Search Exotic Incidents Database

Selkie, a 43-year-old gray seal, died. She had been treated for pain related to masses on her chest for months.

About 160 different species of reptiles were seized from a private property. The collection included a young American alligator, alligator snapping turtles, and a Texas horned lizard, which are all illegal in Oklahoma. There was also a 15-foot-long anaconda and 60-70 species of poisonous snakes. Law enforcement officials removed most of the animals from the property, and the animals’ owner faces four wildlife charges.

A baby ball python snake was stolen from Repxotica Rare Reptiles, then two days later returned by an “anonymous third party.”

Police officers found three tigers loose in a backyard that only had a 4-foot field fence to contain them, being watched by a 17-year-old. Eight monkeys, a skunk, a cougar, and a fox were also found on the property. Owner Trisha Meyer did not have the necessary permits to keep these animals, and was extradited to Harris County, Texas, where she faces charges for theft and endangering a child. The tigers were taken into protective custody.

A police officer helped catch an escaped Patagonian mara named Olivia, who was then reclaimed by her owner.

Kona, a 7-year-old chimpanzee, died after falling ill during an exam.

A 17-year-old cougar named Aurora was euthanized. She was suffering from kidney failure, degenerative joint disease, and senility.

A 5-year-old male Tasmanian devil named Sylar, on loan from Australia, died from bacterial pneumonia at the Albuquerque BioPark Zoo. He was lethargic and coughing the week prior, and a medical treatment plan was started. The necropsy also found that Sylar suffered from moderate heart disease and “reactive changes” in his liver and spleen as a result of the heart disease and pneumonia.

Macite, a 53-year-old Southern white rhino, died at the Audubon Zoo.

Finnegan, an 8-year-old moose who had recently returned to the NEW Zoo from Milwaukee, died.