September 6, 2004 Trenton, ME An employee of the Acadia Zoological Park was seriously injured by a 13-year-old leopard. Details of the incident were not released. The man was taken to a nearby hospital with injuries to his face and arm. The zoo declined to say whether leopard was quarantined or destroyed. Big Cats
September 4, 2004 North College Hill, OH A woman died after being bitten by her venomous snake. Her house was home to 10 venomous snakes and 13 non-venomous reptiles. Reptiles
August 31, 2004 Bat St. Louis, MS A 17-ft-long Burmese python escaped from his enclosure and was loose for four days before he was recaptured. Reptiles
August 6, 2004 Fort Polk, LA A 1-year-old tiger was on the loose in a thick brush area surrounding an Army base. Big Cats
August 5, 2004 Polk City, FL 8-month-old Asian elephant Riccardo fractured both hind legs after falling off a tub during pre-training. He was euthanized due to his injuries. Elephants
August 4, 2004 Belfair, WA An 8-ft-long alligator escaped and was likely living in the Trails End Lake. Reptiles
August 3, 2004 Madison, WI A second child was sickened by Salmonella after handling small turtles. Her parents purchased some turtles and two days later their 4-year-old daughter became ill. Reptiles
August 1, 2004 Lucas County, OH Three bobcats escaped from their enclosure after someone cut a hole in the cage. One of the bobcats returned home and the other two were still on the loose. Small Cats
August 1, 2004 Brooklyn, NY Darla, a 5-year-old macaque monkey, bit a 2-year-old boy in his grandparents’ shopping cart at a local grocery store. Primates
July 31, 2004 Queens, NY Apollo, a white tiger, escaped from Cole Bros. Circus and wandered through a park, across Jackie Robinson Parkway, and through nearby residential streets. The incident caused a multi-car accident, and 4 adults and 1 child suffered minor injuries. The 450-pound tiger was eventually coaxed back into his cage. Big Cats