Authorities in Zanesville, Ohio have shot and killed dozens of exotic animals, including lions and Bengal tigers, which escaped from a private zoo, causing outcry from animal lovers around the world.
Watch this video statement from the police…
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mqqd4QcahN8&w=560&h=315]
More from Associated Press here.
Like a scene from a movie, the largely rural area was scattered with the animal’s bodies on Wednesday morning. Schools were closed and residents advised to stay home. Flashing signs along nearby highways told motorists: “Caution exotic animals” and “Stay in vehicle”.
The animals’ owner, Terry Thompson, was found dead at the zoo and police believe he killed himself. It appears that he opened the gates, releasing 56 animals before he ended his life.
How it happened
Sheriff Matt Lutz said his office began getting phone calls at about 17:30 local time (21:30 GMT) on Tuesday, saying animals were loose on a road just west of the town.
Officials said the “volatile situation” of animals escaping from the 73-acre Muskingum County Animal Farm and the approach of nightfall on Tuesday had prompted the shoot-to-kill order. “This is like Noah’s ark wrecking here in Zanesville,” said former director of Columbus Zoo, Jack Hanna.
Among those killed were 17 lions and 18 Bengal tigers. US nature TV host Jack Hanna said the killing of the tigers was especially tragic as there were only about 1,400 remaining in the world.
Six animals – three leopards, one grizzly bear and two monkeys – were captured and have been sent to the nearby Columbus Zoo. One wolf was also found dead, leaving just a monkey unaccounted for.
Shoot to kill
The shoot-to-kill order has been criticised, but also supported by one wildlife expert. “You cannot tranquilise an animal like this, a bear or a leopard or a tiger, at night,” Hanna told ABC.
“If you do that, the animal gets very excited, it goes and hides, and then we have police officers in danger of losing their life, and other people.”
ANIMALS SHOT DEAD
1 wolf
6 black bears
2 grizzly bears
17 lions
1 baboon
3 mountain lions
18 Bengal tigers
Interesting character
A neighbour of Mr Thompson, Danielle White, said he had been in legal trouble, and police said he had recently been released from jail.
“He was in hot water because of the animals, because of permits, and the animals escaping all the time,” White said. A few weeks ago, she said, she had to avoid some camels grazing on the side of a freeway.
Lax regulation
Ohio has some of America’s most lax regulation of exotic pets, reports say – and some of the country’s highest rates of injuries and deaths caused by them. In 2010, an animal caretaker was killed by a bear at a property in Cleveland. The death was eventually ruled a workplace accident.
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2 Comments
i have no words…other than TRAGIC! what a sad day in the animal kingdom…hopefully Ohio will learn from this and there will be enough of an outcry for them to tighten up their laws on keeping, not only exotic, but ALL wild animals!
sad day ”’ those poor animals didn’t deserve that .what would god think .they should have tryed harder to save them if they could /trigger happy poeple /don’t die and come back a tiger poeple mite shoot you dead