Search Exotic Incidents Database

COLUMBIA, SC – An exotic pet that managed to make an unexpected escape has been returned to her owner. Kevin Meyers, supervisor of Columbia/Boone County Animal Control, said an African spurred tortoise was claimed by her owner a day after she was taken in by his department.

Last week, animal control officer Jimmy Salings posted a picture of the animal inside the animal control office and said she was found in the area of Route Z and Enterprise Drive. The owner had photographic proof the tortoise was his and explained his male tortoise made a hole in a fence big enough that his new tortoise escaped from. The owner had just adopted her the weekend before she got out.

MONTREAL, CANADA – A runaway kangaroo was spotted meandering through the Montreal area after escaping potentially unlawful captivity. The red kangaroo was seen hopping in open fields in the Montreal suburb of Boucherville.

The Galahad SPCA said on social media that, based on preliminary information, the kangaroo appears to have escaped from where they were being kept on June 12. Quebec’s Environment Ministry stated it believes the animal “was being kept illegally in facilities that did not comply with Quebec regulations.”

Footage of the kangaroo loose in the Quebec field shows the marsupial’s body poking out above tall grass. On June 15, the kangaroo was spotted in the same field, and on June 16, the animal was captured. The Ministry confirms that the animal is now awake, in good health, and has arrived safely at the Granby Zoo. The animal’s new home is located in Granby, Quebec.

SANFORD, FL – The Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens announced the loss of Willow, a female sloth receiving behind-the-scenes care, marking the fifth death among animals undergoing rehabilitation after being rescued from a troubled Orlando attraction, “Sloth World”.

Zoo officials said Willow’s health had steadily declined in recent weeks despite daily monitoring and treatment from Animal Care, Nutrition, and Veterinary teams. After consulting with experts and conducting a comprehensive quality-of-life assessment, the staff made the difficult decision to euthanize her.

Her death is the latest in a series of losses tied to the rescue effort. Prior to Willow, four other sloths under or shortly after transfer into care — Bandit, Habanero, Dumpling, and a baby sloth named Mr. Ginger — died as a result of severe health complications. These recent deaths bring the total number of deaths connected to the Sloth World operation to at least 57.

PORTLAND, OR – A member of the Oregon Zoo family has died, staff said on Tuesday, announcing the passing of Kya – the oldest member of its African lion pride.

Kya was 18 years old. Kya was born at Wisconsin’s Racine Zoo in 2007 and came to Portland two years later when the Oregon Zoo opened its Predators of the Serengeti area.

Her passing comes two months after the death of Zawadi Mungu, another 18-year-old lion at the zoo. She was considered “geriatric” for her species in captivity.

STRAWN, TX – The escaped giraffe-turned-national sensation finally returned to Cedar Hollow Ranch on Monday, two weeks after she first made headlines for fleeing her enclosure and subsequently evading authorities for some time. After Gracie was spotted on Friday, June 26, on a nearby property, the quest to retrieve her and bring her home began on Monday, June 29.

Spearheading the operation was Dr. Pat O’Neill, the owner of Pedernales Veterinary Center in Fredericksburg, Texas, who was also involved in Gracie’s initial transport to Cedar Hollow Ranch months earlier. First, Gracie was “remotely darted” from a helicopter, and sedation kicked in about three minutes afterward. Her rescue team ensured she fell in a “safe, good spot,” from where they were able to transfer her to a trailer. Gracie was restrained and blindfolded for the duration of her journey home.

The entire process of getting Gracie home safely took roughly seven hours, O’Neill added. He credited the successful mission to “a lot of prayers and a lot of good luck.” Now, Gracie is back home with her friend, a 12-year-old giraffe named Atlas, said Vick Jones, who owns Cedar Hollow Ranch. He told the San Antonio Express-News that Gracie is more or less in a time-out — at least until Jones can build a fence tall enough to hold her.

MARSHFIELD, WI – Employees at Marshfield’s Wildwood Zoo are asking for the public’s help to locate a striped skunk after she escaped from her habitat this week.

Employees believe a combination of heavy snow and rain may have washed out some of Violet’s habitat, creating an opening for her to escape.

RICHMOND, KY – A kangaroo’s owner reported that their pet kangaroo had escaped from a property in Richmond’s Battlefield Subdivision, and Kentucky State Police later said the marsupial was spotted in the city’s Gibson Bay area.

Richmond Animal Control and state fish and wildlife officials took part in the search. The red kangaroo was ultimately returned home unharmed.

VANCOUVER, CANADA – Police in Vancouver, British Columbia, responded to a home where residents had spotted an unusual animal under their porch: an African serval.

The Vancouver Police Department said that officers were called Sunday night to an East Vancouver home on a report of a large animal under the porch. The serval was later returned to their owner.

A law banning ownership of exotic cats in British Columbia went into effect on May 1, but animals owned prior to the new rule going into effect were exempted. The owners of servals, caracals, ocelots and other exotic cats have until May 1, 2027, to apply for a permit allowing them to keep the pets for the rest of the animals’ lives.

ROCHESTER, NY – The Seneca Park Zoo evacuated guests from the premises after a tree fell on a baboon habitat on Monday. According to zoo officials, a tree limb fell and damaged a portion of the protective netting above the habitat at 1 p.m.

A zoo visitor explained that the tree limb fell as they were underneath the roof of the habitat, taking pictures and videos of the baboons. She said there were four others also at the baboon exhibit at the time, including an infant. She added that all of them were rushed away from the chaos by zoo staff.

When hurrying away from the exhibit, she recalled seeing RPD officers step in to assist with the incident. “We saw the police and they had a tranquilizer gun,” McGavisk said. “They were running frantically and had bags of grapes. It was really crazy.” In response, the zoo proceeded with emergency safety protocols out of an abundance of caution, including a hold-in-place order for the north side of the zoo and evacuation for the rest of the zoo.

The remaining guests were evacuated soon after. Zoo officials and staff are continuing to assess the situation and confirm that no animals were outside of their habitats. The Zoo closed for the remainder of Monday.

ST. LOUIS, MO – A longtime resident of the Saint Louis Zoo died last week. Zoo officials announced Monday that Merah, a Sumatran orangutan, was euthanized on June 3 due to failing health and quality of life concerns. She was 57.

Born in a Netherlands zoo, Merah came to Saint Louis Zoo in 1992 from Miami Metro Zoo. She spent the next 34 years as a resident of the Fragile Forest exhibit. Merah was the second-oldest Sumatran orangutan in North America.

She was a mother of five, grandmother of two, and great-grandmother of one, including Sugriwa, Ginger, and Rubih, who were born at the Saint Louis Zoo.