Search Exotic Incidents Database

Two 12-year-old boys discovered and captured a 3-foot-long ball python near an elementary school. The snake was in shallow water by a drain line, and nearby was a shattered aquarium tank and the rocks and plants normally found in a snake’s habitat. The snake had a laceration near the end of its body, likely from the broken glass. The boys took the snake to the police, and it was then brought to a farm.

Police found an 18-24 inch long alligator inside a fish tank after firefighters put out a fire at a house.

A dead 4-foot-long ball python was found in a residential neighborhood. It appeared to have been run over, and a neighbor believes he saw it happen intentionally. Officials think the snake was a pet.

Szenja, a 21-year-old polar bear, died unexpectedly. Her death came following week-long symptoms of appetite and energy loss. SeaWorld’s only other polar bear, Snowflake, was shipped to the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium at the end of February for breeding purposes.

Tommy, a 13-year-old male lion, died unexpectedly after not displaying his normal behaviors for a few hours.

Eight pet cockatiels died in a house fire.

Uulu, a 36-year-old polar bear, died. She was the only polar bear at the zoo.

Julius Longfellow, an 11-year-old giraffe, was euthanized after he was found lying on the ground in pain. They determined that he had fallen and could not get back up.

Mai, a 20-year-old female Malayan tiger with only three legs, was euthanized by the zoo’s veterinarians after a recent decline in health, including signs of dementia. The tiger was suffering from renal disease.

A Vermont woman accused of shoplifting lighters revealed that she had a small boa constrictor under her shirt.