Wild Animals Loose in Ohio: Town Under Lockdown

[Baz]

Anyone here near Zainesville?

This situation really sucks.....many large exotic animals are dying - the owner took his life and left the animals to fend for themselves......awful situation for all concerned.

I truly hope they can rescue these animals rather than out and out shooting them.

Wild Animals Loose in Ohio: Town Under Lockdown | KLPW Radio

The owner of the preserve, Terry Thompson of Zanesville, Ohio, was found dead of unknown causes inside the preserve while the animals cages were found unsecured. Thompson, 61, was recently released from prison after serving one year on federal weapons charges. According to investigators, he has been cited in the past for animal abuse and neglect.

Muskingum County Sheriff Matt Lutz said at a news conference that residents should stay inside until the animals are rounded up. Several schools across the area have cancelled classes for Wednesday.

Police, who have been ordered to shoot to kill, describe the loose animals as "mature, very big and aggressive."

Lutz said that several aggressive animals were shot by deputies when they were discovered near Thompson's body at his preserve. Thompson's preserve was surrounded by a fence, and not all animals on the property fled through the open gates.

"These are wild animals, wild animals that you would see on TV in Africa," Lutz said at a news conference Tuesday evening.

As many as 48 wild animals, including cheetahs, grizzly bears, black bears, wolves, lions, a white Siberian tiger, camels and giraffes, are on the loose across Zanesville, which has a population of about 25,000 residents. Police said that orangutans and chimps were found in Thompson's home, but they were still in their cages.

Officers said Tuesday that they have shot as many as 25 of the animals so far, including bears and wolves, but it is still unclear exactly how many animals escaped, according to the Muskingum County Sheriff's Department.

"This is a bad situation," Mutz said. "It's been a bad situation for a long time and the last thing we want to do is have any of our public hurt."

Deputies are working with the animals' caregiver, who says the animals were fed on Monday. They're putting food in the animals' pens in the hopes they might return.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol has cordoned off seven square miles near Interstate 70 and officers are using infrared devices to find the animals.

[livi]

Incredible. How can it be that such a large reserve of wild animals doesn´t have a reasonable number of employers/caretakers that can secure the place? Was it run by a single guy?

[Rikao4]

pretty sure some of those guys are just ..
itching too kill a bear,tiger, something..

Rika

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Yep. No winners in this one. Instead of doing the "right thing" and trying to trap/relocate these animals it's easier/simpler for some militaristic cop to just kill it. Disgusting and sad.



Police: 3 exotic animals still missing in Ohio - CBS News

[Buckterrier]

Haven't 34 or so already been killed?

[Baz]

An update a few minutes ago - a very large Bengal Tiger shot down....as it was heading into the woods with a tranquilizer dart in it. They shot it as it was running away instead of allowing the tranquilizer drug to take effect. Does not surprise me. Sucks - I have a whole new perspective on allowing wild animals to be in captivity. Too many idiot humans on the planet!

[Rikao4]

of course they killed before the drugs worked..
got's to be able to sit at Dunkins and say..
shot me Tiger..hunted it I did..
BS..you shot a drugged /confused animal from behind at 200 yards with a scope..

Rika

[masraum]

Wow, that's a real shame. Wild animals, especially of this caliber, if they are going to be kept really need to be kept in an environment that at least lets them feel like they are in the wild. I hate to see an animal that would normally have a large range and run held in a cage. A resort where I stayed in Mexico had a couple of tigers in a cage that was probably 10'-15'. It killed me to see them sitting in the cage all day long.

[redstrosekNic]

It's about 150 miles away from me... I also live very close to the bear guy that was found dead with a sex toy in his mouth a little while ago. Wtf is with Ohio???

[sammyg2]

These animals should have never been captured.
They should never have been put on a reserve.
They should never have been in captivity.

But now that they are loose and ready to take their place at the TOP OF THE FOOD CHAIN, taking them out is the most logical thing to do no matter how unpleasant that seems to folks.

Hey I know, let's spend another $80,000 to relocate a freaking penguin back to Anarctica, that made a whole bunch of people feel good, people who did not get stuck with the bill!

[HardDrive]

While I feel badly for the animals, I don't think it would be remotely realistic to think that authorities could trap 50+ wild, potentially dangerous animals. It would take a long time to bring in the expertise and resources to do that, and the entire time you have hungry predators roaming the countryside. I think the Sheriff did the right thing.

[Rikao4]

S..
I get stuck with bills for stuff I don't agree with..
so if were going to spend $$ on some 2 footed trash with a half a brain..
we could at least try do the right thing by these animals...

Rika

[pwd72s]

Agreed...pretty sad. Still, I wouldn't want my kid coming across a hungry big cat...

Just too bad all around that experts weren't brought in.

[ODDJOB UNO]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

While I feel badly for the animals, I don't think it would be remotely realistic to think that authorities could trap 50+ wild, potentially dangerous animals. It would take a long time to bring in the expertise and resources to do that, and the entire time you have hungry predators roaming the countryside. I think the Sheriff did the right thing.

most of YOU live in cities. us whom live away from the cities, have to deal with wildlife on a daily basis.


the other morning...........laugh if ya will, im drinking my java at 4:15am. hear a lil "click click click" about 6feet from me. in btwn my vehicles come (4) java-leaners(javelinas). when my eyes made contact i literally jumped up on my chair, and was headed over the wall before they scattered and split. now in case ya dont know...........lil peccaries are ALL TEETH AND AZZHOLE! and the bites are freeking NASTY and mmmm................germ filled which makes fer UGLY INFECTIONS! they are not nice they are NOT CUTE and they will teach you a lesson you will never fergit!


now lets say YOU live around "zaney-ville O-hio. and yer drinking yer java at 4:15am on yer porch and ........................lions and tigers and bears OH FREEKING MY.................come traipsing on thru. i think yer attitude would change very quickly.


they have to SOLVE A BIG PROBLEM! they(cops) didnt cause the problem.



me? friday morning O-DARK THIRTY (4) deer tags to FILL and (1) MTN LION TAG TO FILL!



WE DO NOT HUG TREES!

[Hard-Deck]

I live 50 miles from the location. Crazy thing.

The owner has committed suicide after letting the animals loose according to local reports.

[craigster59]

Listened to Jack Hanna being interviewed this A.M. (the zoo guy always on Carson and Leno). He agreed with the "putting down" of the animals, told a story of his good friend (a Veterinarian) who was killed after tranquilizing a tiger. The cat turned in place and leaped 18 feet and killed him on the spot. You can't mess around, they shouldn't have been allowed to be held captive by this nutjob in the first place.

[Panzer909]

First time I ever heard of a pig killing a tiger

[vash]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

While I feel badly for the animals, I don't think it would be remotely realistic to think that authorities could trap 50+ wild, potentially dangerous animals. It would take a long time to bring in the expertise and resources to do that, and the entire time you have hungry predators roaming the countryside. I think the Sheriff did the right thing.

i agree with this. the situation sucks badly..but to end it quick and safe..(quickest and safest?) the sheriff made the HARD choice.

one time this ostrich escape from a ranch. 8 cops tried to trap it safely. it kicked at a policeman, and made a break for it. my brother saw one low spot the animal would take and sprinted there. he blasted it with his shotgun about 20 yards from I-10. out on the freeway it would have been hit and possibly kill a person. he caught a rash of crap from the animal lovers. it was a split decision and he made it. he tried to stay out of the local paper, but it leaked.

it was a shame. the bulldozed the animal into the ground. it could have fed alot of people.

[vash]

the real sucky part..policemen typically carry inadequate weapons to take down an animal quickly.

ever see that video of cops shoot an elephant with pistols and light rifles? it will make you vomit.

there is an annual weapons inspection at the el paso zoo. my brother used to do it. he said they were armed with cannons. high end double rifles in big african games calibers. pretty cool should thing get peared shaped.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Snapper33

I live 50 miles from the location. Crazy thing.

The owner has committed suicide after letting the animals loose according to local reports.

Well, that's sort of a +1 for the guy. At least he didn't want the animals to be stuck in cages for who knows how long without food while waiting for his body to be found. Still....

I feel a whole lot worse for the animals than the guy. I'm sure they probably couldn't have been reintroduced back into the wild after living in captivity. They'd probably either have to go to some sort of preserve or zoo or be put down. I think the regs on having this sort of animal should be much tighter. Avg joe should not be able to "own" a mountain lion, leopard, etc....