When Animals Attack: Big Cats

Incidents in 2003    Incidents in 2002    Incidents in 2001    Incidents in 2000    Incidents in 1999    Incidents in 1998    Incidents in 1997    Incidents in 1996    Incidents in 1995-1990

The following is a partial listing of incidents involving captive big cats since 1990. These incidents have resulted in the killing of 87 big cats, 53 human deaths, and more than 180 human injuries. Contact PETA for documentation.

2002:

December 15, 2002/Leesburg, Va.: Animal control was called to help recapture an 80-pound tiger who escaped from a petting zoo and was on top of a car in a parking lot.

December 2002/Malibu Hills, Calif.: Television star Elisha Cuthbert was treated at a hospital for deep puncture wounds to the hand after she was bitten by a cougar while shooting a scene for the TV show 24.

November 29, 2002/Kaohsiung City, China: A tiger from an American circus based in Las Vegas bit off a woman’s hand as she tried to pet him during a parade to advertise circus performances.

November 14, 2002/Detroit, Mich.: A tiger who had been beaten to death and dumped in a field was found by local residents.

November 3, 2002/Guatemala: A leopard with the King Gitano Circus attacked and killed a 2-year-old girl after she wandered near the animal’s cage. The leopard reached out, grabbed her with his claws, threw her against the cage, and bit her. She died of a fractured skull.

October 28, 2002/Las Vegas, Nev.: Neighbors became frightened and alerted animal control when they spotted two tiger cubs running loose on a neighbor’s rooftop. The cubs had escaped from the homeowner’s private menagerie.

October 17, 2002/Southport, Fla.: A 500-pound African lion pounced on, dragged, and mauled his owner at a roadside zoo called 77 Zoological Park as the owner stepped into the cage to pose for a picture. The lion ripped a hole in his throat, pulled his right eye out of its socket, severed tendons in his neck and chest, tore his skin, and bit through his flesh to the bone. The man spent weeks in the hospital and was in critical condition for 11 days.

October 11, 2002/Jackson, N.J.: The 70-year-old husband of “tiger lady” Joan Byron-Marasek was suddenly attacked by a tiger at her controversial preserve as he was feeding the tigers. He suffered head injuries, and his arm was nearly severed.

October 9, 2002/Potsdam, Germany: A tiger escaped from a circus, forcing fearful residents to stay indoors for more than two hours. A park was sealed off and 20 police officers and veterinarians searched for the tiger, using a tranquilizer gun to recapture her.

September 28, 2002/Bloomington, Ill.: A 400-pound tiger was shot and killed by police after he escaped from a trailer at a truck stop and hid in bushes near a residential area for nine hours. Local police spent $9,000 attempting to recapture the tiger. This same tiger mauled a 7-year-old girl in Hennepin, Ill. (see May 26, 2002).

September 22, 2002/ Mayagüez, Puerto Rico: Police officers shot and killed a jaguar after she escaped from her cage at the Mayagüez Zoo. The jaguar, found hiding in a tree, made several attempts to attack the officers before they gunned her down.

September 22, 2002/Quitman, Ark.: Four African lions, believed to have escaped from a nearby exotic animal farm, were shot and killed after running loose for several days, terrifying residents.

September 20, 2002/Scotts Valley, Calif.: A declawed 150-pound tiger, who was being walked on a leash by Zoo to You at a school assembly with 150 children at the Baymonte Christian School, suddenly lunged at a 6-year-old boy and grabbed the child by the head with her jaws. The boy was wrestled away from the tiger by the principal and airlifted to a medical center where he received 55 stitches for two cuts to his scalp. A psychologist gave counseling to the terrified children who witnessed the attack.

August 23, 2002/El Arish, Egypt: A circus trainer was taken to a hospital for treatment after his lion lashed out as he attempted to play with him. The lion severely wounded his hand.

August 14, 2002/Akron, Ohio: A 30-pound “pet” serval-hybrid escaped and ran loose for several blocks, worrying neighbors who were concerned for the safety of children playing outdoors.

July 22, 2002/Cozumel, Mexico: A 13-year-old Florida resident vacationing in Mexico was mauled by one of two lions displayed in a cage as an attraction at a restaurant. The girl was petting the lion when the lion bit her arm and refused to let go for five minutes. The girl’s arm was severely torn above the elbow and required more than 300 stitches.

June 9, 2002/South Africa: Three lions mauled a tourist from Texas as she posed for a picture in their enclosure at a game lodge. She suffered injuries to her arm, shoulder, and leg and was hospitalized for 10 days.

May 26, 2002/Hennepin, Ill.: A 7-year-old girl was bitten by a tiger at a private menagerie as she attempted to pet the animal. The girl required 110 stitches and three months of therapy.

May 22, 2002/Mayagüez, Puerto Rico: A 12-year-old boy was scratched on the hand by a jaguar at the Mayagüez Zoo when he reached inside the jaguar’s cage.

May 15, 2002/Romania: A 3-year-old girl was mauled by a 9-month-old lion tied up outside of a shop. The girl, who had tried to play with the lion, required hospital treatment for cuts to her chest, belly, and buttocks.

May 12, 2002/Tampa, Fla.: A 350-pound African lion at Busch Gardens ripped off the arm of a zookeeper standing next to the lion’s cage while she was giving a private tour to her family. The attack occurred shortly after the zookeeper had fed the lion pieces of meat during training exercises.. The zookeeper filed a lawsuit seeking in excess of $15,000 in damages.

April 28, 2002/Pickens County, S.C.: According to the Post & Courier, a "pet" tiger was quarantined for biting an 8-year-old boy in the leg after the tiger had been given a bath. The tiger is normally kept in a metal cage in the backyard.

March 6, 2002/Vienna, Austria: While visitors watched, three jaguars at the Schoenbrunn zoo attacked and killed an employee as she was preparing their food and injured the zoo’s director when he tried to rescue the zookeeper.

February 15, 2002/Pahrump, Nev.: Animal exhibitor Karl Mitchell shot and killed one of his tigers after the animal became frightened and escaped his control while being moved to a new residence.

February 3, 2002/Loxahatchee, Fla.: A woman was hospitalized in critical condition with a skull fracture after she was attacked and bitten by a 750-pound declawed tiger. The woman had been painting in preparation for a photo shoot at Steve Sipek’s private animal compound.

January 24, 2002/Gentry, Ark.: Two animal handlers at Wild Wilderness Drive Thru Safari were attacked while transferring cougars between cages. One handler received multiple bites on an arm and leg, and the other was bitten in the face.

January 16, 2002/Pickering, Canada: A 500-pound tiger used for photo ops with small children and strippers snapped her tether, escaped, and wandered in the streets near Toronto, alarming residents. More than half a dozen police cruisers and a helicopter were dispatched to locate and recapture the tiger.

Back to Top