Search Exotic Incidents Database

Suzy, Bunny, and Minny, elephants from the Garden Brothers Circus, escaped from their pens after the electric fence keeping them enclosed was accidently disabled. Police officers responded after community residents called 911 after encountering two of the elephants while walking down residential streets. The elephants were subsequently recaptured.

State and federal investigations were underway to determine how three tigers, a lion, a black leopard, a cougar, and a brown bear ended up in a Cumberland County gorge on property advertised as a romatic getaway in a wildlife canyon. Authorities seized the animals from Campbell’s Wildlife Canyon. The animals were in good condition.

Police discovered an alligator, 2 rattlesnakes, 21 poisonous vipers, and 2 cobras along with several guns at the home of a suspect charged with threatening a man he found with his former fiancee, a prosecutor said. The snakes and alligator were turned over to the San Diego Zoo. (NBC11.com)

Four rare white tiger cubs died at the Zoo Dynamics facility. The tiger cubs’ possessor claimed that they did not die as a result of care or zoo condtions. The cubs’ bodies were sent to a laboratory for examination. ** Update: The USDA revoked the exhibitor license of Kaufman-based big cat exhibitor Marcus Cook. Cook was found guilty of numerous violations of the Animal Welfare Act.

A large rodent referred to as a Patagonia cavy or mara was found wandering around Cheney, a town in the greater Spokane, Washington area.

A 24-year-old female dolphin, Phoenix, died suddenly at the Indianapolis Zoo’s Dolphin Pavilion. She wss found floating dead in her pool just prior to the planned afternoon dolphin performance. A necropsy showed no immediate cause of death, and further investigation was planned.

A second alligator was captured in Pennypack Creek and authorities warned residents that more reptiles could be lurking in the waters. The 2-1/2-ft-long foot alligator was smaller than the one caught previously in the same area on 06/20/07.

Authorites were hunting for two wolf dogs who escaped their possessor and attacked and killed two dogs.

The Virginia Zoo’s new 1-year-old red panda, Yin, climbed over the fence and out of her enclosure, into a large tree nearby. Yin was recaptured the next morning, and was kept in a separate area while modifications were made to prevent future escapes. (see additional incident 07/14/07)

Mona, an Asian elephant at the Birmingham Zoo, was euthanized after she was found lying on her side and unable to get to her feet. Days earlier, Mona had to be lifted to her feet with a crane. Her health was said to have been deteriorating for some time.