Search Exotic Incidents Database

DETROIT, MI – The Detroit Zoo announced that Nguvu, a young male giraffe who joined the herd this spring, died after being seriously injured on Saturday during an interaction with the herd.

According to zoo officials, Nguvu “was seriously injured during an interaction between members of the herd in the giraffes’ outdoor habitat.”

Animal care staff responded immediately, and the vet team closely monitored his condition, but it continued to deteriorate and he was euthanized.

Nguvu joined the Detroit Zoo in May 2026 from the Hogle Zoo, based on recommendations by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Giraffe Species Survival Plan.

SYRACUSE, NY – “Daania,” a snow leopard at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo, has died.

The zoo announced Daania’s death in a Facebook post on Monday afternoon. The zoo said the female snow leopard was euthanized. The cat suffered from chronic kidney disease. According to the zoo, the disease is manageable, but it cannot cured.

It’s a common health concern is older cats, the zoo said.

JEFFERSONVILLE, KY – An alligator was found roaming early Sunday morning in Jeffersonville. According to the Jeffersonville Police Department, someone driving in the area found the alligator at 3 a.m. in the 300 block of Court Avenue.

Police said the 4-foot-long alligator had escaped and officers had dealt with the owner in the past. Officers secured the alligator and took them to the Kentuckiana Scaletuary.

No officers or the alligator were injured. Police said this was not the first time the alligator had escaped.

OLMSTED TOWNSHIP, OH – Olmsted Township Police have found an exotic cat that escaped their enclosure in the Woodgate Farms neighborhood Thursday afternoon.

Police said officers were sent to the area of Tuttle Road for reports of a loose animal described as a “wild cat.” It was later confirmed that the animal was a Savannah cat kept as a pet that escaped their owner. According to Olmsted Township Police, the cat entered a heavily populated residential development before going into a wooded area in Lorain County.

The owner, sheriff’s deputies and township officers worked together and found the cat in the woods. Police said multiple attempts were made to capture the animal using a snare, but were unsuccessful.

The animal was ultimately captured and returned to its owner for veterinary care, police said. An investigation is underway for the case, Olmsted Township Police said.

PLYMOUTH, MA – A missing pet in Plymouth, Massachusetts, is drawing attention; a 10-foot boa constrictor named Linguine. A Plymouth resident went to Facebook to seek help after their pet boa constrictor Linguine escaped from the home. They said they suspected the snake escaped into a nearby basement or utility area. The owner said the snake measures about 10 feet long and nearly 20 inches around.

APPLE VALLEY, MN – The Minnesota Zoo just announced that the new mother of three Canada lynx that were born earlier this year has recently died. According to the Minnesota Zoo, Torvi developed a “rare medical condition” shortly after the kittens were born. While efforts were made to improve her condition, the Minnesota Zoo said Torvi continued to worsen, and the decision was made to euthanize her due to her poor prognosis.

The zoo named the two females Freya and Ingrid and expects them to make their public debut later this summer. Their brother has since been transferred to another institution and will not appear at the Minnesota Zoo.

BLOOMFIELD, MO – A pet kangaroo named Roofus fled after being spooked by loud machinery, leaving his owners searching daily and asking locals to report sightings. According to his owners, a loud excavator scared him. In a panic, Roofus escaped his enclosure.

GREENVILLE, SC – A four-year-old Amur leopard named Irina has been captured after escaping her enclosure and was loose within the zoo grounds at the Greenville Zoo in South Carolina. City staff and Greenville Police responded. A perimeter was established according to zoo emergency protocols. Zoo staff and guests were evacuated to strategic locations as a precaution.

At approximately 9:20, Greenville Zoo emergency response teams were able to successfully tranquilize Irina. After a precautionary second injection, she was transported back to the secured leopard den.

AUBURN, IN – A 20-year-old alligator that disappeared in Indiana after slipping out of a cooler has been safely reunited with his owner after spending a month on the loose.

Mark Kolhorst runs Mark’s Ark, a business in Auburn, Indiana, that brings animal presentations to schools and other venues. On June 5, after a wildlife show in DeKalb County, he was unloading his vehicle when Irwin, his captive alligator, got loose.

Kolhorst said someone saw Irwin in a neighbor’s pond two days before the search ended, but he was unable to catch him then. Staff with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources later captured the reptile on July 5 and brought him back home.

During the roughly monthlong disappearance, Kolhorst said he was especially worried about Irwin’s safety after learning that a neighbor had reportedly threatened to shoot him.

OMAHA, NE – Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium announced the death of its 11-year-old cheetah.

Chafu was recently treated for a hiatal hernia. The zoo said he recovered from the hernia, but he did not regain his mobility.

“After exhausting all treatment options, our Animal Care and Animal Health experts made the incredibly difficult but compassionate decision to provide Chafu with a peaceful passing through humane euthanasia,” said the zoo.