January 8, 2016 Portland, OR A man stole a 2-foot-long black pastel ball python from a pet store by stuffing it down his pants. The snake was brought back to the store five days later in a bucket, unharmed. The man who returned the snake said he bought the python from another man, but returned it to the store after seeing news coverage about the theft. Reptiles
January 1, 2016 Granbury, TX Police officers found the zebra roaming just south of Granbury. They caught it once, but it escaped and then they caught it again. The animal was unharmed, and its owner contacted the sheriff’s office to pick it up. Other
December 31, 2015 Oklahoma City, OK Keepers reported that Bamboo, a 49-year-old female elephant transferred from Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo, sustained a tail wound. Keepers believe it is from a bite from another elephant in her enclosure. They have had multiple aggressive incidents. Elephants
December 30, 2015 Brandenton, FL A man out running spotted a 70 lb red-tailed boa constrictor and notified park rangers. The snake was captured. Reptiles
December 26, 2015 Fresno, CA A 7-month-old male warthog named Kito died of liver failure. It was determined that his liver was poisoned by a plant toxin, but the source – whether it was in food or in a plant eaten inside the warthog enclosure – is not known, according to zoo officials. Other
December 25, 2015 Montgomery, AL Willie, a 12-year-old reticulated giraffe at the Montgomery Zoo, died due to a knotted rope inside his intestines which led to an intestinal blockage and then aspiration pneumonia. Officials believe the rope was mixed in with hay that the giraffe ate. Other
December 22, 2015 San Antonio, TX An 18-year old orca died at SeaWorld San Antonio, the third to die at the Texas park in 6 months. Marine
December 15, 2015 Estero, FL A pet 6-foot-6-inch red-tailed albino boa constrictor escaped, and the owner posted a request for help on Craigslist instead of bringing it to the attention of law enforcement. Red-tailed boas are not regulated in Florida. Reptiles
December 10, 2015 Franklin County, FL Neighbors reported seeing a loose monkey, believed to be a macaque, in their neighborhood and alerted officials. Primates
December 10, 2015 Fairfield, ME A woman called police after finding a python slithering through her apartment. After the snake was taken away, a neighbor came forward to claim the snake, who had escaped presumably through the ceiling. Reptiles