Search Exotic Incidents Database

Leroy, a 19-year-old North American river otter, died at the zoo.

A bald eagle that was used in the Dodger Stadium pregame show escaped his handler and flew out of the park. He was recaptured outside the park and brought back to the LA Zoo.

A 30-year-old bald eagle named Buddy died of an infection after her talon went through her previously disabled wing. She had been receiving treatment for a week.

A 7-year-old orangutan named Kali escaped from her enclosure at the Kansas City Zoo. The zoo issued a ‘code red’ after going on lockdown when patrons saw Kali on the outdoor wall of the enclosure. She was located and returned to the exhibit within 30 minutes.

Police captured a foot-long caiman by the side of the road after it was spotted by a woman walking her dog. Animal Control captured the reptile and it was transported to a facility in Dracut specializing in reptile rehabilitation for evaluation and care. Police speculated that the reptile was a pet that someone abandoned when they could no longer care for it. Caimans are illegal to keep as pets in Massachusetts.

The police investigated a complaint against Mark Valdez alleging that he possessed more wolf hybrids than were originally grandfathered in for him when an exotic pet ordinance went into effect in 2015. They found a wolf hybrid pup, and he was given two citations for housing and breeding exotic animals.

A 7-year-old male Bactrian camel named Nikolai died suddenly from an acute gastrointestinal disease.

An orangutan named Luna got loose at Tampa Bay’s Busch Gardens amusement park. The primate was tranquilized with a dart and returned to her enclosure, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

A 3-4 foot ball python was captured on a Maui coffee farm. Ball pythons are not indigenous to Hawaii, and was likely part of the pet trade. Snakes have no natural predators in Hawaii and pose a serious threat to Hawaii’s environment. The snake was euthanized due to the condition it was found in.

Firefighters battling a blaze encountered an alligator in a bathtub. The alligator is being held at a reptile shop while the owner looks for a place to stay. Twelve snakes, including Western hog noses and ball pythons, also survived the fire, but many other reptiles perished.