View Full Version : OH-Exotic animal farm owner found dead-48 wild animals escape
SuziQ
10-18-2011, 10:26 PM
Police said they have shot at least 25 of at least 48 escaped exotic animals on Tuesday night.
Terry Thompson, the owner of the farm, was found dead outside of his home on the animal farm property.
Police said the fences had been left unsecured.
According to police, the animals escaped at about 6 p.m. from an animal farm near Kopchak Road.
Police would not comment on what animals escaped but said the animal farm did have lions, wolves, cheetahs, tigers, giraffes, camels, grizzly bears and black bears.
More:
http://www.10tv.com/content/stories/2011/10/18/zanesville-exotic-animals-escape.html
SuziQ
10-18-2011, 10:31 PM
Exotic animals being shot after escape from Ohio farm
Bears, wolves, tigers, cougars and cheetahs go free; owner found dead
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44953925/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/
(snip)
There were multiple sightings of exotic animals along Interstate 70. In addition to the carnivores, the animal farm also held giraffes and camels. Lutz's office warned residents near Kopchak Road and Interstate 70 to use caution and stay inside.
Dr.Fessel
10-18-2011, 10:33 PM
Sounds like he let them lose and killed himself or someone killed him and let them all lose. Shame the animals have to pay the price.
Dr.Fessel
10-18-2011, 10:35 PM
http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/state/police-in-zanesville-say-exotic-animals-escape-from-farm#ixzz1bBpOXKOU
They said 25 lions, bears and wolves had been shot and killed and that there were multiple sightings of exotic animals along Interstate 70.
SuziQ
10-18-2011, 10:36 PM
Sounds like he let them lose and killed himself or someone killed him and let them all lose. Shame the animals have to pay the price.
Very tragic for the animals. It will be interesting to find out what the story is.
mysticrose
10-18-2011, 10:39 PM
Wow ! How terribly sad all the way around. I see they did bring in some zoo people to hopefully tranqulize some of these animals, oh my gosh, this is terrible !
I hope people do stay in doors tonight as LE has warned..........
SuziQ
10-18-2011, 10:39 PM
Thankfully Zoo people are there now hoping to tranquilize the remaining animals. Owner was recently released from prison.
http://www.statejournal.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=110435
kgeaux
10-18-2011, 10:40 PM
http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/state/police-in-zanesville-say-exotic-animals-escape-from-farm#ixzz1bBpOXKOU
They said 25 lions, bears and wolves had been shot and killed and that there were multiple sightings of exotic animals along Interstate 70.
Well, I am from a "smallish" town in Louisiana---not exactly the hub of civilization, but even I have heard of tranquilizer guns. Why on earth would you shoot to kill an animal that has NOT attacked a human? Why not tranquilize the animal and move it to a place where it is secure and not a threat to other species?
Dr.Fessel
10-18-2011, 10:43 PM
Well, I am from a "smallish" town in Louisiana---not exactly the hub of civilization, but even I have heard of tranquilizer guns. Why on earth would you shoot to kill an animal that has NOT attacked a human? Why not tranquilize the animal and move it to a place where it is secure and not a threat to other species?How long do you let a lion run around where people live waiting for someone with a tranquilizer gun? All police have guns, very few have tranquilizer guns.
SuziQ
10-18-2011, 10:47 PM
Not only was the fence unsecured, the cages were left open. The below link has more info.
http://www.wcpo.com/dpp/news/state/police-in-ohio-say-exotic-animals-loose
ETA: LE doesn't know how much of a head start the animals had on them.
Dr.Fessel
10-18-2011, 10:51 PM
They called the escaped animals "mature, very big, aggressive" but said a caretaker told them the animals had been fed on Monday.
Read more: http://www.wcpo.com/dpp/news/state/police-in-ohio-say-exotic-animals-loose#ixzz1bBzB8CAB
mysticrose
10-18-2011, 10:52 PM
They called the escaped animals "mature, very big, aggressive" but said a caretaker told them the animals had been fed on Monday.
Read more: http://www.wcpo.com/dpp/news/state/police-in-ohio-say-exotic-animals-loose#ixzz1bBzB8CAB
Oh I bet that makes people feel better......
Dr.Fessel
10-18-2011, 10:54 PM
Oh I bet that makes people feel better......
No kidding as a grizzly bear charges through their picture window, don't worry they have been fed.
Dr.Fessel
10-18-2011, 10:56 PM
Though animal-rights activists had wanted Mazzola charged with reckless homicide, the caretaker's death was ruled a workplace accident. The bear was later destroyed.
This summer, Mazzola was found dead on a water bed, wearing a mask and with his arms and legs restrained, at his home in Columbia Township, about 15 miles southwest of Cleveland.
Read more: http://www.wcpo.com/dpp/news/state/police-in-ohio-say-exotic-animals-loose#ixzz1bC0Ev5ep
You know this might be the work of animal rights group. Might be murder in both cases.
SuziQ
10-18-2011, 10:57 PM
The below link has a presser video. No direct link. They will be recommending a couple of school districts close tomorrow.
http://www.10tv.com/
SuziQ
10-18-2011, 11:05 PM
Several schools announced that they will not have school on Wednesday after exotic animals escaped a Muskingum County animal farm.
The schools are: Maysville Local Schools, Zanesville City Schools, Foxfire Community Schools and West Muskingum Local Schools.
More:
http://www.10tv.com/content/stories/2011/10/18/zanesville-exotic-animals-escape.html
Dr.Fessel
10-18-2011, 11:06 PM
Here is what happened to an owner of exotic animals in Cleveland
http://www.woio.com/story/15055217/sheriff-out-at-exotic-animal-owners-house-for-report-of-dead-male
Updated: Jul 12, 2011 8:17 PM CDT
COLUMBIA STATION, OH (WOIO) -
The Lorain County Coroner says Sam Mazzola died of asphyxia. He says Mazzola choked to death on a sex toy.
Officials say the owner of an exotic animal sanctuary was bound to his bed with chains and padlocks, when he was found Sunday afternoon.
Mazzola is also known for wrestling bears.
Marie
10-19-2011, 12:02 AM
Well, I am from a "smallish" town in Louisiana---not exactly the hub of civilization, but even I have heard of tranquilizer guns. Why on earth would you shoot to kill an animal that has NOT attacked a human? Why not tranquilize the animal and move it to a place where it is secure and not a threat to other species?
I think it's humane to kill them. There are not enough zoo's or sanctuary's to house and care for all these animals. It's a real shame that people abuse wild animals the way this man did.
colette
10-19-2011, 12:13 AM
A man named Terry Thompson, who rescued wild animals was found dead outside near the cages. The cages were open and the wild and aggressive animals have escaped. Some have already been found and shot by officers. Nearby zoo officials are helping and are loaning out tranquilizer guns. It was said he had 48 animals and a history of problems with animal care and guns. No word if this was a murder or suicide yet.
People are urged to stay indoors in this area of Ohio.
http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20111018/NEWS01/111018015
Herding Cats
10-19-2011, 12:25 AM
Something is not being told here...how did the owner die? I am very, very curious about this. I'll be watching.
Poor animals. They've done nothing wrong, and I do understand why LE had to do what they did. But poor, poor animals. And poor owner, as this just doesn't seem like it would be a suicide to me. It could've been, but...well...I dunno.
Best-
Herding Cats
Lera213
10-19-2011, 12:28 AM
Brown and Black Bears
Cheetahs
Lions
Tiger
Not good!
colette
10-19-2011, 12:29 AM
oops I found there was a thread on this on up to the minute news, sorry.
Lera213
10-19-2011, 12:30 AM
They are shooting them to kill, statement was that they are large and aggressive. This tells me that the probable cause of death to Mr. Thompson was by one of those animals. MOO
Lera213
10-19-2011, 12:34 AM
They are shooting the animals to kill. That tells me that probably Mr. Thompson might have been killed by one of the animals. They are aggressive they stated too so this lends me to believe the COD will be by these animals.
I agree could be a person who is an animal rights activist that did this.
Charlie09
10-19-2011, 12:42 AM
Though animal-rights activists had wanted Mazzola charged with reckless homicide, the caretaker's death was ruled a workplace accident. The bear was later destroyed.
This summer, Mazzola was found dead on a water bed, wearing a mask and with his arms and legs restrained, at his home in Columbia Township, about 15 miles southwest of Cleveland.
Read more: http://www.wcpo.com/dpp/news/state/police-in-ohio-say-exotic-animals-loose#ixzz1bC0Ev5ep
You know this might be the work of animal rights group. Might be murder in both cases.
my first thought when I saw the headline....what are the odds?
Herding Cats
10-19-2011, 12:44 AM
They are shooting the animals to kill. That tells me that probably Mr. Thompson might have been killed by one of the animals. They are aggressive they stated too so this lends me to believe the COD will be by these animals.
I agree could be a person who is an animal rights activist that did this.
I'd agree...except how did the cages of "very big, aggressive" animals get opened then? I cAan almost guarantee that they're not all kept in the same pen...
I think you might be right...some activist may be involved...and if he was killed by an animal, it could've gone like this...
He is working somewhere away from the cages. He sees one/more animal running around that should not be. He goes out, sees cages open, gets attacked by one of the animals, and is killed. Animals get loose, LE starts getting calls, and the rest is what's been reported.
Could've happened that way...and they may not have removed his body yet, because it might still be dangerous, if animals are lurking around the area.
Sigh.
Best-
Herding Cats
mysteriew
10-19-2011, 02:16 AM
A man named Terry Thompson, who rescued wild animals was found dead outside near the cages. The cages were open and the wild and aggressive animals have escaped. Some have already been found and shot by officers. Nearby zoo officials are helping and are loaning out tranquilizer guns. It was said he had 48 animals and a history of problems with animal care and guns. No word if this was a murder or suicide yet.
People are urged to stay indoors in this area of Ohio.
http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20111018/NEWS01/111018015
From that article it occurred to me that he may have had someone targeting him through the system. I mean between 2004 and 2009 he had 11 misdemeanor charges. Who pays that much attention to him that he acculmulates 11 misdemeanors? I wish they had told what those 11 misdemeanors were for and whether or not he was convicted.
And of the charges they talk about, at least some of them you would almost have to know him to know about them. His guns he might have talked about or showed off, thus word got around. Complaints that the animals weren't taken care of, you would almost have to have been there.
I kind of wonder how the neighbors felt about all those wild animals in their neighborhood. But I can't see them letting them out to run free.
It should be interesting to find out how he died.
SuziQ
10-19-2011, 08:35 AM
Article including video from the Today Show. Article states the owners death is suspected to be suicide.
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44953925/ns/today-today_news/t/dozens-animals-shot-after-escape-wild-animal-preserve-ohio/
OT, WTH is Anne Curry wearing?
Turtles
10-19-2011, 08:48 AM
Well, I am from a "smallish" town in Louisiana---not exactly the hub of civilization, but even I have heard of tranquilizer guns. Why on earth would you shoot to kill an animal that has NOT attacked a human? Why not tranquilize the animal and move it to a place where it is secure and not a threat to other species?
I saw Jack Hanna on GMA this morning and he stated the animals could not be tranquilized at night/dark as they may hide and or become more aggressive when injured or frightened which would make it even more of a safety risk for all involved. Sorry no link.
AnaTeresa
10-19-2011, 08:51 AM
From that article it occurred to me that he may have had someone targeting him through the system. I mean between 2004 and 2009 he had 11 misdemeanor charges. Who pays that much attention to him that he acculmulates 11 misdemeanors? I wish they had told what those 11 misdemeanors were for and whether or not he was convicted.
And of the charges they talk about, at least some of them you would almost have to know him to know about them. His guns he might have talked about or showed off, thus word got around. Complaints that the animals weren't taken care of, you would almost have to have been there.
I kind of wonder how the neighbors felt about all those wild animals in their neighborhood. But I can't see them letting them out to run free.
It should be interesting to find out how he died.
I work in a criminal defense law firm. Trust me, people are stupid. They don't have to be targeted to rack up 11 misdemeanors in 5 years. We have clients with serious cases pending, who go out and do stupid things. People drive under suspended licenses. They rack up multiple DUIs. Some people just don't learn from their mistakes.
I'm not too far from this area (about an hour), and I was definitely keeping myself extra alert as I walked outside to my car this morning. I don't think the animals would have made it close to my house, but who knows how much of a head start they had. At least Jack Hanna and the zoo is on the scene now, and hopefully this will prevent more animals being shot. I understand why they couldn't wait for tranquilizers last night, but I really wish the innocent animals didn't have to be shot.
SuziQ
10-19-2011, 08:51 AM
Update as of Wed. 10-19-2011 8:30 am:
Jack Hanna has joined the search for these exotic animals. Authorities say to stay inside your home if you live in Muskingum or Licking counties.
Hanna says that he believes because of the rain, the animals are most likely "hunkered down" but if anyone comes in contact with them -- DON'T RUN! Just scream.
More:
http://www.abc6onyourside.com/shared/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wsyx_vid_14057.shtml
angela
10-19-2011, 08:59 AM
I absolutely hated seeing the pictures of the animals that were shot but living an hour south of there, I'm OK with it. These animals are big, powerful, frightened and HUNGRY. I do hope the zoo can capture some alive but I also feel the public is in danger. This is crazy.
Quiche
10-19-2011, 10:40 AM
What a mess... I feel badly for the animals, it doesn't seem fair.
Frightening situation, I hope no citizen encounters the animals, but now that I said that, how many hunting maniacs do you think grabbed their biggest rifle to tromp around outside? Yikes.
angela
10-19-2011, 11:13 AM
What a mess... I feel badly for the animals, it doesn't seem fair.
Frightening situation, I hope no citizen encounters the animals, but now that I said that, how many hunting maniacs do you think grabbed their biggest rifle to tromp around outside? Yikes.
It is a very sad situation. I cant understand how he couldn't care about the animals. Did he really want this fate for them? It seems his beef with with society so why sacrifice the animals?
LisainWV
10-19-2011, 11:43 AM
It's a shame this guy is already dead...he needs a royal a$$-kicking for what he did....he had to have known these animals would be destroyed...
I never used to be this radical, but I don't even like the circus anymore....LEAVE THESE ANIMALS WHERE GOD PUT THEM!!!!
This is one of the saddest stories I have seen for a while....
Quiche
10-19-2011, 12:14 PM
It is a very sad situation. I cant understand how he couldn't care about the animals. Did he really want this fate for them? It seems his beef with with society so why sacrifice the animals?
I'm wondering why the animals left his carcass? Maybe that's what he wanted them to do... so he could "become" them. You never know what people can dream up. jmo
KaylynnCouture
10-19-2011, 03:13 PM
Presser Recap
Sheriff Lutz says there are a total of 56 animals. 48 have been put down, and 2 are still missing (a monkey, and a wolf). The rest were taken into custody by the Columbus Zoo.
Jack Hanna from the Columbus Zoo also spoke at the presser..great guy. I'm really glad he's there, and has been involved.
Sheriff Lutz says it's very possible that the monkey that's still on the loose has herpes b.
Included in the animals that were shot/killed were 18 bengal tigers and considering there's only 1800 left in the world, that's incredible that Mr. Thompson owned 18 of them.
Mr. Thompsons wife has been assisting officials. She requested the animals that were killed be buried on their property, so that's what the Dept of Agriculture did.
"Looks like Mr. Thompson killed himself. No other information available on him at this time".
Next presser at 10:00am eastern time tomorrow.
Quiche
10-19-2011, 03:20 PM
Omg, 18 Bengal Tigers??? :cry:
KaylynnCouture
10-19-2011, 03:32 PM
Omg, 18 Bengal Tigers??? :cry:
This is an extremely sad story. As an animal lover, I'm devestated. :(
SailorMoon
10-19-2011, 03:46 PM
I have been upset, mad and sad since I heard this story today. I've had an email on draft to the sheriff's dept all day asking them if they ever heard of tranquilizer guns or why the zoo wasn't called in last night and if they feel like big bad strong men now that they've shot some precious animals. Those animals are scared and confused. I very highly doubt they would be attacking anyone, I really do. Criticize me and my thoughts all you want, but it's sad and a loss of preciouls wildlife. And if the owner did open all the cages or wildlife protectors, then they should be b-slapped and then hung because it was almost certain that men would have to go gung ho and kill them all. Signed - sad and mad
peeples
10-19-2011, 04:03 PM
This whole situation has made me cry.. killing them wasn't right, it's NOT their fault some jack@ss let them loose!!!!
LietKynes
10-19-2011, 04:15 PM
What a sad loss of precious, beautiful animals !
I'm trying not to be angry with the LE who felt they needed to put them down...I'm not in their shoes. The one person I AM angry with is the now-deceased owner; who from some news stories let them loose before apparently taking his life.
I'll try to find the article.
What a selfish thing for that man to do, if he indeed let them loose.
This reminds me of the fatal mauling in the San Diego zoo ; where some young men (allegedly) had teased a Siberian tiger until she jumped the barricade and killed one of them and injured the other two. Just senseless.
imo.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/19/us/ohio-animals-on-loose/index.html
"Only two escaped exotic animals still at large in OhioBy Moni Basu, CNN
updated 2:55 PM EST, Wed October 19, 2011"
"Thompson, 62, was found dead and authorities were waiting on the results of an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death, Lutz said. But he said preliminary investigations indicated Thompson pried open cages and left the farm's fences open and then died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound."
-Partially snipped from CNN.
I have been upset, mad and sad since I heard this story today. I've had an email on draft to the sheriff's dept all day asking them if they ever heard of tranquilizer guns or why the zoo wasn't called in last night and if they feel like big bad strong men now that they've shot some precious animals. Those animals are scared and confused. I very highly doubt they would be attacking anyone, I really do. Criticize me and my thoughts all you want, but it's sad and a loss of preciouls wildlife. And if the owner did open all the cages or wildlife protectors, then they should be b-slapped and then hung because it was almost certain that men would have to go gung ho and kill them all. Signed - sad and mad
I think everybody here shares your sorrow over the destruction of these rare animals.
But even Jack Hanna has said the police did what they had to do. This isn't the sort of situation for which the police are trained or equipped. They had less than 2 hours before dark, after which the animals would have had 10 or so hours of darkness to spread out undetected.
ETA one of the links above says the owner let the animals loose before committing suicide. The tiger mauling was at the San Francisco Zoo, not San Diego.
The biggest "villain" here is the State of Ohio, which allows the unregulated private ownership of exotic animals. Oddly, the owner had to be licensed and monitored for his bears, but not for his lions and tigers--because the latter aren't native to Ohio.
AnaTeresa
10-19-2011, 04:50 PM
I have been upset, mad and sad since I heard this story today. I've had an email on draft to the sheriff's dept all day asking them if they ever heard of tranquilizer guns or why the zoo wasn't called in last night and if they feel like big bad strong men now that they've shot some precious animals. Those animals are scared and confused. I very highly doubt they would be attacking anyone, I really do. Criticize me and my thoughts all you want, but it's sad and a loss of preciouls wildlife. And if the owner did open all the cages or wildlife protectors, then they should be b-slapped and then hung because it was almost certain that men would have to go gung ho and kill them all. Signed - sad and mad
Jack Hanna had said that, given the circumstances with it being dark and the head start the animals had, they couldn't wait for tranquilizers. And, in the dark, tranquilizers may have made it worse.
I hate it, too. But it's not really the sheriff's department at fault with this.
OrdinaryLife
10-19-2011, 04:51 PM
It goes without saying that the animals let loose are victims but, I cannot, nor will I, judge the decisions that LE and other professionals have shared, regarding killing these animals. Thank goodness all became aware of what this man did before any adult or child were hurt or killed. What he did was out of pure spite for animals and humans alike.
imvho
deelytful1
10-19-2011, 04:57 PM
I think everybody here shares your sorrow over the destruction of these rare animals.
But even Jack Hanna has said the police did what they had to do. This isn't the sort of situation for which the police are trained or equipped. They had less than 2 hours before dark, after which the animals would have had 10 or so hours of darkness to spread out undetected.
ETA one of the links above says the owner let the animals loose before committing suicide. The tiger mauling was at the San Francisco Zoo, not San Diego.
The biggest "villain" here is the State of Ohio, which allows the unregulated private ownership of exotic animals. Oddly, the owner had to be licensed and monitored for his bears, but not for his lions and tigers--because the latter aren't native to Ohio.
Thanks Nova, I just came on to say basically the same thing.
My heart BREAKS for these poor animals, but if it was a choice between them or an innocent citizen .. sorry. but the choice is obvious.
In addition, I don't understand that if this man was such a lover of exotic animals he could do something like this because he must have obviously known that they would be killed.
Very tragic situation.. But, caging wild animals that should be roaming their own habitat is tragic as well.
That's a WHOLE other thread!
Turtles
10-19-2011, 05:21 PM
I think everybody here shares your sorrow over the destruction of these rare animals.
But even Jack Hanna has said the police did what they had to do. This isn't the sort of situation for which the police are trained or equipped. They had less than 2 hours before dark, after which the animals would have had 10 or so hours of darkness to spread out undetected.
ETA one of the links above says the owner let the animals loose before committing suicide. The tiger mauling was at the San Francisco Zoo, not San Diego.
The biggest "villain" here is the State of Ohio, which allows the unregulated private ownership of exotic animals. Oddly, the owner had to be licensed and monitored for his bears, but not for his lions and tigers--because the latter aren't native to Ohio.
BBM
I could not agree more! MOO These animals paid the price because of lack of regulations that would stop people from collecting exotic pets. If this man (don't like to speak ill of the dead however it is what it is) loved and cared for those animals he would have never let them go knowing exactly what would happen to them. Not the mindset I think of for a responsible person raising exotic animals. Such a shame for the animals although safety is the biggest concern.
Betty P
10-19-2011, 05:36 PM
I think everybody here shares your sorrow over the destruction of these rare animals.
But even Jack Hanna has said the police did what they had to do. This isn't the sort of situation for which the police are trained or equipped. They had less than 2 hours before dark, after which the animals would have had 10 or so hours of darkness to spread out undetected.
ETA one of the links above says the owner let the animals loose before committing suicide. The tiger mauling was at the San Francisco Zoo, not San Diego.
The biggest "villain" here is the State of Ohio, which allows the unregulated private ownership of exotic animals. Oddly, the owner had to be licensed and monitored for his bears, but not for his lions and tigers--because the latter aren't native to Ohio.
Agree with your comment NOVA. The person to blame for the deaths of these animals is the owner who turned them loose before committing suicide. Crazy, irresponsible person.
Ohio's Gov. Kasich needs to get his head on straight and reinstate the ban on keeping these kinds of animals in Ohio. The fool actually said he revoked the ban to "protect small businesses".:furious:
SailorMoon
10-19-2011, 05:37 PM
I think everybody here shares your sorrow over the destruction of these rare animals.
But even Jack Hanna has said the police did what they had to do. This isn't the sort of situation for which the police are trained or equipped. They had less than 2 hours before dark, after which the animals would have had 10 or so hours of darkness to spread out undetected.
ETA one of the links above says the owner let the animals loose before committing suicide. The tiger mauling was at the San Francisco Zoo, not San Diego.
The biggest "villain" here is the State of Ohio, which allows the unregulated private ownership of exotic animals. Oddly, the owner had to be licensed and monitored for his bears, but not for his lions and tigers--because the latter aren't native to Ohio.
I heard Jack Hanna and I'm sure he's right and know that LE "felt" they were doing what they had to do. It's a tragedy and the stubborn person I am thinks they could have done otherwise. However, I wasn't there and calling the shots. And with it getting dark I can understand not wanting to lose track of them.
That's why I type my emails and save them in "drafts" and have never sent one. Yet.....
Why he let the animals loose is beyond me. That's almost a certain death, and in this case, it was. Such beautiful innocent creatures.
mysteriew
10-19-2011, 05:37 PM
I can't understand what would drive a person to let the animals loose in the first place. He had to have loved them, because they would have taken a lot care and it would have been expensive to feed them. You don't do that unless you feel an affinity for them.
Then to commit suicide out in the open with them roaming I really don't understand. (Shudder what if the gunshot hadn't killed him, and one of the animals was hungry.)
They said his wife was away from the home at the time. I wonder if perhaps they had had an argument where she was upset about the time/expense of caring for all the animals? Could this have been his way of getting back at her?
mikkismom
10-19-2011, 05:39 PM
...And people think Ohio is boring... Oh, I wish!
The killing of these animals was tragic and, IMHO necessary. Has everybody forgotten about Travis the chimp (?) in NE US? There was a show on recently about a man who had his head bitten by a grizzly! We have had other 'exotic' animals get loose in Ohio. These are HUGE, ferocious animals who have NO FEAR of humans (which is normal for them.)
This time of year, we are keeping an eye out for deer crossing the road. The biggest animal fear I had before yesterday was skunks! (Also - no fear of people.) Can you imagine a midwest rural area, near an interstate highway (I-70) that leads to a huge poplulation center and you have 50+ of these animals loose? This isn't a vast wildlife area, this is TIGERS in the cornfield! Not deer crossing the road but FULL SIZED MALE LIONS!
I commend our LE for how they handled a situation that should have never happened. We will take a wild black bear or two - maybe even some cougars - the native ones avoid us. The rural midwest is NO place for Lions and Tigers and Grizzlies.
JMVHO
Buckeye thankful for not being kitty food today!
Betty P
10-19-2011, 06:07 PM
More information about the owner. Quite a criminal, actually...
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/2011/10/ohio-animals-profile-terry-thompson.html
Locals were well aware of Thompson’s sprawling hillside property near Interstate 70, where drivers could catch a glimpse of camels and llamas roaming “like they were cows and horses,” Wolfe said. That frustrated some residents, particularly because Thompson’s backyard zoo was a few miles from a high school, but they had no way to make him close it down.
In June 2008, federal agents raided Thompson’s property on Kopchak Road, seizing more than 100 weapons. In April 2010, Thompson pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Columbus to two federal charges, possession of a machine gun and possession of short firearms without serial numbers, and was sent to prison.
All of these guns and dangerous exotic animals just 2 miles from a high school? He sounds crazy.
Thanks Nova, I just came on to say basically the same thing.
My heart BREAKS for these poor animals, but if it was a choice between them or an innocent citizen .. sorry. but the choice is obvious.
In addition, I don't understand that if this man was such a lover of exotic animals he could do something like this because he must have obviously known that they would be killed.
Very tragic situation.. But, caging wild animals that should be roaming their own habitat is tragic as well.
That's a WHOLE other thread!
I agree and I don't mean to hijack this one. But I want to say that I love the big cats--in their natural habitats in the Americas, Africa and Asia. I have zero desire to own one.
...He sounds crazy.
To me, too.
LunaticFringe
10-19-2011, 06:39 PM
They were just showing all of the dead tigers on abc news.Just damn.
davehead21
10-19-2011, 06:45 PM
They were just showing all of the dead tigers on abc news.Just damn.
I saw that, too-- what a crazy sight. Very, very sad. :(
What on earth would make this guy release all of these animals before killing himself?! I really cannot wrap my brain around that. I see absolutely no purpose to it unless he just wanted to be cruel to the animals and terrorize people. Ugh.
Peazzzer
10-19-2011, 06:56 PM
My daughter just called me a little bit ago about this. It is heart wrentching to think of coming upon these animals at near dark and making the decision to shoot to kill them. The animals were not at fault, the owner was, and sadly he was not in his right mind to let them go and take his own life. Dark is what took these animals, they cant shoot tranquilizers at night, too risky for peeps n the animals. Jack Hanna said it best that it was like Noahs ark there. How awful. Tragic. Senseless.
nerosleuth
10-19-2011, 07:03 PM
I live one hour away from where all this happened. I had worried relatives from out of state calling me today because they saw the news on their tv about what happened here in Ohio.
At this time of the year, it gets dark in Ohio at 6:45 p.m. in the evening. LE only had about 75 minutes of daylight left when all of this occurred yesterday evening.
The LE in Muskingum County did the right thing under this unfortunate situation.
I don't care what these exotic wildlife animal owners say. The exotic wildlife animals are not household pets! They don't belong in a home or on a rural farm. They belong out in their proper natural habitat. These wild animals are fearless of humans, and they will attack humans if given the chance to do so.
MissJames
10-19-2011, 07:16 PM
I have been upset, mad and sad since I heard this story today. I've had an email on draft to the sheriff's dept all day asking them if they ever heard of tranquilizer guns or why the zoo wasn't called in last night and if they feel like big bad strong men now that they've shot some precious animals. Those animals are scared and confused. I very highly doubt they would be attacking anyone, I really do. Criticize me and my thoughts all you want, but it's sad and a loss of preciouls wildlife. And if the owner did open all the cages or wildlife protectors, then they should be b-slapped and then hung because it was almost certain that men would have to go gung ho and kill them all. Signed - sad and mad
It is a tragedy and I wish they could have found another way,but when animals are scared and confused ,that's when they are the most likely to attack.
It wasn't the animals fault,but they always seem to pay the price .
MissJames
10-19-2011, 07:55 PM
I live one hour away from where all this happened. I had worried relatives from out of state calling me today because they saw the news on their tv about what happened here in Ohio.
At this time of the year, it gets dark in Ohio at 6:45 p.m. in the evening. LE only had about 75 minutes of daylight left when all of this occurred yesterday evening.
The LE in Muskingum County did the right thing under this unfortunate situation.
I don't care what these exotic wildlife animal owners say. The exotic wildlife animals are not household pets! They don't belong in a home or on a rural farm. They belong out in their proper natural habitat. These wild animals are fearless of humans, and they will attack humans if given the chance to do so.
At 50 I decided I wanted to get some farm animals .It was a dream since I was a kid. I started with a few chicks and fell in love,but realized buying them from a large hatchery means I've contributed to suffering of animals.
Now we let our hens keep nests and hatch their chicks ,if they get broody.They roam in the pasture,our front and back yard. At night after they roost we shut the doors to their dual sided runs. We must have the only chicken coop with a heater installed on one side (for chicks)
Then we got some dairy goats. But guess what.You're supposed to take the babies away from the mother and bottle feed them if you are going to milk them.We just can't do that. So I have 11 pet goats ,now. We love them.
I see calves for sale ,just days old ,stuck in a 4x4 ft box. That's veal.I want to rescue them all ,but feed and hay gets expensive.
There is nothing like an animal mother. They are intense and need their babies. One of our goats had stillborn twins .They were backwards,which can be okay,but these 2 had died before birth. I was devastated and tried to get them breathing,but it was nothing compared to what the momma went through. She was despondent for weeks. I can't imagine intentionally taking a baby away from it's mother.
The wild animals that were killed last night is a tragedy,but there are many more tragedies out there and we may be part of the problem.
It's hard to think about what really happens to our food before it's wrapped in saran wrap in the grocery store.
When friends order lamb at a restaurant ,I pull up my pictures of Isaboo and Grace on my cell phone.
mysteriew
10-19-2011, 11:04 PM
I love watching the lions and tigers stalking and hunting.... on TV. I love watching the bear cubs play.... on TV. But not in my neighborhood. I hate that so many animals were killed. It was a waste of beautiful animals. But I support LE and their actions.
Years ago when my DD and stepson was young, we stopped at a local store with a teepee in the front. Thought it would be cute to show the kids. The owner told us there was a mini zoo around back. You could go through for a donation, so we took the kids. They had tigers and I think either a lion or a mountain lion, something like that. We got to look at them pretty close up and it was pretty cool. They seemed calm and well fed. They had what appeared to be a strong, well maintained enclosure. It was pretty fun.
But driving away I felt uneasy. This little mini zoo was two roads away from my home. If just one of those animals broke loose, they could be at my home in a very short time, even before a warning could have gone out.
I had young kids, and a beloved outside dog. Can you imagine the terror I would have felt if just one animal ever got loose?
The ones in my neighborhood are gone now. And they never did get out. I really don't know where they went to be honest. But I was relieved when they disappeared. I felt safer.
jjenny
10-19-2011, 11:23 PM
...And people think Ohio is boring... Oh, I wish!
The killing of these animals was tragic and, IMHO necessary. Has everybody forgotten about Travis the chimp (?) in NE US? There was a show on recently about a man who had his head bitten by a grizzly! We have had other 'exotic' animals get loose in Ohio. These are HUGE, ferocious animals who have NO FEAR of humans (which is normal for them.)
This time of year, we are keeping an eye out for deer crossing the road. The biggest animal fear I had before yesterday was skunks! (Also - no fear of people.) Can you imagine a midwest rural area, near an interstate highway (I-70) that leads to a huge poplulation center and you have 50+ of these animals loose? This isn't a vast wildlife area, this is TIGERS in the cornfield! Not deer crossing the road but FULL SIZED MALE LIONS!
I commend our LE for how they handled a situation that should have never happened. We will take a wild black bear or two - maybe even some cougars - the native ones avoid us. The rural midwest is NO place for Lions and Tigers and Grizzlies.
JMVHO
Buckeye thankful for not being kitty food today!
Or the zoo tiger (Tatiana) that escaped from her enclosure and killed that teenager? It's awful to kill of these animals but most of those were dangerous animals clearly capable of killing and eating someone.
Steely Dan
10-20-2011, 11:15 AM
http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/19/us/exotic-animal-owner/index.html?hpt=hp_t1
Ohio animal owner supplied cub for Heidi Klum
By Wayne Drash, CNN
updated 10:18 AM EST, Thu October 20, 2011
(CNN) -- Terry Thompson, the Ohio man who authorities say set his exotic animals free just before killing himself, once supplied a lion cub for a photo shoot with supermodel Heidi Klum.
"I wrote a letter to Heidi Klum's people," said Larry Hostetler, the executive director of the Animal Shelter Society of Muskingum County. "I strongly voiced my opinion that if they're going to hire animals for entertainment, they might want to check handlers' backgrounds -- that Terry Thompson had been convicted of animal cruelty.
"Of course, I never heard anything back."
Thompson and his wild animal farm had long been on authorities' radar. Thompson had been kicked out of the local pet fair for bringing exotic animals that snarled at children. He had been convicted in November 2005 of animal cruelty, allowing an animal to roam freely and rendering animal waste without a license.
Police defend killing exotic animals
Tiger expert: Animal owner went too far
Jack Hanna: 'I'll never forget this'
Why animals were shot vs. tranquilized
He had even threatened to let all his animals go when investigators visited after repeated calls of animal abuse or neglect....
Steely Dan
10-20-2011, 11:22 AM
Jack Hanna is on David Letterman tomorrow night but it's a repeat, I'm pretty sure, but I'd bet dollars to donuts that Letterman has Jack Hanna on sometime next week to discuss this case.
LinasK
10-20-2011, 01:56 PM
Or the zoo tiger (Tatiana) that escaped from her enclosure and killed that teenager? It's awful to kill of these animals but most of those were dangerous animals clearly capable of killing and eating someone.
The difference is that Tatiana was in a zoo and she was taunted by the companions of the guy that got killed, and I don't think he was a teenager, at best he was 19, but IIRC he was older than that... Also the zoo was negligent in that her fencing for her enclosure was way too short, they've since remedied that problem, but in both cases, rare tigers had to die unnecessarily,:twocents:.
Melanie
10-20-2011, 02:16 PM
I really had no idea that folks could have such precious animals in their backyard in Ohio. My SIL is a volunteer at Boskoppie, a private game reserve, in South Africa. She travels from the UK to this location every year to help raise the animals, and the work involved is so delicate. My SIL has the biggest heart (works for free), and even she has had her ear torn away by one of these critters.
Note that in Africa, these reserves are quite necessary. Animals are killed daily for food and trade and need protecting. Unlike...perhaps...Ohio. I'm still in shock that so many animals were killed in what appears to be an illegal situation for any highly occupied area. I hope all wild animals in Ohio (and elsewhere) are moved to more habitable areas. Just hearing about what my SIL does, there's really no excuse for lions, tigers, or bears to be housed in what is clearly animal abuse. I don't understand why it was EVER allowed.
Here is the site where SIL works:
http://www.boskoppie.co.za/
Mel
ChasingMoxie
10-20-2011, 05:22 PM
It upsets me to no end that people are allowed to keep wild animals contained like this in the first place. It shouldn't be legal for anyone to have these animals, whether as a commercial business or as personal pets. Let the sanctuaries take care of the relatively few necessary corner-cases, and criminalize their possession.
It makes me sick to my stomach when I see some halfwit on TV talking about how he keeps tigers "because I love them so much!" Please. Love is putting their instincts and need for a natural habitat above your own selfish desire to own one. Disgusting.
mymeow
10-20-2011, 09:09 PM
I truly believe this man was thinking entirely about what damage and devastation his animals could bring (not to mention a chuckle of imagining the Sheriff's deputies trying to wrangle some of them). I cannot help think what a miracle it is that there was no loss of human life, nor injuries, given the nature of the animals released. So tragic they had to be killed :(
Jacie Estes
10-20-2011, 09:27 PM
It was upsetting to me to see the photos of multiple dead animals lying on the ground. I guess the LE didn't have the manpower to tranquilize them and so killed them. The onus here is on the man who 'owned' them. It is past time for Ohio to tighten the rules on the ownership of exotic animals.
As one who believes that all livng things are sacred, it does hurt me to see so many animals die that way.
annmarie62
10-20-2011, 10:04 PM
I think everybody here shares your sorrow over the destruction of these rare animals.
But even Jack Hanna has said the police did what they had to do. This isn't the sort of situation for which the police are trained or equipped. They had less than 2 hours before dark, after which the animals would have had 10 or so hours of darkness to spread out undetected.
ETA one of the links above says the owner let the animals loose before committing suicide. The tiger mauling was at the San Francisco Zoo, not San Diego.
The biggest "villain" here is the State of Ohio, which allows the unregulated private ownership of exotic animals. Oddly, the owner had to be licensed and monitored for his bears, but not for his lions and tigers--because the latter aren't native to Ohio.
Thanks for your insightful post; this is such a tragedy, and the police are not to blame- the psycho owner is... if he cared "so much" about these animals, then why did he send most of them to their deaths?? This scenario should never have been able to materialize in the first place. I am BEYOND sick of hearing/reading about these whackos being legally able to have their own private "zoos" in their backyards- the laws need to be changed, NOW!! NO ONE needs to be able to legally own a tiger, for example, in his/her backyard, what a disgusting ego trip, and how sad and tragic for these wild animals who should be living in their native habitats!!
missy_g
10-21-2011, 08:47 AM
I want to say that this is my opinion. I am no way defending this guy but I might not be agreeing with that everyone has to say.
First off, there are people who are qualified to handle these types of animals. They have licenses and permits to own these animals. They study them and care for them in the best ways possible whether it be in a Zoo situation or a private refuge.
Secondly, where do you draw the line? What do you consider exotic? I owned pet rats. When they had to go to the vet, I had to go to an "exotic" vet. Do you consider rats (what most people consider "vermin") exotic? What about parrots? Or certain kinds of reptiles? There are many that aren't native to this country but yet people still have them. What about certain kinds of bugs or PLANTS. People dump their non native plants into rivers and streams and those plants flourish while killing off the local plant life in the process.
Like I said I am not standing up for this guy but to say that him keeping these animals was WRONG is a huge statement at this point. There are a lot of stories saying he abused the animals and whatnot, but I have heard other stories saying he took care of his animals. Yes he might have been "psycho" towards the end and YES what he did was wrong but in the long run, you can blame your local law makers. Ohio is VERY lax when it comes to animal laws. He could own these animals LEGALLY with no schooling and easy to obtain permits.
When it comes down to it, look into the local laws of animals and see how they turn out. The most restricted animal I have EVER seen is the hawk. They aren't smuggled into the country (as far as I know) and you WONT find them on the black market or at your local flea market. Did you know you can go to a swap meet and take home a tiger? YES it happens.
Did you know that there are over 3.2 MILLION big cats in the USA in private ownership? Someone going crazy and releasing animals can happen anywhere. I don't want to say these animals were domesticated but in a sense they were. When they were in their enclosures they were stress free. They got fed and had their playtimes. This guy didn't keep them in a dog house. RELEASING the animals stressed them out. They were in unknown territories and their instincts kicked in. They were STRESSED out.
Unfortunately a lot of RARE tigers lost their lives the other night and that is totally unfortunate BUT it can be very dangerous to try to tranquilize animals when it's dark outside. Some animals don't even take to the tranqs and it makes them even more aggressive.
I heard on the news that the guy did in fact kill himself and that the wife wants the animals that they caught alive. All the wounds on the guy (except for the gunshot) happened after he died according to autopsy.
Quiche
10-21-2011, 10:32 AM
This is a good article about the guy... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/21/terry-thompson-ohio-man-wild-animals_n_1023710.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003
keeponsearching
10-22-2011, 03:49 PM
Crazy man. I mourn over those animals not being able to have life, a real one. So sad. I am grateful that no one got hurt.
Quiche
11-04-2011, 02:37 PM
Here's a follow up article-- that night sounds like a harrowing experience for both man and beast. :cool:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/04/exotic-animals-charged-deputies_n_1076476.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003
peeples
11-04-2011, 02:42 PM
"auxiliary deputy who was trying to close the cage doors, but did not see a hole had been cut in the cage"
Sooo the deputy tried to not shoot the animals... I hadn't read this before.. it changes my thoughts a little bit.... about THIS deputy anyway...
Cazzie
11-04-2011, 03:10 PM
This is so sad! :(
I have read of people who kill their animals before they commit suicide. I've also read of people who don't stop when police chase them, trying to force "suicide by cop".
This story seems like a combination of those..."murder by cop" for the animals, suicide for him. He must have been very sick and tormented.
I've had to hold off posting on this becuz when I first heard about it, I didn't even want to read the news stories. I went to one news site and saw a photo of one dead animal and that was too much.
Rest In Peace, TT.
All those exquisitely beautiful animals who did nothing wrong :rose: :heart:
vBulletin® v3.8.1, Copyright ©2000-2013, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
0