Search Exotic Incidents Database

The cast and crew of the movie musical, Rock of Ages, were put on alert when the baboon being used on the set dashed off during a crowd scene and could not be found. A set-wide alert went out letting everyone know how dangerous a baboon can be. The baboon was later lured into his trainer with Mexican paella.

A “serpent-handling” West Virginia pastor died after his rattlesnake bit him during a church service. Pastor Mack Wolford believed Christians should handle snakes to test their faith. He also saw his father die of a snakebite when he was a teenager. Snake-handling is legal in West Virginia.

Police were called to an apartment where dead exotic animals were found. Police found five dead exotic aimals packed in plastic garbage bags along with several other animal bodies on the second floor. The apartment was filled with trash and animal feces; they also found evidence that some animals tried to burrow through a wall into the next apartment.

Police had previously responded to animal complaints to this particular apartment before due to the man owning over 70 animals. He owned 5 dogs, 7 cats, 30 ferrets, 4 chinchillas, 1 red-tailed boa constrictor, 2 ball pythons, a carpet python, 2 iguanas, 1 armadillo lizard, 2 bearded dragons, 1 macaw, 2 prairie dogs, 2 squirrels, 1 red-footed tortoise, 1 leopard tortoise, 1 gecko, 1 tegu, 1 chameleon, and 2 hedgehogs. The species of the dead animals were not specified.

A 3-foot long snake (species unknown), brown with tan markings, was found in downtown Portland. The snake is not native to Portland and is believed to be someone’s pet that escaped or was dumped. Animal control took custody of the snake.

Authorities seized almost a dozen wild animals from an animal sanctuary, including 4 tigers, a lion, a mountain lion and a bobcat, from Great Cats of Indiana. Two additional hybrid wolves at the property were seized by Animal Control. The seizures were due to violations stemming from complaints that the facility was breaking state laws regulating the enclosures and other animal health and care requirements.

In October 2010, the facility had to shoot two tigers who got loose from their cage but were still inside the property’s perimeter enclosure.

Bloomfield Police Department received a call from a school official that a 6-foot red-tailed boa constrictor had gotten loose from its pen in the science department. The snake’s pen and the door to the school had been left open and the whereabouts of the snake was unknown.

A monkey being flown from New York to China for medical research escaped its crate in the cargo hold of Air China delaying the flight for 4 hours. The monkey was later caught and handed over to the airline.

The owner of an illegal 6-7 feet long boa constrictor surrendered his pet snake to Hawaii authorities under the state’s amnesty program.

Police made an unexpected discovery when they served a search warrant. In addition to finding 9 pounds of marijuana, police discovered two 4-foot long alligators in a home-made pond in the basement of the residence. Officers arrested Levon McCants on charges of drug trafficking, drug possession and possession of exotic animals.

A pilot whale named Sully died at SeaWorld San Diego. Although SeaWorld has not yet given the official cause of death, it was reported earlier that Sully began having issues with sunburn, a common concern for marine mammals in captivity.