November 5, 1999 Des Moines, IA A “pet” rhesus monkey, Nicky, was found running around a neighborhood. Animal Control recaptured the monkey and quarantined him. Shortly after blood samples were taken from Nicky, he bit the handler. Primates
November 1, 1999 Los Angeles, CA A koala climbed out of its yard at the Los Angeles Zoo and was found a few minutes later in a nearby tree. A keeper coaxed the koala out of the tree and carried it back to the exhibit. Bears
November 1, 1999 Hammond, LA A 6-ft-long Burmese python escaped after its possessor forgot to latch its cage. A 9-year-old boy found the python several days later under a car. No one injuries were reported and the python was returned to its “owner.” Reptiles
October 30, 1999 Buffalo, NY A clouded leopard at the Buffalo Zoo bit and clawed a seasonal zookeeper who entered the cat’s cage. Big Cats
October 20, 1999 Hernando, FL A 6-year-old girl was attacked by a “pet” cougar while playing outside a friend’s house. The cougar was on an 8-ft chain leash bolted to the floor when he attacked the girl. The girl required 12 stitches. Big Cats
October 4, 1999 Evansville, IN A lion at the Mesker Park Zoo mauled a zookeeper, causing severe injury to the keeper’s right arm. The keeper was attempting to move the lion to an outdoor exhibit when the attack occurred. Big Cats
September 30, 1999 Dallas, TX An elephant walked out of her performance at the Texas State Fair and into an intersection filled with spectators, causing a traffic jam. Elephants
September 22, 1999 Tarpon Springs, FL A “pet” wallaby was on the run after escaping from her pen. Other
August 30, 1999 Northern New Jersey, NJ A man’s 4-year-old daughter found him slumped at the bottom of a stairwell, unconscious and foaming at the mouth, after he was bitten by his snake. Reptiles