May 30, 2000 Columbia, MD A “pet” spider monkey escaped from its home and roamed a Columbia neighborhood. A woman saw the monkey in her tree and went to feed the monkey a piece of bread. The monkey charged after her, grabbed the piece of bread, and bit the woman on her upper left thigh. The monkey was not recaptured. Primates
May 28, 2000 Pensacola, FL An orangutan at The Zoo escaped through a cage door left unlocked and then attacked and bit a keeper who tried to coax the animal back inside. The keeper was treated at a local hospital for bruises and five bite wounds to the knee. Primates
May 20, 2000 Madison, AL A 15 year-old boy sustained a bite on his left index finger from his “pet” copperhead snake. The youth was taken to the hospital for treatment and subsequently released. Several pythons, boas, an alligator, and a South American Crocodile are found in the youth’s room at his home. Reptiles
May 18, 2000 Kiowa, CO A Bengal tiger at the Prairie Wind Animal Refuge tore the arm off a volunteer who stuck her arm in the animal’s cage to demonstrate that visitors can safely pet tigers at the refuge. The Refuge operated a photo safari program where some animals were released from their cages and allowed to roam with visitors. Big Cats
May 17, 2000 Keystone Point, FL A “pet” African serval escaped from his home and scared a neighboring family before he was recaptured and returned. Small Cats
May 16, 2000 Buffalo, NY A man was bitten on the hand by his poisonous Gabon viper and was rushed to the emergency room to receive antivenin. The man also possessed an 8-ft-long, 250-lb alligator and many other venomous snakes. Reptiles
May 4, 2000 Brewster, MA A Bengal tiger at the Bassett Wild Animal Farm attacked a teenage worker when the girl entered the cage’s feeding area, apparently unaware that the trap door was open. The girl was treated for puncture wounds to her leg. Big Cats
May 1, 2000 New Berlin, WI A 4-1/2-ft-long boa constrictor escaped from his “owner’s” car through a window. The car was parked in front of an elementary school. Reptiles
April 20, 2000 Yucca Valley, CA Two elephants with Culpepper and Merriweather Circus broke loose following a performance, one terrified residents as she stomped through the community, and another that stepped on a circus ticket-taker, and wandered down a local street before being captured by circus handlers. The ticket-taker suffered a possible broken hip. After the elephants were recaptured, three circus horses got loose and were returned by workers. Elephants
April 2, 2000 Metairie, LA A bear traveling with Sterling and Reid Bros. Circus toppled out of a circus trailer and onto Interstate 10, stalling traffic for three hours while wary motorists contained the animal and waited for help. Bears