March 12, 2013 Newburgh, NY Town police who responded to a domestic dispute found an illegally kept poisonous black-necked spitting cobra in a glass enclosure next to the bed. The man responsible was charged with possessing and handling a venomous snake, a violation of state environmental conservation laws, and third-degree assault. The case remains under investigation. Reptiles
March 12, 2013 Minneapolis, MN Firefighters found three ball pythons crawling around a home after being called to a home on fire. The pythons, all nearly three-feet long, likely escaped when their plastic cages were destroyed by the heat of the fire. Investigators believe a warming device for the reptiles likely started the fire. One snake died and the others were taken to the veterinarian’s to be checked out. Reptiles
March 11, 2013 Newburgh, NY A venomous African snake was seized when it was discovered following the arrest of its owner. The police were called in for domestic violence. Reptiles
March 11, 2013 San Antonio, TX Boo, a 59-year-old male Asian elephant who was suffering from lymphoma, was euthanized due to a declining quality of life. Elephants
March 7, 2013 Gentry, AR A 7-month-old male lion was found dead in his enclosure. A zookeeper had put a collar on the lion, left the lion alone, and when he returned, it appeared that the lion had been strangled by the collar. Big Cats
March 6, 2013 Dunlop, CA A female volunteer for Project Survival Cat Haven in Dunlop, CA was killed by a male African lion. The lion was in turn killed by authorities. The lion was hand-raised by humans at the organization. Big Cats
March 3, 2013 Coloradon Springs, CO Eva, a 7-year old howler monkey, escaped her enclosure and was spotted by zoo visiters before being captured by staff. Primates
February 28, 2013 Troutman, NC A customer was allowed to lie face-to-face on the floor with a white tiger cub, who bit the man on the nose. Big Cats
February 21, 2013 Portland, OR Ammon Covino, the co-owner of the Portland Aquarium and president of the ID Aquarium, was arrested on charges of illegally harvesting marine mammals (eagle rays and lemon sharks) without proper permits. Christopher Conk, secretary of ID Aquarium was also arrested on identical charges. If convicted under the Lacy Act,they face up to five years in prison on each count. Marine
February 20, 2013 Hillsborough County, CO An emu that was running loose in a neighborhood was attacked by two dogs and later died. Police are searching for the owner. Other