February 9, 2004 Pequea, PA A 17-year-old boy suffered a bite from his highly venomous West African bush viper and might lose his finger. No antivenin existed for this type of “pet.” Reptiles
February 7, 2004 Yemassee, SC A woman ran into a “pet” hippopotamus with her car and killed the animal. The hippo had escaped from his home earlier in the day. Other
February 5, 2004 St. Louis, MO A 200-pound bear attacked a St. Louis Zoo employee during a routine transfer from an indoor pen to outdoor space. The 6-year-old Rimba, a male Malayan sun bear captured as a baby, bit the zookeeper’s arms and legs. The keeper shoved Rimba away and made his way out of the pen. The keeper was treated for cuts and puncture wounds, and was expected to recover. Bears
February 2, 2004 San Diego, CA A poisonous snake bit a zookeeper’s hand while the handler wass cleaning the reptile house at the San Diego Zoo. The reptile handler was taken to a nearby hospital. The Brazilian lancehead pit viper apparently did not release any venom. Reptiles
January 31, 2004 Dillsboro, IN Ten wolves escaped from the Red Wolf Sanctuary and Raptor Rehabilitation Center, prompting state officials to order it closed to the public until improvements were made. The wolves broke free from their 3-acre pen. Two died, while the rest were recaptured. Other
January 24, 2004 Fort Wayne, IN While driving his 4-year-old 140-lb lion home from a veterinarian appointment a man crashed his car into a ditch. The lion was not secured in a cage and escaped. The lion was found four hours later hiding in the bushes. Animal Control tried unsuccessfully to humanely dart the lion and had to shoot and kill him. Big Cats
January 19, 2004 Los Angeles, CA Gracie, a 17-year-old, 80-pound chimpanzee, escaped from her enclosure at the Los Angeles Zoo and roamed freely for 45 minutes, forcing closure of the zoo and evacuation of some 9,000 visitors. It was Gracie’s fourth escape since the chimpanzee habitat opened in 1998. Zookeepers cornered Gracie and fired a tranquilizer dart, but that only grazed her. She returned to the exhibit on her own a short time later. Gracie was involved in a previous incident of 08/02/98. Primates
January 9, 2004 Surry County, NC A 14-year-old girl was mauled by her father’s “pet” tiger while she was inside the cage taking pictures. Her father owned four tigers and after the incident shot and killed all four. Big Cats
January 8, 2004 Denver, CO A gorilla named Evelyn escaped from her enclosure and was tranquilized about 45 minutes later. Evelyn never left the Great Apes building, and officials at the time said the public was never in danger. Primates
January 3, 2004 Battle Creek, MI Three Mexican gray wolves escaped from their exhibit at the Binder Park Zoo by slipping through small hole they created in the chain-link fence around the exhibit. Two of the wolves were quickly recaptured but the third, named Apache, scaled the zoo’s 9-foot-high perimeter fence. Apache was found dead two months later, apparently hit and killed by a train. Other