A baboon, a kangaroo, a pigtailed macaque monkey and, more recently, two large pot-bellied pigs.

Once in a while, Baltimoreans will report seeing an unexpected animal roaming the streets — and we are delighted by it (even if it’s not always clear the sightings are real).

I learned two things from scouring newspaper archives and checking with the Maryland Zoo. First, there was a period through the 20th century when animals seemed to constantly be sneaking around the city. Second, zoo security has improved immensely since it opened in the 1870s, which is why animal sightings are less common.

The Maryland Zoo is now accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, meaning it must follow strict protocols around animal enclosures, zoo spokesperson Mike Evitts said.

That means having primary and secondary containment systems so, if an animal escapes its main living space, there’s a “fail-safe barrier” that keeps it from the public, he said. Animals that could pose a danger to the public are under a red lock system that requires two different keys.

The U.S. has also tightened rules around the exotic pet trade and animal welfare in TV and film.

“Those efforts are reducing the numbers of exotic species accidentally roaming the streets,” Evitts said.

Of the animals I’ve mentioned, the only unconfirmed sighting is that of the kangaroo, which zoo experts said it was more likely a red fox. I’m a believer, if you ask me.

Here are other animals that have reportedly been seen roaming.

Alligator

Alligators are not native to Maryland, but it’s only natural to imagine the animal creeping in the dark waters of the Inner Harbor. There were reports of alligator sightings in Baltimore in 2020, but they were never confirmed.

Anne Arundel County Animal Control did, however, pull a 2-foot alligator out of a golf course pond in Glen Burnie in 2008. Experts told investigators it was likely an abandoned pet.

Black bears

In April, we were all following as a black bear, a species native to Maryland, was spotted in three counties near Baltimore. The bear eventually was sedated and moved to a more suitable area, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

But way back in 1900 one bear and her three cubs were so “orderly” that police thought the bear was supposed to be in a local park, according to a Baltimore Sun article.

The family was spotted in Woodberry. The mother was not “disturbing the peace by loud and unseemly noises” or “by fighting on the public highways,” so “no attempt was made to take her and her little ones into custody,” according to the article.

The officer let her pass by and followed her until she went into the woods.

Mountain lions

Mountain lions have taken on a sort of mythic quality. Experts say cougars have been extinct in the state for over a century, but once in a while, someone claims to see one and stirs the pot. Cougars are commonly found in the Western U.S.

In 1990, a Catonsville woman said she and her husband spotted one in Thurmont, according to newspaper articles. That same year, a Hunt Valley resident reported seeing a mountain lion crossing Cuba Road in Baltimore County.

Baboon

A baboon got loose in Riverside in 1937.

Harry Munsell bought the baboon in Africa, with plans to resell it to an American zoo, according to news reports. The baboon was being kept in a cellar of a home on East Harvey Street, but it escaped.

A nearby resident reportedly spotted the baboon a block away. It’s believed a dog had chased it through backyards, and the baboon climbed a light pole. Power company workers climbed the pole and rescued the baboon.

Pigtailed macaque

In May 1973, a driver was transporting two monkeys from the Johns Hopkins University Hospital to the Maryland Zoo. One of the pigtailed macaques — which inhabit parts of Southeast Asia — took the opportunity to escape as the driver was showing them off to “some fellows” at Connie’s Bar, according to a Baltimore Sun article.

The monkey climbed the Exeter Memorial Methodist Church in East Baltimore. Six people tried to catch her before she willingly jumped to a bystander.

Pelican

In the summer of 1992, a pink-backed pelican native to East Africa flew away at the Maryland Zoo. A Cecil County birdwatcher spotted the pelican in Conowingo Dam, which is close to the Pennsylvania border, a month later.

The pelican, which was around 2 years old, had just arrived at the zoo for a new African Watering Hole exhibit and hadn’t had its wings clipped.

Bull

In 2019, a 1,600-pound bull trotted through West Baltimore for several hours.

“A live bull is running on North Avenue! A live bull. He must have got out of the trailer cage. He’s running around. He’s wild,” one 911 caller said, according to WJZ.

“There’s what, sir? A bull?” one dispatcher asked a caller.

The bull was en route to Frederick County when it got loose from a trailer. The bull was eventually tranquilized and made it home safely.