Search Exotic Incidents Database

A 4-year-old zebra, Zina, died from a broken neck after apparently running into a fence in a holding area at the Woodland Park Zoo.

Judy, a chimpanzee at the Little Rock Zoo, escaped from her enclosure into a nearby service area when a zookeeper opened the door to her sleeping quarters unaware that she was still inside. Judy was sedated and returned to her enclosure.

Ralph, a 22-ft-long whale shark, died at the Georgia Aquarium. A necropsy revealed Ralph had thin, perforated stomach walls which led to peritonitis.

A cougar scaled a 14-ft fence to escape his pen at a western Indian preserve, the Exotic Feline Rescue Center, and remained at large. The cougar was believed to be on the preserve grounds which housed nearly 200 exotic cats.

A 17-year-old beluga whale was euthanized at the Georgia Aquarium after months of declining health. The whale had been in poor health since before his arrival at the aquarium in October 2005.

A family which kept several kangaroos, wallabies, and other exotic “pets” in their backyard came under fire from a Bartlett City Judge who ordered them to either find new homes or relocate their rescue operation. The family relocated to a new residence and was attempting to place the wallabies with a USDA facility.

A 14-ft-long python bit an 18 year-old handler during a daily snake show at Tarpon Springs Aquarium. Police had to use a stun gun to get the snake to release the woman. The handler suffered puncture wounds to her wrist. The aquarium owner canceled snake show indefinitely.

An 8-year-old boy was attacked by a “pet” lemur at the home of a friend of his father’s. The lemur twice bit the young boy, who underwent a series of shots to prevent rabies. The “owners” of the lemur did not have a permit to have the animal and were cited.

A 350-pound, 3-year-old Siberian tiger named Tatiana attacked and injured a trainer at the San Francisco Zoo shortly after a public feeding. Visitors were quickly evacuated after the incident, and the exhibit was closed pending an investigation of the attack. The woman was taken to a local hospital with concern that she might lose her arm as a result of her injuries.

A worker discovers that a clouded leopard was missing from its enclosure at the National Zoo. The zoo was cordoned off and searched. The leopard was found sleeping near the enclosure, was anesthetized and returned to the enclosure.