Search Exotic Incidents Database

Bob, a 25-year-old African spurred tortoise, was recovering from being slashed and stabbed after being stolen from the home of an autistic boy. The brutalized turtle was dumped behind brush in a nearby apartment complex. An anonymous caller told the family where to find him. Bob was recovering at Turtle Dreams, a Montecito rehab center. An 18-year-old man was arrested and booked at the Ventura County jail.

Two sisters who reported that someone had killed their two bear cubs became the subject of an investigation. Cruelty charges were brought against one of two sisters who were caring for animals at a local animal sanctuary. The remaining animals were turned over to Stump Hill Farm and included a “pet” lion named Brutus, a goat, and five puppies. See also 07/17/07.

A large cat, either a bobcat or a lynx, was spotted by a passerby in a minivan at a local auto auction. The passerby called Guilford County Animal Control because the animal was exposed to severe heat being locked in the van. The van’s owner received a $50 citation and his sister, the possessor of the cat, might also have been cited. Authorities were checking on the legality of owning an exotic cat in the woman’s hometown in Georgia.

Otis, a “pet” squirrel monkey, was turned over to a local veterinarian after his fugitive “owner” was arrested and booked into Whatcom County Jail on two warrants.

Two bear cubs were found dead and their possessors believed someone may have killed them. The local police chief inspected their facility and said that there were feces everywhere and he believed the cubs may have died from dehydration. An investigation continued.

A 15-ft-long python was captured in a residential neighborhood. The trapper who caught the snake arranged to have him transported to Native Village, a small private zoo in Hollywood, Florida.

A baby kangaroo in a diaper was found safe over the weekend, two hours after being reported missing from an exotic animal farm, according to the Sheriff’s Department.

A 3-ft-long alligator was taken to his new home at an exotic animal education facility in Petaluma. The alligator was sighted and captured in a neighbor’s front yard.

A zookeeper at the San Antonio Zoo was attacked and critically injured by a 5-year-old Sumatran tiger, Berani. Several zoo visitors witnessed the attack. A spokesperson for the zoo asserted that nothing would be done to Berani.

A 1-year-old red panda, Yin, escaped from her enclosure at the Virginia Zoo for the second time in under a month. Yin was found in a tree not far from her exhibit. Zookeepers climbed the tree to coax her down. Yin was placed in a holding facility until keepers could determine and remedy additional escape routes.