NC Zoo Response to Animal
Escape

NC Zoo
 Large Land Mass (2000 acres)
 Rural Location
 Heavily Wooded

Primary Containment

Primary Containment


Approximately 1500 animals of 225 species
Several “Dangerous
Species”

Secondary Containment
 8 foot tall perimeter fence

14,500 Linear Feet of Perimeter Fence

Escaped Animal Recapture
Procedure
 Written Document
 Quarterly Drills
 Firearms Training for
Key Personnel

Incident Commander
Outside Agencies
Operations
Commander
Park Rangers
Zoo Com
(Internal and External
Communications)
Media Relations
Weapons Team Veterinary Team Capture Team

Incident Commander
 Oversees all
Operations
 Makes Key decisions
 Interfaces with outside agencies
 Coordinates Zoo teams

Outside Agencies
 Randolph County
Sheriff’s Department
 State Highway Patrol
 North Carolina
Wildlife Resources
Commission
 North Carolina
Forestry Service
 Eastside Volunteer
Fire Department
 Notified if Animal
Breeches
Perimeter Fence or Serious Injury or Death

Operations Chief (Capture
Coordinator)
 Coordinates all aspects of animal recapture
 Weapons Team (Dispatch animal if necessary)
 Veterinary Team (Dart Animal if possible and necessary)
 Animal Keepers (gather necessary equipment, man gates, assist with capture of non-dangerous animals)

Park Rangers


Communications
Crowd Control


Traffic Control
First Responders in case of injury
(Rangers are EMTs)
 Call 911 to notify outside agencies if necessary

ZooCom
 Part of Ranger
Section
 Monitors all radio traffic
 Records Radio
Traffic During Event
 Documents events as they occur
 Coordinates
Communications

Media Relations


Brief State Agencies as
Necessary
Brief News Media as
Necessary

First Tier Dangerous Animals

First Tier Dangerous Animals

First Tier Dangerous Animals

First Tier Dangerous Animals

Second Tier Dangerous
Animals

Second Tier Dangerous
Animals

No State-wide Legislation
 North Carolina is one of 20 states that has no ban or state-established rules on owning exotic animals
 The state makes it illegal to own indigenous wild animals such as cougars, bobcats, deer, squirrels or skunks.

Attempted State-wide
Legislation
 In 2007, Sen. Ed Jones,
D-Halifax, introduced a bill that would ban private ownership of wild animals after a Wilkes County fourth-grader was killed by a tiger kept in his aunt's backyard, but the bill was met with instant opposition

 After an Ohio man freed dozens of lions, tigers, bears and other dangerous animals before killing himself,
Ohio changed its' law regarding keeping exotic animals. This law was based on the NC proposed legislation

N.C. SESS. LAWS §153A-131 -
Possession or harboring of dangerous animals
 A county may by ordinance regulate, restrict, or prohibit the possession or harboring of animals which are dangerous to persons or property. No such ordinance shall have the effect of permitting any activity or condition with respect to a wild animal which is prohibited or more severely restricted by regulations of the Wildlife
Resources Commission.

NC Counties with Exotic Animal
Ordinances


Cabarrus
Chatham


Davidson
Forsyth
 Gaston
 Lee
 Montgomery
 Orange
 Randolph
 Surrey

N.C. SESS. LAWS §160A-187 -
Possession or harboring of dangerous animals
 A city may by ordinance regulate, restrict, or prohibit the possession or harboring within the city of animals which are dangerous to persons or property. No such ordinance shall have the effect of permitting any activity or condition with respect to a wild animal which is prohibited or more severely restricted by regulations of the
Wildlife Resources Commission

NC Cities with Exotic Animal
Ordinances
 Charlotte
 Garner
 Havelock
 North Topsail Beach
 Sylva

N.C. ADMIN. CODE tit. 2, r. 52B.0212 -
IMPORTATION REQUIREMENTS:
WILD ANIMALS








Skunk
Fox
Raccoon
Ringtail
Bobcat (includes Lynx and other North and
South American felines as cougars, jaguars, etc.)
Coyote
Marten
Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula)

North Carolina Wildlife Resources
Commission
NC ST § 113-294
 State law prohibits holding any wild animal or bird in captivity without a license from the
Wildlife Resources Commission. Before the
Commission can issue a license authorizing a person to keep a wild animal or bird in captivity, it must determine that the animal or bird was acquired lawfully and will not be kept merely as a pet . An approved facility must be provided.

Incidents (Escapes and/or attacks) involving exotic animals in NC (1990-
2012)
 Big Cats
 Reptiles
 Primates
11
11
8
 Wolf/Hyrdid 2
 Emu
 Serval
2
2
 Water Buffalo 1
 Coati 1

Locations of Incidences