Animals

Ten years after a 2-year-old boy was killed by an alligator at Walt Disney World, newly released records reveal the resort has removed a staggering 414 gators from its property since the tragedy.

The staggering number comes a decade after 2-year-old Lane Graves was fatally drowned by an alligator while playing near the shoreline of a lagoon outside Disney's Grand Floridian Resort in June 2016.

According to records, obtained by ClickOrlando, hundreds of alligators have been trapped and removed from Disney World property since the tragedy, highlighting the ongoing challenge of managing wildlife at the massive Florida resort.

A carriage horse in NYC's famed Central Park collapsed and died ... traumatizing onlookers as efforts to revive the poor animal were unsuccessful ... and it's all on video.

Heartbreaking footage shows the horse laid out on the ground and the carriage driver in distress ... as someone rushes in to do compressions on the brown-and-white equine.

NYPD tells us ... officers responded after a 911 call came in around 7:30 PM Tuesday for a horse suffering a medical episode. Police confirmed the horse did not survive.

9:50 AM PT -- A spokesperson for DC BLOX tells TMZ ... the company "has heard and appreciates the concerns that have been raised about our newly proposed data center in Nashville near the zoo ... we look forward to discussing with community leaders how our project can responsibly address the concerns expressed about the Nashville project."

Brad Paisley is super pissed about a plan to build an artificial intelligence data center near the Nashville Zoo ... and he's hoping to stop the development.

The country star posted a video message slamming the "absolute nightmare" the proposed data center would create ... telling fans it's a crap idea that would ruin the area.

A permit has been filed to demolish two buildings in the area to make way for the proposed 69,000-square-foot data center, which the zoo says would be about 50 yards from some of its animals, including leopards.

Brad says ... "It doesn't belong there. It would be an enormous monstrosity, an absolute eyesore, and detract in every way, for not only that zoo, but also that area."

"Tiger King" star Doc Antle is celebrating a huge legal win ... after Virginia's Supreme Court threw out all of his remaining convictions stemming from his lion cub purchases.

Antle had been convicted on charges tied to buying lion cubs from a Virginia zoo owner in 2018 and 2019. But Virginia's highest court ruled the law prosecutors used never actually made it illegal to purchase the animals.

The justices found the statute banned the sale of endangered species -- not the purchase of them -- and tossed Antle's convictions and the indictments behind them.

Matt Damon spent some quality time with a few four-legged friends searching for forever homes ... meeting with a group of rescue dogs at a famous animal rescue center founded by Clint Eastwood's daughter.

The Oscar winner recently appeared in The Dodo's "Dream Date" series at Eastwood Ranch Foundation in Agoura Hills, CA where he got to know several adoptable pups with big personalities.

The video follows Matt as he spends time with each dog ... playing, cuddling, and learning their stories along the way.

Among the cute pups ... Jojo, an endlessly playful dog, Piper, a deaf and blind sweetheart, Duke, a Doberman with a serious love of toys, and Betsy, an affectionate pit bull who's been waiting more than 18 months for a family to choose her.

RFK Jr. was having a Steve Irwin moment when he grabbed 2 black snakes, bare-handed ... just as they were apparently in the process of getting it on!

You see in the video he posted on Tuesday, from Dr. Oz's house ... the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services walked over to the snakes and snatched them up.

The snakes were separated when he went to grab them -- double-fisting one in each hand ... but as he manhandled the reptiles, someone off-camera said ... "They're having sex." RFK Jr. laughed as he gripped their tails.

Colorado cops sprang into action to save a dog from a burning building earlier this month ... and got the whole rescue on camera.

On Monday, Westminster Police shared the body cam footage from the house fire, which shows them going inside to save the pup while flames spread along the way.

In an X post, WPD said they beat the firefighters to the scene to find the homeowner had managed to get out with one of his dogs ... but the second one was still trapped inside.

Britney Spears is opening up about what she calls a "spiritual journey" following her recent DUI plea deal ... sharing a reflective message alongside a photo of a snake that quickly caught fans’ attention.

The pop icon posted about a trip to the pet store with her kids, where she came across a baby snake she described as "beautiful."

In her message, Britney linked the animal to a deeper meaning ... writing that snakes represent “good health, higher consciousness, and pure luck.”

She also used the post to reflect on her personal growth, saying she’s been meeting “new beautiful people” and considers the experiences part of what she calls a blessing in disguise.

The Kentucky Derby winner is slowing its "tempo" -- the horse's trainer just announced Golden Tempo will not attempt a Triple Crown and bypass the Preakness Stakes on May 16.

Cherie DeVaux Racing announced the move on Wednesday ... saying the decision was made "after much thoughtful discussion as a team."

"We are incredibly appreciative of the excitement and support surrounding the possibility of a Triple Crown run. The enthusiasm from racing fans, our owners, and our entire team has meant more to us than we can properly express."

Lindsie Chrisley's ugly split from ex-boyfriend David Landsman has finally landed on middle ground ... and part of the deal includes who gets custody of the couple's beloved Dachshund, Oliver.

According to new court docs, obtained by TMZ, Lindsie and David agreed to a "mutual no contact order" requiring both sides to stay 500 yards away from each other, their homes and workplaces.

But deeper in the filing is the detail pet lovers will care about most ... Oliver the Dachshund is going back to Lindsie.

Sydney Sweeney is connecting with nature Down Under ... because she went to an Australian zoo and fed the giraffes ... and it's all on camera.

Check out this photo of Sydney hand-feeding a giraffe some greens at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney. She's got a huge smile on her face as the giraffe grabs the leafy green grub from her hand with its chompers.

Sydney visited the zoo with her father, Steven Sweeney, and her pal Kelley McCartney ... they've been doing touristy things on their trip to Australia.

Chris Brown’s former housekeeper is fighting to show graphic injury photos in court, which she says show the aftermath of a dog mauling her at the singer’s home ... TMZ has learned.

According to court docs, obtained by TMZ, Maria Avila, who sued Chris over the 2020 incident, is opposing his effort to block her from introducing the images as evidence in their upcoming trial.

Maria argues the photos are clearly admissible to show the severity of her injuries, pain and suffering, and emotional distress from the ordeal. She said if she can’t show them, it would be hard to prove her damages.

Michael Jackson's pet chimp Bubbles is still living his best life at the Center for Great Apes ... but the sanctuary's had it with the internet running wild with the A.I.-created buzz tied to the late icon's biopic "Michael."

The Wauchula, Florida-based sanctuary released a statement obtained by TMZ on Tuesday ... saying those viral pics of MJ's nephew Jaafar Jackson hanging out with Bubbles are fake -- not real, never happened. They add Jaafar's never even visited ... though the invite's technically open.

The sanctuary made it crystal clear -- they're legit, accredited, and not in the business of turning their animals into meet-and-greets. No touching, no interactions ... their chimps and orangutans stay protected within secure habitats.

An Illinois woman has pleaded guilty after shelling out thousands to bankroll some of the most disturbing online content imaginable -- so-called "animal crush" videos.

Prosecutors say footage she procured shows real monkeys being burned alive, mutilated, and subjected to horrific abuse. Amanda Leigh Fourez admitted in federal court on April 15 she helped make it happen.

ICE Director Todd M. Lyons said Fourez admitted she was deep in online chat groups and private payment rings built around creating, sharing, and discussing these violent, sexualized videos ... all for a niche -- but deeply deranged -- audience.

An Orlando-area congressman is sounding the alarm over a controversial attraction called Sloth World ... urging federal officials to step in before more animals are harmed.

Rep. Maxwell Frost is calling on a federal agency to launch an immediate investigation into the facility, alleging deeply troubling conditions persisting ahead of its opening to the public.

Frost said in a statement ... "Before it even opened, Sloth World saw 31 sloths die after being kept in unsafe conditions." Frost continues ... "I've called on the Secretary of Agriculture and USDA to investigate Sloth World, protect any surviving sloths, and prevent more from being brought in."

Crocodile hunters may be all the rage Down Under ... but alligator hunters are born and bred in Florida -- with the state's cops being some of the best around.

The West Palm Beach Police Department shared a video Tuesday of an officer tangling with a reptile in a parking lot ... kicking off with the cop holding tightly onto the animal's snout -- before losing his grip.

Watch the clip ... faced with the sinister grin of his foe, the officer lifts up under its chin and tries again. When the alligator again slips away, he smacks it on the head a couple times to get it to look up ... before he and a partner are able to slap some tape around its jaws to muzzle it.

In the caption, the West Palm Beach Police Department joked officers need to be “ready for anything, even when it has scales and a serious attitude.”