February 9, 1998 Lincolnton, NC A leopard attacked its trainer during a Royal Palace Circus show. Big Cats
February 1, 1998 Mentor, OH A circus elephant panicked at a high school, ran off for a quarter mile, and damaged a police car. Elephants
January 29, 1998 Plymouth, CT A man was seriously bitten by his 5-ft-long “pet” iguana. The man’s finger was gnawed to the bone. Reptiles
January 24, 1998 Jacksonville, FL Charges leveled by the USDA states a 3.5 year old baby elephant named Kenny died after being forced to perform two shows in one day while ill. The case was settled by agreement and Ringling Bros paid $20,000 to close a USDA investigation. Elephants
January 9, 1998 Chillicothe, OH The “owner” of a 12-ft-long, 95-lb python was charged with harboring a dangerous animal after several complaints had been previously filed. The “owner” left the python, Gidget, soaking in a bathtub in an upstairs apartment. Gidget brushed against the faucet and turned the water on. The tub overflowed and the downstairs neighbor called police. Reptiles
January 7, 1998 St. Petersburg, FL A tiger with Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus grabbed the trainer by the head and dragged him around the ring, inflicting severe head injuries. As paramedics tried to stablize the victim, his brother shot the tiger in its cage. Big Cats
September 24, 1997 Everett, WA A 3-ft-long king cobra bit his owner two times. The man was airlifted to a hospital and treated with antivenom medication. Animal Control officers later confiscated the snake. Venomous snake ownership is illegal in Everett, WA. Reptiles
December 28, 1997 San Angelo, TX A “pet” capuchin monkey bit the neck of a 19-year-old man who was a neighbor. Primates
December 15, 1997 Charlotte County, FL A baboon at the Octagon Wildlife Sanctuary grabbed a 6-year-old girl, inflicting minor injuries. Primates
December 11, 1997 Sarasota, FL A lioness at the Kissimmee Zoo escaped while handlers fixed her cage. She was recaptured after spending two days in a swamp near the zoo. Big Cats