January 21, 2017 Buffalo, NY A woman was bitten by her 2-foot-long pet ball python (named RuPaul) as she tried to give him a bath. It took a while for law enforcement officials to dislodge the snake’s mouth from her hand. Both the woman and the snake recovered. Reptiles
January 21, 2017 Lodi, NJ A father and son got into an argument over the purchase of a baby albino corn snake from NJ Exotic Pets. One of the males threw the reptile to the ground, stepped on its head, and killed it, according to a police report. Reptiles
January 20, 2017 Norfolk, VA Alfred, a 49-year-old white rhinoceros, was euthanized due to age-related issues. He had undergone hydrotherapy and received pain medications and antibiotics for osteoarthritis. Other
January 19, 2017 Indianapolis, IN A two-foot pet alligator was taken into custody by animal control officers after his owner was arrested on an unrelated warrant. Reptiles
January 19, 2017 Brandywine Hundred, DE Freddie Mercury, a 4-year-old macaw, escaped from his owner’s house and eluded capture for over a week. He was captured by two police officers, one of whom was bitten as he grabbed the bird. Other
January 18, 2017 Miami, FL Josephine, a 49-year-old gorilla, was euthanized after suffering from several health issues that slowly incapacitated her. She is the grandmother of Harambe, the gorilla who was infamously shot at the Cincinnati Zoo in May, 2016. Primates
January 17, 2017 Columbus, OH Colo, a 60-year-old female gorilla, died in her sleep. A malignant tumor was removed from under her arm on December 3, 2016. Primates
January 17, 2017 Oklahoma City, OK Moe, a 30-year-old California sea lion, died of age-related health conditions. Marine
January 15, 2017 Sumpter Township, MI A resident photographed a large cat on his property, and police, in consultation with a local exotic animal expert, said the feline was possibly a cougar. The expert said that the cat may have been illegally owned by a resident in the area and escaped. Big Cats