Search Exotic Incidents Database

Brian Bunting and David Swick were arrested on charges of unlawfully possessing or capturing an alligator. Bunting posted a video on Facebook on April 3 of the two men capturing an alligator by hand. He said the gator was later released.

A 6 1/2 foot long red tail boa constrictor named Sheila escaped from her cage. Some neighbors threatened to kill the snake if they found her. Sheila was found December 6 near her owner’s house.

A boa constrictor escaped from a home and was on the loose for weeks. He was nearly hit by a car, and then recaptured by neighbors and police and returned to his owner.

An escaped venomous false water cobra was found by children on a residential driveway. Nearby men helped police capture the snake in a trash can, and he was then reunited with his owner.

A woman found a 3-foot python coiled around her shower curtain rail. Chicago Animal Care and Control officers removed the snake and brought it to the Chicago Herpetological Society. It was the fourth snake recently found in that apartment. A recent, former building tenant moved out after they were found to be breeding snakes, and more than a dozen dead snakes had been removed from his apartment.

A 6-foot-long boa constrictor was seen along a road and captured by police. The sheriff’s office believe the snake is an escaped pet. The snake was adopted by a UND football player.

A 2-foot alligator was found on I-465. The gator was injured, and before animal control arrived, he died. Indiana State Police believe he was someone’s pet who was thrown from a moving vehicle and abandoned.

A 4-foot alligator was found in an apartment complex garage. Animal control officers captured him and transferred him to the Kent County Animal Shelter. They believe he was a pet, which is illegal in Kent County.

A 7-year-old California sea lion named Marina died after appearing to have a seizure.

A 3-year-old Bornean orangutan named Bella was hurt after she got stuck, injuring her jaw and losing a couple of teeth. Zoo staff explained, “She got a little scared and started calling for her mother. And her mother, in an effort to rescue her, unfortunately caused a little bit of damage to her jaw.” Bella required surgery.