Search Exotic Incidents Database

A 3-year-old boy sustained a severe bite on his wrist by a “pet” lemur. He was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. The boy’s family refused to disclose where they obtained the lemur but admitted they were intending to start a “petting zoo.”

A “pet” spider monkey escaped from his possessor’s new residence and attacked and bit three people. The monkey was placed under a “dangerous animal” quarantine at Spokeanimal while an investigation was completed. See follow-up on 03/13/08.

Dayton Police and U.S. Marshals found two alligators in a Norvell Court house but didn’t find the 20-year-old man who was wanted on a probation violation. The alligators were turned over to an animal rescue operation.

One of two Arctic foxes escaped from the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. The fox, named Scout, was spotted by local residents about three hours after zookeepers discovered him missing. He was subsequently captured by zookeepers and returned to the zoo unharmed. Zoo officials suspected he had squeezed through the fence posts of the red wolf enclosure, where he had been left overnight because of previous escape attempts.

A state warden took possession of a 2- to 3-year-old American alligator living in a terrarium in a local resident’s home. The possessor was issued a summons for keeping wildlife in captivity and importing/receiving wildlife without a permit. The alligator was turned over to an animal rescue facility in Winslow.

Berani, an 8-year-old, 245-pound Sumatran tiger, escaped his exhibit into an unsecured holding area at the Honolulu Zoo, when staff failed to properly latch a gate to his enclosure.

A roadside zoo called Guha’s Tiger & Lion Farm lost one of its big cats, a black leopard, when he escaped from his enclosure and attacked the possessor’s dog. The leopard was shot by Ontario Provincial Police and, due to her extensive injuries, the dog was later shot as well.

Three exotic cats, including a mountain lion, African lion, and tiger found in the backyard of a home in Winfield were confiscated and turned over to an exotic animal shelter. A humane society investigator was on a call about a cruelty case involving a monkey when the cats were discovered.

A 300-pound, 3-year-old Malayan tiger named Mata bit the finger of a zookeeper at the Palm Beach Zoo. The zookeeper was rewarding Mata with a treat at the time. Florida Fish and Wildlife investigators believed the keeper deviated from protocol by using her fingers to extend the treat instead of holding her palm flat with the treat on it. Though the keeper did not lose part of her finger, a surgeon was called to repair the damage.

A 4-ft-long iguana named Godzilla escaped from her possessor’s home when someone opened the front door and she fled.