Search Exotic Incidents Database

A rhesus macaque being kept as a “pet” escaped its cage and bit a 14-year-old-girl severely enough that she was admitted to the hospital. The monkey now resides at the API (now Born Free USA) Primate Sanctuary in Texas.

A 14-year-old Sumatran tiger, Enshala, was shot and killed after she slipped through an open door and into an enclosure construction area at the Lowry Park Zoo after a zookeeper left the door latch unlocked. The zookeeper was subsequently fired and possibly faced criminal charge for unsafe behavior.

A 7-year-old boy was bitten on the hand while petting a dolphin at Sea World’s Dolphin Cove. Two adults pried open the dolphin’s mouth to free the boy, who sustained minor bruising injuries. This was Sea World’s second dolphin bite incident in three weeks.

A 3-year-old girl was attacked by a neighbor’s escaped “pet” monkey as her grandmother buckled her into a car seat. The child was rushed to Emergency where stitches were required to close the wounds to her face.

A bobcat was killed by a cougar after wandering into the cougar cage when a zookeeper forgot to lock the door between the cages at the Irvine Park Zoo.

An 11-year-old girl was attacked by relatives’ 200-lb “pet” deer. The girl suffered cuts and bruises to her skull and jaw before her father was able to stop the attack.

A “pet” monkey was missing after being left at a campsite.

Pita, a 7-year-old spider monkey at the Gladys Porter Zoo, escaped from her holding area for around two hours during her annual physical, but was captured before making it outside the zoo grounds.

A man discovered an African rock python in the middle of a street. It was presumed that the snake was an escaped “pet.”

A truck containing penguins, exotic fish, and an octopus overturned while transporting animals from the Indianapolis Zoo to the Galveston Zoo. Four penguins and some fish were killed, and one penguin injured.