Search Exotic Incidents Database

A 9-foot snake was found slithering through the grass at Washington Square Park. Authorities were called and the snake was captured. The snake is believed to be a former pet.

Rosey, a 25-year-old hippopotamus, died unexpectedly. Hippos in captivity can live to be up to 50 years old. The necropsy was inconclusive but zoo staff felt that noise, stress, and heat from the new water system being installed in the enclosure likely played a role.

30 animals including exotics were seized from a garage of a home. Among the animals confiscated are two white-nosed coatis, three fennec foxes and two ring-tailed lemurs, along with several rabbits and birds kept in small cages. The exotic animals were taken to the Detroit Zoo. The discovery was made when an animal control officer captured one of the coatis who had escaped. The fate of the resident is unclear at this time.

A woman found a 20-pound, 6-foot long boa constrictor in her pickup truck’s engine compartment. The snake is believed to be an escaped pet and suffered minor injuries.

A pet wallaby escaped from a backyard and was found hopping around the neighborhood. The animal was caught and returned to his guardian.

The owner of an alligator kept as a pet in a bathtub is facing a charge of illegally owning a wild animal. The alligator is now in custody of animal control.

A licensed snake handler was bitten by a cobra while attempting to clean the cage at McCarthy’s Wildlife Sanctuary. She was taken to a hospital and is expected to recover.

* Follow up – the woman returned to the hospital with an infected hand days after being released.

Deputies were called to a home where the residents reported their 10-foot boa missing in a residential neighborhood. The snake had been missing around 4 days at the time it was reported missing. The snake was discovered 2 weeks later hiding inside of a wall in the residence.

A chimpanzee escaped his enclosure and was loose for about an hour. The 15-year old chimp used a barrel to get out.

An 8-foot Red Tail Boa Constrictor was found on a U-Haul truck by the manager of the facility. It is unclear how the snake ended up in the truck. Officers from the FL Fish and Wildlife captured the snake and turned it over to the SPCA.