Search Exotic Incidents Database

Dorothy, a 58-year-old Cuban crocodile at the National Zoo, suffered a hole in her jaw from a fight with another crocodile named Blanche. Veterinarians performed surgery to fix it.

Officers responded to a report of a large snake attacking a poodle. Tenants told deputies that they heard their dog yelp and found a ball python coiled around the dog, biting its ear. The tenant then threw the snake out of the apartment. It was found on a nearby patio in July, and was turned over to Wildlife of Wisconsin.

A ball python named Jake was stolen from the Noccalula Falls Park petting zoo. The snake was returned to the park and police are investigating.

An 8-year-old boy was bitten by an exotic pet snake while on vacation. The family came across a man allowing people to hold or pet a nearly 5-foot-long Colombian red tail boa constrictor. The boy attempted to pet the snake, who bit him on the forearm. The snake was not venomous, and the owner will not face charges.

Emergency crews encountered a pet alligator while responding to a medical call. Animal Control Services took the alligator into custody.

A 7-month-old black bear cub named Joanie escaped her enclosure by climbing a 14-foot fence and avoiding an electric “hot wire.” The zoo went on lockdown, tranquilized the cub, and returned her to the enclosure 15 minutes later.

Travis the giraffe died from an acute and untreatable urinary condition.

Officials were tipped off to a pet alligator via email. The 6-year-old, 4-foot-long gator, named Boots, was then voluntarily surrendered by his owner. It is illegal to keep a pet alligator in Washington, but the owner said he didn’t know he was breaking the law and he will not be facing charges.

A woman reported seeing a 10-foot snake at a park, and police also saw it a few days later. No snake that large is native to Maine, so it likely an escaped or abandoned pet. It has evaded capture.

Police received a report that a man was keeping an alligator in his backyard, and then released the gator over the fence. The gator has not been located.

Keeping an alligator is illegal in Washington.