the zoo said. “Poppy’s age was considered geriatric for a capybara, but her sudden decline in health and ultimate passing is no less painful a loss for our Zoo family and community.”

Zoo officials said Poppy underwent a series of exams and scans, including a CT scan, to determine if the mass could be treated or removed. They ultimately determined it was too extensive.

CALGARY, CANADA – The Wilder Institute’s Calgary Zoo is investigating the circumstances around which a grizzly bear escaped his enclosure Sunday morning.

Staff noticed that Fitz, a one-year-old rescued grizzly bear cub, was out of his containment area during routine early morning checks before opening to the public. “The animal care health and welfare team quickly activated our emergency response procedures,” Baird said. The bear was tranquilized shortly afterward and is in good health.

It’s unknown when Fitz got out of his enclosure, or how long he was out.

It’s believed Fitz got out by climbing above the enclosure’s containment barriers — eight to 10 feet high with hot wire inside — which allowed him to access an area located just outside and above his habitat. Fitz and his brother Turner have been temporarily removed from their enclosure, and are staying in the zoo’s back-of-house space.