February 17, 2004 Dade City, FL A “pet” cougar was found lounging near a neighbor’s pool 500 yards away from his home. The possessor retrieved the animal without incident, but she had to appear in court for allowing the cougar to escape. Big Cats
February 14, 2004 Green County, OH An escaped 250-lb bear was caught after one night and confined to a cage with two other bears. Her “owner” had a total of ten bears, which he kept in his yard behind a 6-ft chain link fence. Bears
February 13, 2004 Lake County, IL A cougar had been spotted several times since January. The cougar was either an escaped or released “pet” as there have been no wild cougars in the state since the turn of the 19th century. Big Cats
February 10, 2004 Elizabethtown, IL A man was apparently changing the bedding of his “pet” lion’s pen when he was mauled to death. Big Cats
February 9, 2004 Port Sulphur, LA A woman was attacked by her “pet” leopard while petting the animal inside its cage. She was rushed to the hospital and underwent surgery to her face and skull. Police officers and her brother-in-law shot the animal. Big Cats
February 9, 2004 Pequea, PA A 17-year-old boy suffered a bite from his highly venomous West African bush viper and might lose his finger. No antivenin existed for this type of “pet.” Reptiles
February 7, 2004 Yemassee, SC A woman ran into a “pet” hippopotamus with her car and killed the animal. The hippo had escaped from his home earlier in the day. Other
February 5, 2004 St. Louis, MO A 200-pound bear attacked a St. Louis Zoo employee during a routine transfer from an indoor pen to outdoor space. The 6-year-old Rimba, a male Malayan sun bear captured as a baby, bit the zookeeper’s arms and legs. The keeper shoved Rimba away and made his way out of the pen. The keeper was treated for cuts and puncture wounds, and was expected to recover. Bears
January 31, 2004 Dillsboro, IN Ten wolves escaped from the Red Wolf Sanctuary and Raptor Rehabilitation Center, prompting state officials to order it closed to the public until improvements were made. The wolves broke free from their 3-acre pen. Two died, while the rest were recaptured. Other
January 24, 2004 Fort Wayne, IN While driving his 4-year-old 140-lb lion home from a veterinarian appointment a man crashed his car into a ditch. The lion was not secured in a cage and escaped. The lion was found four hours later hiding in the bushes. Animal Control tried unsuccessfully to humanely dart the lion and had to shoot and kill him. Big Cats