Zanesville, Ohio Town Copes With Dozens Of Exotic Animals Set Loose, Killed

Killing scores of exotic animals after they were set free from a farm in Zanesville, Ohio on Tuesday night was the right thing to do, according to Director Emeritus of Columbus Zoo Jack Hanna.

Terry Thompson, the owner of Muskingum County Animal Farm in Ohio, set free the animals before committing suicide, the Associated Press reports. Nearly 50 animals on the loose, including lions, bears, monkeys, and 18 rare bengal tigers, were hunted down by officers.

Hanna said during a Wednesday afternoon press conference that the officers who had to kill the animals were struggling with what they had to do. He said, "Going home and saying to their kids they had to shoot a tiger, one of the rarest animals in the world, I wouldn't want to be one of these guys, having to tell my kids."

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species estimates there are fewer than 2,500 Bengal tigers left in the wild as of 2010, due in large part to poaching and habitat loss.

In an interview with MSNBC following the press conference, he said, "We did the right thing. I think the sheriff did the right thing. Obviously the loss of animal life is tragic but what happened, happened."

At the Wednesday press conference, Muskingum County Sheriff Matt Lutz said 49 animals had been killed, and a monkey possibly infected with herpes B virus was still on the loose. He said there were a total of 56 animals kept on the farm.

Center for International Policy's Glenn Hurowitz wrote on his HuffPost blog about the "wildlife slaughter": "Police too often respond to one complaint with a hail of bullets - even when it's native wildlife like black bears, wolves or mountain lions. This is especially true in areas where predators were exterminated decades past, but are now migrating in from other areas."

He added: "Lethal measures should only be used as a last resort - and especially in cases like this, where police are dealing with highly endangered animals like tigers (3,000 left in the wild) and lions (just 23,000)."

"We are not talking about your normal everyday house cat or dog," Lutz said, according to CNN. "These are 300-pound Bengal tigers that we have had to put down. "When we got here, obviously, public safety was my number one concern. We could not have animals running loose in this county," he said.

USA Today reported Lutz said deputies did not have tranquilizer guns. "Deputies were shooting animals at close range with sidearms," he said.

"We found a mature adult bengal tiger in some brush… this veterinarian got very very close and tried to tranquilize this thing. I think we hit it, but as we did, it got up, showed very aggressive behavior towards her, then turned and started going away from her," Lutz said at the press conference. He added that because they did not know for sure if the animal had been properly hit with the tranquilizer and may have got away, they "did not want to take any chances and shot it."

According to CNN, in nearby Licking County, Sheriff Randy Thorp said the county SWAT team had been activated and equipped with night vision equipment and "necessary weapons."

WKYC-TV reports that Hanna said: "The main thing is we have a couple animal auctions in the state of Ohio that have to be shut down. It's like a drug dealer. You finally get the drugs and, you know, then the man gets the animals. So where's the source of these animals coming from? That has to be stopped and if the governor wants me involved, we will stop these animal auctions and stop it immediately. It has to be done. This is an example here. What happened here should not happen again."

CNN reports that Thompson was cited in the past for animal abuse and neglect.

Hanna said in the MSNBC interview that three leopards, some monkeys and a young grizzly had been taken to Columbus zoo until it could be figured out what to legally do with them.

MSNBC writes: "Animal-welfare groups say Ohio is notoriously lax when it comes to wild-animal ownership. It's one of fewer than 10 states that have no rules regulating the sale and ownership of exotic animals."

Delcianna Winders, Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement at PETA told HuffPost: "This is a tragic example of how things can go very wrong when people are allowed to keep exotic animals." She added, "Animals always pay the price and [this situation] is a perfect example of this."

She said PETA hopes it will be "a wake up call to the governor" to tighten legislation on keeping exotic animals.

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PHOTOS:

Comments

[ERyker]

07:42 PM on 10/25/2011

I understand that this was an unprecedented situation for the local police force, but I still don't believe they tried hard enough to save the animals. Most of these abused animals were probably scared and confused and just wanted to hide. Police should be able to manage crowds and keep people inside their houses if necessary -- that's what they do have experience with. I can see a couple of fatalities as inevitable (among the animals), but this looks to me like a mass slaughter that could have been mitigated.

[piercingeyes7]

06:06 PM on 10/22/2011

I find it amazing to contrast the attitude found in Ohio with that in India.
In India where they have wild, born and bred in the wild who have learned to hunt for survival, Tigers being freed, and redirected back int the jungle, at the risk of human lives and health. Indian men taking chances to help direct the Tiger away from settlements, and using dart guns, getting injured, and continuing to ensure the safety of the tiger.
In Ohio, where these animals were raised in captivity, and have no idea how to kill for food, the fact these animals just turned up near homes, was enough to have them shot to death. Again I will state this has little to do with the zoo, and everything to do with the emergency plans available. With so few people in the area, why weren't the people evacuated until the animals could be contained? It might be inconvient the people? Or they just didn't like the zoo there in the first place? Or maybe they are so slow they just didn't think of alternatives

[2tru4u2c]

12:38 AM on 10/23/2011

So few people? Over 1 million people live within a 40 mile radius of the Thompson farm. (a distance easily covered within 24 hours by most of the released animals) Evacuate them to where? Before you ask. Yes, I live within that 40 mile radius.

[Sophia Moore]

03:56 PM on 10/22/2011

Are there any statistics on how many people kill themselves because the internal revenuers are so relentless in their pursuit of people who are owing taxes...or rather the unbelievable fines, penalties and interest on owed taxes?

[Ignoratio Elenchi]

01:58 PM on 10/22/2011

Everyone on here who is blaming a rural polic department for not having a dozen tranqualizer guns on hand, and no contingency plan for 50 large predators on the loose in a suburban area, I have to ask: Is *your* town prepared for this?

[craftinggal]

09:32 PM on 11/15/2011

I love your answer. That is so true. We don't know everything that was happening there and we shouldn't guess at what did happen. The police had to protect the people and it is sad what happened but they had to have a good reason and to me saving just one human life was worth it.

[TheAlchemist]

11:13 AM on 10/22/2011

Some of these animals were saved?
Is there an up-date?

[Italianbrian]

02:33 PM on 10/22/2011

Six animals were saved and taken to Jack Hanna's Zoo.Three leopards, a grizzly bear and two monkeys.

[TheAlchemist]

09:43 AM on 10/23/2011

Thanks for the update.

[Italianbrian]

02:35 AM on 10/22/2011

The responsibility is ALL on the State of Ohio. NOT THE OFFICERS. I was FURIOUS when I heard that the cops shot the animals. Then I heard Jack Hanna speak. The situation was NOT AN EASY ONE. If YOU were on duty that night WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE REALLY DONE? My first reaction was GET THE TRANQUILIZER DARTS! SCREW THE GUNS! But....YOU ARE IN THE CAR, IT IS NIGHT TIME. You spot a little parade of LIONS....in front of your police cruiser. Only 1 mile down the road is a residential development. THERE IS NO TIME to wait for tranquilizer darts. Besides, even if you got the darts, do you realize what happens once you shoot an animal with one of those? The animal RUNS. IT HIDES. The animal doesn't JUST FALL OVER and go to sleep. Remember it is NIGHT TIME. As terrible and tragic, as this was, and I FEEL IT WAS. You cannot just blame the police. You need to THINK BEFORE YOU BLAME. *Jack Hanna took the six surviving animals to his Columbus Zoo.

[trolligic]

08:50 PM on 10/21/2011

I think in cases like this, it isn't so much the right thing, so much as it was the safest thing to do. Those animals did nothing wrong, BUT that's not to say they wouldn't have killed a person or a pet. I hope those officers that have regrets look at it like that. I can't fully understand their situation, never having been in it myself, but I hope they realize that hundreds, thousands, maybe more, can sleep in peace, knowing they're safe.

[wilwillisent]

05:30 PM on 10/21/2011

maybe having exotic animals should be illegal with the exception of the zoos. I have pets and love them but I would not put an animal's life above a human's and I think it is ridiculous that all these so called activist think that way. When a man goes into the wild and is injured or killed it is said he had no business being in the wild...same with a shark attack...well these animals although sad were still loose in our back yard putting HUMAN lives at risk. I think the right thing has been done...but so it was not in vain maybe the meat / skin can be put to a worthy cause

[carpelibertatem]

04:37 PM on 10/21/2011

Better all of these animals dead than one dead kid. Good call.

[luminafitness]

02:14 AM on 10/24/2011

Well, in the end, that's true. But maybe the tragedy of their killing warrants a little more thought than what you offered there in your post.

[craftinggal]

09:35 PM on 11/15/2011

That is so true.

[alexneely]

02:49 PM on 10/21/2011

This is what's wrong with the world today. It's like we think we have a right to kill whatever, screw whatever we want as long as it's for the sake of protecting "humanity". Funny using that word when anything we do anymore is not in the least bit humane. This makes me incredibly angry, lets just keep it up until nothing's left, until we have nothing to keep us alive, then maybe the remainder of this beautiful place will be able to carry on without us raping the land. I can't believe this action even crossed someone's mind. HUMANS ARE NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ON THE PLANET!!! This kind of thing makes me hate what I am.

[mwm4755]

03:15 PM on 10/21/2011

Uhhmm, humans are the most important things on the planet. Period.

[alexneely]

03:36 AM on 10/22/2011

How are we the most important things on the planet when we're the only things here causing any problems?

[luminafitness]

02:15 AM on 10/24/2011

I'd be interested to hear your argument for that. Sincerely.

[carpelibertatem]

04:35 PM on 10/21/2011

Humans are, absolutely, the most important thing on the planet and if you hate who you are then you need to seek professional help. Believe me, you won't find it here.

[alexneely]

12:44 PM on 10/22/2011

Never said I hate who I am.

[Miltown47]

03:46 AM on 10/21/2011

Jack Hanna is an IDIOT.

He should NOT be defending what took place.

He's doing it because he's a shill and likes publicity...which he won't get in the future if he's critical of the authorities. That's how things work in the U.S. Get it?

[Miltown47]

03:34 AM on 10/21/2011

Thompson was in jail for a year up until a few weeks ago. Who cared for the animals in his absence?

[2tru4u2c]

05:50 AM on 10/21/2011

The farm was fully staffed in his absence. He was jailed for possesion of illegal firearms. It was this very absence that contributed to the farm falling on hard financial times. The financial woes are what authorities believe caused Thompson's suicide

[luminafitness]

02:21 AM on 10/24/2011

Do you know if there are theories about why he released them? I wondered if he knew they would either be killed or captured, and he preferred that for them rather then starvation.

Just wondering if there's any word on that.

[wordssmithrv]

01:50 AM on 10/21/2011

This Email was sent to Channel 10 in Columbus, Ohio 10/21 at about 1:30 am

Where are the videos of:

Animals roaming the Thompson property and trying to get out?

The one veterinary attempt admitted to to try to tranquilize the animals, including the actions of the animals after being hit with the tranquilizer?

The Deputies and SWAT Team shooting the animals obviously clumped near a building?

The apprehension of the six animals that were transport to the Columbus Zoo [not their loading in the truck]?

Animals roaming in populated areas posing a threat to the public [not allegedly at one or two neighbors’ houses in an isolated area, neighbors who obviously disliked Thompson to begin with]?
——————————
It is interesting to note that Jack Hanna never overtly stated explicitly that he blessed and condoned the behavior of the Muskingum County Sheriff’s Office: his remarks were comprised of “This never should have happened”; that there was no mention of any directions given by him on his trip in from Pennsylvania during the early morning hours; and that no animals were killed after his physical arrival at the scene in the immediately-predawn hours.

[policy5]

02:22 AM on 10/21/2011

Do you get Columbus TV stations? They showed a lot on TV.

[2tru4u2c]

06:04 AM on 10/21/2011

The photo showing the animals 'clumped' near a building is decieving. What that photo actually shows is where the animals were being brought for identification after they were shot. This was necessary to determine that all of the missing animals were accounted for and that no more were running at large. Some seem to believe that it was some kind of free for all "canned hunt" by the police. The truth of the matter is that the animals were showing up on adjacent farms, chasing horses, and in local neighborhoods. There was a sudden rush of calls to 911 reporting that large cats, bears and wolves, etc., showing up near surrounding homes. Sadly, 48 of the 55 animals that were released were shot. 2 monkeys, 1 bear and 3 leopards were trapped and saved. they are being cared for at the Columbus Zoo. There is one monkey that is still unaccounted for. It is assumed that one of the bigger animales ate it, but no one is absolutely sure. It has also been reported that the, still missing, monkey was infected with Herpes B, so there is still a potential danger out there. I live less than 40 miles from the farm. That's why I know so much about this story. It has pretty much domonated the news since the story broke.

[luminafitness]

02:25 AM on 10/24/2011

Have they said much about theories on why he released them?

I wondered if he did it because he knew they would either be killed or captured, and he preferred that for them rather then starvation­.

Any thoughts appreciated.

[Maxoverload]

11:51 PM on 10/20/2011

An owner/operator of a compound of this size , certainly had veterinary care for these animals , Thus in all probability there was the necessary equipment on site to be able to sedate them. If not the veterinarian on call would have it .... granted if you go out hunting for a predator , and its charging you , you have no choice but defend yourself or shoot it , as for the animals such as the rare or near extinct ones that had been declawed , there should have been other consideration made . While I live in a metropolis , what of the emergency alert system ??? school lock downs ??? from what have read , little , has been said as to , What was done to protect the general population ??? Road Signs are it ?? the persons setting them up were armed ?? , does the police force even have an automatic dial to the homes of the local citizens , or any warning system , for such as storm , reactor failure , emergency alert system ??????? were they even used ???? It will be forever a loss for some of the rare and near extinct species. the owner had recieved 20 days of warnings from the local authorities , and they had made , No preparation for animal control ??????????

[narsilpdh]

12:48 AM on 10/21/2011

You are in a metropolis...this is out in the sticks..

Animal control of this magnitude is non-existant anywhere in the USA. Bear traps were needed for animals this large. Ohio hardly has any kind of native population of bears. So....should they wait until PA, WVA, or KY can ship in some? Yeah..let these big predators spread even more.

[wordssmithrv]

01:53 AM on 10/21/2011

Or were they spread at all? It sure don't look like it.

[Jesus Germanotta]

01:58 PM on 10/21/2011

Don't allow unregulated exotic animal ownership if you are not prepared to DEAL with it.

[policy5]

02:15 AM on 10/21/2011

It was just like a big animal farm. It just had like a regular live stock fence. I hope Ohio changes the laws so something like this will never be possible again!!!!!

[WTFareukidding]

11:20 PM on 10/20/2011

I keep reading posts stating Exotic animals should NOT be privately kept..are people that ignorant? Look at your pets-the majority of these at one point were NOT native species making them exotic! Then theres the brainiacs who are saying all these WILD animals could have got off the property and attacked someone. Technically, these were NOT wild animals....these were caged animals with the majority born in captivity. If these are considered wild animals...your dog or cat is also a wild,Exotic animal!!
I cant believe the amount of support given to the "Barney Fife" mentality of this local PD for what they did. Its ridiculous!! I have yet to hear anyone who was actually threatened by 1 of these animals. The majority of them were still on this "PRIVATE" property (many standing next to their enclosures) and shot for absolutely nothing other then "they could do something"!! REALLY?? This is much the same as one of Zanesvilles "Barney Fifes" coming into your backyard and shooting your dog because it "could do something".

[Jesus Germanotta]

11:46 PM on 10/20/2011

Your ignorance is lurid apart from the fact that yes, the police did not have to kill EVERY SINGLE ANIMAL as there were even two very small tigers no bigger than cubs. FEDERAL REGULATIONS NOW. State rights on this is a FAIL. The animals in Libya have been treated better at the zoo in Tripoli. These animals were disposed of like garbage and it was 100% PREVENTABLE WITH REGULATION.

[wordssmithrv]

01:55 AM on 10/21/2011

And with intelligent and rational emergency response.

[policy5]

02:31 AM on 10/21/2011

In Ohio, anyone can buy wild animals, there are no laws preventing it. There are auctions and that's where some people buy them.

[policy5]

11:55 PM on 10/20/2011

all that held the animals on Thompson's property was a livestock fence. Officier Merry had orders to take the actions he took. He didn't want to have to kill the animals, but just think of if they were just roaming around your neightbothood.......Eventually someone could have been killed. Most people dogs don't kill. My pets couldn't kill a person, could yours???

[wordssmithrv]

01:57 AM on 10/21/2011

“Neighborhood”? Isolated hilly area of eastern Ohio containing a few people who didn’t like Thompson anyway and who were certainly well armed in their homes.

[luminafitness]

02:48 AM on 10/24/2011

I agree with you. This was a tragic loss of life, no question. But what would the story be if even one person had been mauled? Hard to say exactly, but I think the story might have changed to why didn't the police take more drastic measures to protect.

I think the police very likely prevented loss of human life. But it can be difficult to convince people they did the right thing because the very thing they prevented never happened.

It's a tough story, but I think they did the right thing.