Japanese Kangaroo Sightings

That about says it all.

RIP Wolverine

The sole wolverine in Michigan died, and is undergoing necropsy. (News source.)

That Maine Gaboon Viper

A dead Gaboon viper was found stretched across a trail in Saco, Maine. The F&W warden said it was probably released the day before and froze overnight. (News source.)

Since this has now hit the crypto websites, let me add a few points to suggest that not all may be what it seems.

a) "But this one was dead, after succumbing to the cold of even a mild Maine winter night."

So, point one, nobody ever saw the snake alive in the wild.

b) "... the colorful viper stretched almost 5 feet and lay in the trail, much as the snakes do in their native sub-Saharan Africa as they lie in wait for prey."

So, the viper was supposed to be stretched out waiting for prey in March in Maine? With daytime times in the 40-degree range? Seriously? Snakes require heat to digest prey, and Gaboon vipers require far more heat than native snakes in Maine. With cooler temperatures, a Gaboon viper would have crawled off into the woods and disappeared inside a tree, probably to freeze to death and never be found again. Instead, this snake was found dead, stretched in a hiking trail where it was most likely to be spotted?

c) Gaboon vipers of this size and coloration are worth a few hundred bucks. Why release it when it wouldn't be hard to find a hobbyist (in another state, sure, to be legal) to take it off your hands? This isn't a 15-foot Burmese python, which is a bit more difficult to find appropriate-sized caging for.

A far more likely scenario: someone in Maine (illegally) owned a Gaboon viper that died on them. So, to create a prank, they stretched it out on a walking path.

And, while we're at it, let's note the idiotic statement of the Maine F&W warden:

"'They're not legal in Maine. You could not get a permit for that,' Spahr said. 'I don't even know if they would be legal in the U.S.'
"He said such a snake would probably have to be purchased on the black market – or on the Internet."

No, Gaboon vipers are not "illegal in the U.S." A simple internet search (and some common sense) would show that. No, the snake would not "probably have to be purchased on the black market." They are perfectly legal to purchase in many states, including here in Pennsylvania. Gaboons are often available at the venomous-included reptile shows. Venomous snakes are not good pets for everyone, but neither are many other animals that can still be kept safely and humanely by responsible pet owners.

More Florida Monkey Capers

It's been tranqued twice, but still escaped capture... (News source, and here.)

OOPAs: Escapees and Accidentals

What is thought to be a macaque was seen again in the Tampa Bay area. (News source.)

A Mexican wolf is loose in Minnesota after vandalism at a science center. (News source.)

A mongoose was trapped in Samoa. (News source.)

Australian Camel Cull?

Feral camels in Australia continue to cause problems, and one suggestion is to cull for meat for croc farms. (News source.)

Australia: OOP Monkey

What appears to be a monkey is roaming around Darwin. (News source.)

Texas Primate Sighting

Actually, there appear to be two separate alleged primate-like sightings from the San Antonio area, one a six-foot Bigfoot type report, and another baboon-like sighting. News reports here, and here.

WV Ostrich Egg Was Joke

Not unsurprisingly, someone has stepped forward to admit to planting an ostrich egg in the woods of West Virginia for fun. (News source.)

West Virginia Ostrich (Egg)

A guy in the West Virginia woods found a giant egg; the closest ostrich/emu farm is about three miles away, and they haven't lost any birds, though apparently there are rumors of loose ostriches in the region. And, yes, it does appear to be an ostrich egg. (Sorry, thunderbird enthusiasts...) (News source.)

Florida Monkeyshines

A few primate sightings (baboon, monkey, etc.) have been reported in the Tampa and Hillsborough areas. (Here, and here.)

Aussie Hippo

Hunters in the Northern Territory thought they were shooting a large pig, but it turned out to be a pygmy hippo, left behind or escaped from a now-closed wildlife sanctuary. (News here, and here.)

Introduced Toucans in Grenada

A brief paper (2001) on the introduction of channel-billed toucans on the island of Grenada.

OOP Coati

A North Carolina man found a coatimundi in his garden. (News source.)

Escaped Hippo Shot

One of a trio of hippos that escaped from the late drug lord Pablo Escobar's menagerie three years ago, has been shot. The other two are being hunted. (News source.)

Indiana: Wandering Wallaby

Another missing marsupial in Muncie, Indiana. (News source.)

Giant Out-of-Place Arapaima?

Sightings of a giant fish ("the size of a baby elephant") in Tasik Kenyir, Malaysia, supposedly to blame for the drownings of two men, suggest the South American Arapaima to one local fish biologist, who suggests it may be an introduction. (News source.)

Alabama: Monkey on Loose?

The Baldwin County Sheriff's Office noted "a caller reported seeing a monkey at about 6 a.m. today along Baldwin County 12, east of Baldwin County 65, near the Pleasant View Baptist Church." Species indeterminate. (News source.)

Ohio: Mountain Lion

Warren County, Ohio, has more reports of a mountain lion. Nothing new there, I looked into some sightings there several years back (a possibly released cat from a big cat owner who disappeared, leaving behind a tiger but not the cougar). That particular one wandered south. There are still occasional reports from Preble county, I've heard. (News source.)

Big Alien Spider

An Oklahoma grocery found a big spider in the batch of bananas, prompting fears it might be a venomous wandering spider. Tulsa Zoo officials took a look at a photo and said it was probably just a common (and harmless) huntsman spider. (News source.)

Ohio: Zebra on Loose

A zebra is roaming the Little Hocking area in Ohio. (News here, and here.)

Big Cats in UK

A BBC news article here on a "big cat" print.

Big Cats in UK

A BBC news article here on a "big cat" print.

Dholes Loose in UK

A pack of Asian dholes (wild dogs) escaped from a UK animal park; 6 were darted or shot, and 2 are still loose. (News source.)

Whatever Happened to the 15th Monkey?

Finally, the story is told...

Macaque Roaming Clearwater Area

FL F&W is trying to capture a rhesus macaque roaming the Clearwater area. They don't know where it came from, and are waiting the next tip to go looking for it. (News source.)

Australia: Feline "Breeding Colony"

The Hawkesbury and Blue Mountains region in Australia might have a "breeding colony" of introduced big cats, according to some investigators. (News source.)

Barbados: OOP Snakes

A few non-native snakes have been killed in Barbados, and a few more are believed still loose. Commentary here by the president of the Caribbean Herpetological Society.

Australia: OOP Gator

Turns out a 1.5 meter crocodilian found at a scout camp on Australia's South Coast is an alligator. Officials don't know where it came from. And the media doesn't seem to have any compunctions about calling a 4-5 foot alligator a "man-eater." (News source.)

Escaped Monkeys Rounded Up

The last of the escaped Patas monkeys from a Florida park have been captured. The political/legal fallout continues... (News source.)

"Croc" Sighting in Massachusetts

Police responded to a man's sighting of an "8-foot crocodile" in Fiske Pond, Massachusetts. Nothing's been found yet. Sounds like an exaggeration in size, misidentification, or both. (News source.)

Lots of Felines in the News

Big black "feline" sightings continue in Australia. (News source.)

Mountain lion sightings alleged in Virginia, North Carolina, and Ohio (see image). [I tracked sightings of a probable released cougar in that same area of Ohio, Warren County, a number of years ago. Not a great area for an actual population, though there is farmland game.]

A mountain lion killed in Louisiana is being tested genetically to see if it is a Texas wanderer.

A black feline is reported from New York.

A tiger escaped from a West Virginia exotic game farm was killed after it tried to ambush its owner in the woods. (News source.)

Pennsylvania: Serval Shot

An escaped serval was shot in Chester County raiding chickens. Some have tried to point to this feline as the one responsible for the recent Lancaster County "cougar" fiasco, but that's unlikely. (News source.)

Another Sea Lion Found

Another of the California sea lions that escaped a St. Kitts facility has been located, this one in Antigua. (News source.)

OOP Slug

A "Chocolate Arion" slug, almost five inches long, was found outside of its range, up in Canada. Canadian authorities aren't concerned, as the habitat isn't conducive for a slug invasion. (News source.)

OOP Sea Lion

A sea lion turned up on a Dominica beach. It was one of five sea lions that escaped from a hodling facility in St. Kitts. (News source.)

Manatee Dies in Delaware River

A dead manatee was found floating in the water at Neshaminy State Park. It is being necropsied to determine cause of death. (News source.)

More on Cyprus Creature

The "crocodile" rumored to have spotted in the waters below the Kouris Dam has transformed (in the media) to some kind of lake monster or big serpent. (News source.)

Still on the Loose...

Those remaining Patas monkeys roaming Polk Co., Florida, have settled on a ranch. (News source.)

Cyprus Croc Stories

Urban myth or illegal introductions? Stories of crocodiles at Kourris Dam in Cyprus are springing up again. Officials haven't found any, but investigations continue. (News source.)

Cape Cod Manatee

A manatee reported off Cape Cod (apparently the same one seen off Rhode Island a while back) is being sought by would-be rescuers. (News source.)

OOP Croc

A recently published paper in Pacific Science notes a young out-of-place crocodile, probably a saltwater croc, in the waters of Nauru, about 1,000 km away from the nearest population in the Solomon Islands.

Maryland Manatees

A pair of manatees have been found in a Chesapeake Bay tributary in Baltimore County, Maryland. (News source.)

Moe Probably Didn't Survive

No trace of Moe, the escaped chimpanzee in California, for three months, and a new article suggests that he probably didn't survive.

Monkey Recaptured

A Japanese macaque loose in Ontario was returned to its home at an exotic animal sanctuary, 11 days after it escaped. (News source.)

Feline News

The NSW (Australia) premier wants to investigate the ongoing big cat sightings there. (News source.)

Blackstone, Virginia, and its newspaper, the Courier-Record, are investigating sightings of the eastern cougar. (News source.)

A loose tiger is one of the concerns in Galveston County, post-Hurricane Ike. (News source.)

Toronto: Monkey Loose

A Japanese macaque is on the loose, having escaped from the Bergeron Animal Sanctuary. (News source.)

Feline News

A new population of clouded leopards has been found on Borneo. (News source, courtesy Kevin Stewart)

More searching for the European wildcat in the UK here.

And, a reported "leopard" roaming Floyd Co., Indiana. (News source.)

FL: Monkeys Spotted

A Dade City, FL, woman saw a couple of monkeys in her backyard; it's unknown whether they are the remaining escapees from Safari Wild. (News source.)

"Giant Lizard" Caught

Sightings of a "six or seven foot giant lizard" in Jasper County, Georgia, turned out to be a 4-foot water monitor finally captured in a barn. (News source.)

Big Mystery Spider

An Illinois woman photographed a large spider in her garage that specialists think might be a South American wandering spider; the spider is still on the loose. (News source.)

UK Manatee?

An interesting case here of a potential manatee sighting in Pembrokeshire waters...

Search for Moe Called Off

With no luck so far, the California search for the missing chimpanzee has been postponed until further sightings appear. (News source.)

Lemur Sightings in Boston?

The New Yorker has a brief article on alleged lemur sightings in the Boston area.

Australian Big Cat Reports

Some actual sighting accounts here along the border in Victoria, Australia.

Not Moe; Another Primate?

A lost hiker, later rescued, in the San Bernardino Mountains claimed to see a primate, which some thought could be the missing chimpanzee, Moe. (News source.)

"'I saw a monkey,' said Grace Carlos Hilario, 21, of Corona. 'It was dark gray and brown and it ran like a monkey.'
"Hilario became separated from her group while hiking in the San Bernardino Mountains last Thursday. She was rescued Saturday morning by helicopter near the Riverside County line, about 20 miles from where the celebrity chimp was last seen June 27.
"'She was lucid,' said San Bernardino sheriff's spokeswoman Jodi Miller. 'There was never any discussion that she was hallucinating at the time of her rescue.'"

But, the sanctuary owner says that this is unlikely: (News source.)

"The search party is taking all reports seriously, Camp said, but several factors raise doubts about whether Hilario saw Moe.
"Moe is about twice the weight Hilario described and black in color. The area where she was found is almost on the other side of the San Bernardino National Forest from where Moe escaped.
"'For him to get there, he would have to cross over numerous highways,' Camp said.
"Moe also is more likely to approach a person than run away, he said.
"Still, Camp said volunteers will pay more attention to that area of the forest, including possibly sending a helicopter to search the area if Moe's owners, St. James and LaDonna Davis, decide it is necessary."

Patas Escapees, Cont.

2/3 of the Patas monkeys that escaped from Florida's Safari Wild have been recaptured so far, with 5 remaining loose. (News source.)

Search Contines for Chimp

Moe the chimp is still missing, but tracks may have been found... (News source.)

Moe Escapes

Moe, the chimpanzee, has escaped from Jungle Exotics in San Bernardino County, California. (Moe's former owner was the guy mauled by two chimpanzees while he was visiting Moe at an animal sanctuary.) (News source.)

Monkey Loose

A monkey was reported roaming Lafayette, Indiana. (News source.)

Missouri Black Feline: Leopard

The black feline that was shot and killed by a Newton Co., MO, sheriff's deputy has been identified as a melanistic leopard by a zoo curator. (News source.)

"Python" Shot and Lost

A Putnam Co., Georgia, sheriff's deputy shot and killed a large snake (alleged but not confirmed a python) in the waters of Lake Sinclair. The snake sank to the bottom, and no pictures were taken. (News source.)

Kangaroo?

A 5-foot tall kangaroo-like animal has been reported several times in the vicinity of the Pensacola (FL) Junior College. (News source.)

Michigan Serval

A serval was caught roaming around Battle Creek, MI. (And from the image, it's plainly a serval, not a serval hybrid.) It was front-declawed, so obviously got loose from someone (they can be tricky...). (News source.)

Big Snake or Not?

From the Baldwin (Georgia) Bulletin:

"The Baldwin Bulletin recently filed a story about a large python snake that had been spotted on Lake Sinclair.
"In the week that followed, The Baldwin Bulletin sold out at nearly every rack and the newspaper’s phone lines lit up.
"So, have there been any more sightings?
"'No. We haven’t heard anything more. It’s actually been a full month since we’ve received a call,' said Corp. Lynn Stanford with the Georgia Department of Resources. 'I think that the snake either succumbed to its surroundings or its owner may have found it.'
"The DNR received roughly five phone calls from homeowners near the Twin Bridges and Haslam’s Marina side of Lake Sinclair during the first week of May. Witnesses said that the snake was between 6–8 feet long. The calls then suddenly stopped and no more reports have been received."

Hard to say without having seen the original published description, but if the length is the primary characteristic, it's possible that it was an exaggerated misidentification of a native watersnake.

Monkeys Still Loose

The Patas monkeys that escaped from SafariWild near Lakeland, FL, are still on the loose. A woman reported seeing a monkey recently, but it turned out to be a large fox squirrel. (News source.)

More on the NC Cobra Scare

A woman claims to have seen one of the alleged roaming cobras, but a search by a reptile rescue group comes up empty. (News source.)

OOP Cobra?

A North Carolina man reported seeing an 8-foot snake that reared up beside him while he was on an ATV in Cumberland County. A wildlife rehabber suggests it was a king cobra. Police are checking it out. Not enough of a description is given for me to determine whether or not the identification matches, but given that kings run about a grand (give or take), I doubt someone would just release one into the woods. Too easy to find a buyer. (News source.)

More on Lake Hickory Gator

It's confirmed as a small alligator, through witness photographs, but still hasn't been caught. (News source.)

NC Crocodilian Report

A small crocodilian was seen in Lake Hickory, NC, but as it is the wrong part of the state to be part of the known alligator population, it's a suspected release, possibly a caiman. (News source.)

OOP Python

A dead 12-foot python was found in a channel of Nippersink Lake (near Chicago, IL). It's thought that snappers may have eaten the head. (News source.)

(I'm thinking retic morph, as it's oddly patterned, but it looks like it is badly decomposed, so can't be certain from the poor images shown... doesn't appear to be a boa or Burmese.)

Out-of-Place or Missing

Someone stole a monkey from Cherry Brook Zoo in Canada. (News source.)

A New Hampshire fisherman says he caught an alligator, but he wasn't able to reel it in. (News source.)

College students kidnapped a zebra and locked it in a campus building. (News source.)

Monkeys Can Swim

Lowry Park Zoo (FL) imported a troop of Patas monkeys from Puerto Rico and placed them on an island surrounded by a 50-foot wide, 8-foot deep moat. They just forgot to check on whether the monkeys could swim. The monkeys are currently on the lam. (News source.)

Roadrunner in Canada?

Two separate sightings of a strange bird on the Bruce Peninsula (Ontario) have some people thinking roadrunner. One witness used to live in Texas, and says he's familiar with the species. (News source.)

Sea Lion Migrates South

A Steller sea lion has been found in the waters near Newport Beach, CA, far south of its normal range. (News source.)

More Chicago Cougar News

More sightings, by an Abbott Labs guard, and by some joggers.

And a note in the aftermath of the shooting.

OOP Cavy

Oregon teens found a Patagonian cavy running loose. (News source.)

Chicago Police Kill Cougar

The recent sightings of a big tawny cat in Chicago's North Side proved true. Police shot and killed a 150-lb cougar in the Roscoe Village neighborhood. They were attempting to contain it when it turned on officers, forcing them to shoot. (News source.)

More UK Feline Sightings

Two more reports of black felines. (News source.) The first:

"Marketing and PR consultant Elma McMenemy, who lives at Barras, had a close encounter with the beast, which she described as similar to a panther, on Cheyne Hill while out walking her dogs on Tuesday morning.
"Mrs McMenemy's suspicions were first aroused when her dogs, both deerhounds, began scratching at a stone wall.
"She told the Leader: 'They were terribly attracted to the wall. One of my dogs jumped over it. I looked over to see what was happening and the cat stood up. It was right there, about three or four feet away from me.'
"Mrs McMenemy (56), said the cat was 'completely black, with a shiny, smooth coat' and the same height as one of her deerhounds - about 28 inches tall.
"'The dogs appeared to have interrupted its breakfast,' she continued. 'It had been gnawing at what looked like a deer's leg. My dogs gave chase, and it ran. It tried to take its meal with it, but dropped it a few seconds later'."

Another sighting involved a "cocker spaniel" sized, dark colored feline.

Feline Sightings Worldwide

A UK fisherman reported seeing "a dark grey animal the size of a fox, with a long thick tail," on the other side of a Snodland lake. (News source.)

A Crawton (UK) woman saw a 3-foot-long dark colored feline about to attack a neighbor's cat. The locals call the creature "The Beast of the Mearns." (News source.)

The Chicago Tribune has an article on cougar sightings in the US.

Washington County, IL, may be home to a cougar, according to some residents. (News source.)

More "black cat" sightings from Australia. (News source.)

PNG Lizard Hunt Called Off

The search for a "Komodo dragon" reportedly roaming loose on the west coast of PNG has been called off, as it appeared to be a case of hysterical rumors with no substantial evidence that such a lizard was actually present. It may have been a hoax, or a misidentification. (News source.)

OOP Gar

A non-native alligator gar was caught in Malaysia. This is the second caught in the region recently. (News source.)

California Snake Identified

The "15-foot" mystery snake in Stockton, CA, has been identified as a 6-foot boa, from a shed skin found in the area. (News source.)

Cop Nabs Kangaroo

A Lewisville, TX, police officer managed to grab a young kangaroo that had wandered from its home. (News source.)

15-foot Snake Reported

Several homeless people in Stockton, California, have reported seeing a 15-foot snake near a local waterway, the Mormon Slough. From descriptions, it has been tentatively identified as a Burmese python. (News source.)

Tropical Hummingbird Relocated

The wandering green-breasted mango (a tropical hummingbird) that had found its way to Wisconsin was captured and sent to an aviary at the Brookfield Zoo. (News source.)

Florida Mystery Ape

There have been sightings of an "orangutan" around Glen St. Mary, Florida, a small Baker County town along the northern border of the state. From the news:

"A handful of folks say they've heard the call of an escaped ape.
"One family even found the grand prize: what looked to be an orange ape, nesting high in a tree.
"We talked on the phone with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission investigator who actually answered the original complaint call.
"He said there was definitely something up in the top of the tree, but he really couldn't be sure what it was."

OOPs

What may be a sika deer is wandering Newark, OH. (News source.)

A feline that looks like a maned lion has been reported in West Virginia. (News source.)

Hummingbird Waif

A tropical hummingbird, the green-breasted mango, has turned up in Wisconsin. (News source.)

UK: Flying Squirrel or Sugar Glider?

Some sort of small gliding mammal has been spotted in Wimbledon Common. From the news:

"So far educated guesses on website Wild About Britain have included the Australasian sugar glider, the North American flying squirrel or another species of possum." ...
"Wandsworth's Kolin Barnz, who spotted the beast while on the commen, said: 'It was squirrel-like but its face looked more mouse-like, with long whiskers, black eyes and small ears.
"'As it jumped between trees, flaps of skin stretched between its front and back legs and it gilded to the next tree. I couldn't believe my eyes.' How the animal got to its new home is anyone's guess, but it is possible it could be someone's escaped pet."

Coati

Apparently, there's a coatimundi on the loose in Argyle, NY. (News source.)

West Arctic Walrus

A pair of Inuvialuit hunters brought in a rare visitor to the western Arctic, a walrus, found in shallow waters near Banks Island. A genetic sample has been sent to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans for testing. The animal's parts were distributed throughout the community for various uses. (News source.)

UK Feline Photograph

A daytripper to Great Hucklow, Derbyshire, has photographed a feline that some consider a possible big cat. The cat walked along a wall, giving an estimate of 3 feet in length and 18 inches in height. One investigator suggested it could be a young leopard or a hybrid cat. (News source.)

Personally, I don't believe the photo shown gives enough information to render a verdict.

Thailand "Mystery Turtle"

Villagers near Pattaya, Thailand, called the local newspaper to report a strange turtle caught by a local fisherman. The turtle was unknown to them, and had the "tail of a crocodile." Turned out to be a snapping turtle (North American), probably a farm escapee. Pictures at news site.

Mississippi "Kangaroo"

A kangaroo-like marsupial (let's be honest, most likely someone's pet wallaby) has been reported along U.S. 90 near Bay St. Louis, MS. I'd print more details, but it looks like most of the news article was lifted from a Wikipedia article on kangaroos.

Colorado Pond Creature Hunted

Wildlife officers have set up mountain lion traps on the banks of Jayhawker Ponds to see if they can trap whatever the creature is (crocodilian, perhaps) that has been reported in the water. (News source.)

OOP Gator?

Jayhawker Ponds in Loveland, CO, is the site of reports of a "giant reptile," five to seven feet in length, over the last few weeks. Officials think it may be a released caiman or gator. (News source.)

Another Suspected Gator

West Virginians suspect that a 6-foot alligator has been released into Twelvepole Creek, Wayne Co., WV. From the news:

"Gina White, a 26-year-old Wayne resident who lives along Twelvepole Creek, was out fishing with members of her family. It was about 2 a.m. The chicken livers they were using as bait attracted something that started swimming across the water.
"At first it looked like a huge snake. Then, as the creature got closer to view, the family members scrambled up the riverbank.
"'You could tell it was an alligator,' White said. 'It was coming straight toward us.'
"White stayed up until dawn, distressed by what she had seen -- and because nobody seemed to believe her. At daybreak, she got up and crept down to the riverbank. She saw it again.
"'It was kind of laying in the water, just lounging,' she said.
"She said she aimed her camera and snapped the fuzzy picture that has everyone in Wayne County talking."

Exotic Pet Ownership More Expensive

As of July 1, 2007 the state of Florida has assigned new laws regarding exotic species.

Class I Animal Owners must now have a $10,000 bond or $2 million insurance policy, while non-native reptiles (such as pythons) require an annual fee of $100.00 to own.

Will we be seeing an increase in releases in the near future?

Pennsylvania Gators

Over the last week two (2) alligators have been captured in the Pennypark area of Pennsylvania.

A 3-foot gator and a 5-foot gator, all within a mile of each other.

Are there more in the water way now as well? After all one was a male and the other a female.....