December 18, 2016 Cape Coral, FL A Savannah cat named Tamsyn went missing from a private home. Small Cats
December 17, 2016 Columbia, SC Petunia, a 44-year-old African elephant, died after a sudden illness. She was euthanized after staff found her unable to stand. Elephants
December 14, 2016 Sarasota, FL A Florida police sergeant was called to a resident’s front yard to capture an alligator. The alligator’s snout was taped shut and it had been tagged by a trapper. Investigators determined the reptile had recently been stolen when someone broke into the trapper’s trailer. Reptiles
December 13, 2016 Columbus, OH Agents with the Ohio Department of Agriculture took 6 large pythons out of a store named Captive Born Reptiles. They also seized 5 venomous snakes from shop owner Terry Wilkins’ home. The raid is part of an investigation that began after a video was made at Tutor Time Child Care of kids playing with Wilkins’ alligator and python. He will face a misdemeanor charge for each animal he owned that was not registered with the state. Reptiles
December 13, 2016 Miami, FL A male Sumatran tiger named Berani bit off the tip of a zookeeper’s finger when the keeper broke protocol and fed the animal through the bars of his holding area. Big Cats
December 13, 2016 Columbus, OH A 3-foot yellow anaconda named Beaky was stolen from a pet store called Grove City Reptiles. The snake was returned to the store anonymously the next day. Reptiles
December 12, 2016 Milwaukee, WI Femelle, a western lowland gorilla who was thought to be 54 years old, died of unknown causes. Primates
December 12, 2016 Rochester, NY Sunny, a 6-month-old sea lion pup, died unexpectedly of undetermined causes. She was found at the bottom of her pool. This is the third sea lion death at the zoo in four months. Marine
December 11, 2016 South Miami-Dade, FL Police found a baby ball python in a backyard. The snake’s mouth was sewn closed. They took the snake to a local reptile rescue group and removed the thread, which had caused a fungal infection. Reptiles