August 29, 2016 Scottsdale, AZ Firefighters captured a 7-foot red tail boa constrictor in a residential neighborhood. He was given to the Phoenix Herpetological Society. This was the third snake call at that location that they responded to within a month, and a local dentist later came forward to claim them, saying they had escaped from his office. Reptiles
August 29, 2016 Penn Hills, PA The Penn Hills Volunteer Fire Company responded to a call about a 4-foot alligator in someone’s backyard, eventually capturing the reptile and taping his jaws shut. Officials believe the animal either escaped or his owner wasn’t able to care for him. They are trying to place the gator with a zoo. Reptiles
August 28, 2016 Plato, MN An 8-foot-long snake was captured by the Sheriff’s Office in Buffalo Creek Park. He will be put up for adoption if not claimed by his owner. Reptiles
August 28, 2016 Salem, MA Police captured a boa constrictor in a backyard and turned it over to animal control. Officials believe the snake was a pet. Reptiles
August 27, 2016 Brookfield, IL An 83-year-old Major Mitchell’s cockatoo named Cookie died. He was euthanized after an abrupt decline in his health. Other
August 25, 2016 San Jose, CA A probe into a Vientamese crime ring resulted in the discovery of cash, drugs, weapons, gambling machines and an alligator, which was retrieved by Animal Control officers. Reptiles
August 25, 2016 Ferriday, LA Workers spotted a female nilgai on a levee in the central part of the Richard K. Yancey Wildlife Management Area. It was shot by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, and blood and tissue samples were analyzed to ensure the animal was not carrying any diseases potentially harmful to the state’s deer herd. Other
August 25, 2016 Miami, FL Bonnie, a 31-year-old orangutan, died after emergency surgery to remove a full-term, nonviable fetus. Primates
August 24, 2016 Needville, TX A 10-foot-long king cobra escaped from the property of a man who owns 28 snakes. His home is less than a mile from a junior high and high school. King cobras can reach lengths of 18 feet and are considered among the most venomous snakes on the planet. The snakes are aggressive when cornered. The snake was recaptured after game wardens searched the area for several hours. Reptiles