August 2, 2006 Apple Valley, MN A 9-year-old girl was bitten when she ignored warning signs, climbed over a barrier, and reached down into an enclosure in an attempt to pet meerkats at the Minnesota Zoo. The zoo was forced to euthanize the entire family of five meerkats to test them for rabies. The meerkats tested negative for rabies. Other
August 2, 2006 Oralndo, FL A 6-year old Georgia boy was bitten by a dolphin at SeaWorld Orlando’s dolphin-petting attraction, Dolphin Cove. Marine
July 31, 2006 Los Angeles, CA Paris Hilton received treatment in a hospital emergency room after she was bitten on the arm by her illegal “pet” kinkajou, Baby Luv. Other
July 29, 2006 Wallkill, CA A capuchin monkey named Gucci escaped from a small circus at the annual Orange County Fair and was spotted perched on a roadside guardrail. Monkey was still at large and the public was urged not to attempt to capture the monkey themselves. Primates
July 21, 2006 Hohenwald, TN Winkie, a 40 year old female Asian elephant and a resident of the The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald killed one handler and injured another. Winkie had hurt handlers in a previous residence. Elephants
July 18, 2006 Brevard, NC A 3-ft-long adult caiman was found in the French Broad River. The caiman was suspected to be an abandoned “pet.” Reptiles
July 18, 2006 Ballston Spa, NY A white tiger named Calcutta slashed the head of a 4-year-old boy at the Saratoga County Fair as the child posed for a photo holding a baby kangaroo at an exotic animal photo exhibit presented by Ashville Game Farm. The exhibit was continued, with minor adjustments (an additional barrier was installed and the photo bench moved farther from the cage). Calcutta was one of two tigers on display in the sweltering summer heat. The Saratoga County Fair also routinely featured a performing bear show. Big Cats
July 17, 2006 Portland, OR A toddler attacked by a free-ranging peacock at the Oregon Zoo suffered scratches to one shoulder and welts on both arms. Other
July 17, 2006 Ketchum, ID A 12-foot Burmese python named Houdini swallowed a queen-size electric blanket, along with the electrical cord and control box, that was wrapped around his cage for warmth. He had surgery to remove the blanket, and survived. Reptiles
July 16, 2006 Westmoreland County, PA A woman was mauled to death by her ‘pet” wolf-hybrid. She was found in the animal’s pen. Other