Search Exotic Incidents Database

Zeke, a 4-year-old Grant’s zebra, chased a 32-year-old white rhino into a moat, where she died. An examination found that the rhino had drowned.

A 5-year-old boy was bitten by his family’s “pet” wolf. The boy survived attack but wolf was killed.

Passengers waiting for the subway saw a 10-ft-long snake curled up on the tracks. The snake was later run-over by the train.

A serval escaped from home and was subsequently recaptured by Animal Control.

An albino wallaby who had eluded searchers for three days was found dead, apparently killed by a car. The wallaby escaped from a menagerie of exotic animals kept on an estate.

A horse with Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus was killed shortly after being unloaded from the train in which the animals traveled. The horse was struck by a charging stallion while standing beside the train while the other horses were unloaded. Velasquez, a 14-year-old palomino who usually leads an unreined horse act, died a short time later. The show opened as scheduled.

A resident reported that he came face-to-face with a cougar near his home. Animal Control said the cougar could be someone’s “pet” that escaped.

Ivan, a Category 3 cyclone, freed an Asian fallow deer and several does from the zoo. Zoo employees with tranquilizer guns spent the following day tracking the animals in waist-high floodwater, finally recapturing them.

A cougar was spotted in a suburban neighborhood. It was suspected that the cougar escaped from some type of captive situation.

The master keeper at the Lincoln Park Zoo was in serious condition with multiple bite wounds and lacerations after being attacked by lions in an outdoor yard. Zoo officials found three agitated lions standing near the injured experienced trainer, who was lying in a moat inside the lion exhibit. Keeper was able to climb out of the moat on a ladder under her own power. Zoo was evacuated for 15 minutes and the lions were coaxed into a secure area.