Lions and Tigers and Bears.......Large predators on the lam in Ohio

[marmar]

AP, via the Detroit Free Press:



ZANESVILLE, Ohio — An Ohio sheriff says it's possible the owner killed himself at an Ohio wild-animal preserve where cages were opened and dozens of animals escaped.

When asked on NBC's "Today" show today whether farm owner Terry Thompson may have taken his own life, Muskingum County Sheriff Matt Lutz (lootz) would only say: "Anything's a possibility at this point." He said authorities are awaiting autopsy results.

Police have killed dozens of animals. Lutz says he believes up to 35 of the 48 loose bears, big cats and other beasts have been accounted for. He says daylight will allow for a more accurate count.

Deputies responding to the initial reports of wild animals found Thompson dead Tuesday. ............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.freep.com/article/20111019/NEWS07/111019002/With-video-Police-seek-escaped-exotic-lions-tigers-bears-cheetahs-Ohio?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

[Enrique]

1. i for one welcome Ohio's new large predator overlords

:patriot:

[FSogol]

2. They had to cancel school in 2 districts there since small kids standing at bus stops

would make an irresistible target for the big cats. Wish the police had a better method to subdue the animals than killing them.

[madrchsod]

3. that`s the only way they can do this

there`s not enough time to use any other method.

[redgiant]

4. Unfortunate situation

Personnel from the Columbus Zoo are working with the authorities and will attempt to tranq the animals if possible. But, this is a situation where public safety must be the first priority. The animals causing the most concern are the big cats and bears. They are going to be in unfamiliar surroundings, scared, and unpredictable. There is, I'm sure, an understandable desire to keep the animals from wandering further and further from the original site. If a deputy spots a big cat, and there is nobody with a tranq gun nearby, the prudent action is to shoot the animal before it takes off only to have to be dealt with later.

There are reports that the owner of the exotic animal farm opened the cages and compound fencing before shooting himself. If his concern was for the animals, turning them loose on the surrounding community was both irresponsible and, as we see, not in the animals' best interest.

[hlthe2b]

10. If that owner set those animals loose, I hope there is a hell...

How could anyone who cared about these animals (assuming he did) do that, knowing they would be hunted and killed? Unfathomable to me.

[one-eyed fat man]

18. Who can say?

Releasing animals and killing people sounds like an ALF operation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_Liberation_Front

[razorman]

6. Unfortunately, the police are not trained for this. I am sure they are doing the best they can.

The first priority, of course, is public safety. Hopefully, they can capture many of the animals alive. No doubt they are trying. But, time is limited.

[redgiant]

11. Exactly right

This would be different if it was a matter of a single animal on the loose and more containable. The prospect of dozens of potentially dangerous carnivores roaming an ever expanding area made quick action necessary.

[Freddie Stubbs]

5. They should just release some honey badgers to clean things up

[razorman]

7. Have Beastmaster call the animals back to their cages.

[Lisa0825]

8. Very sad that they had to kill the animals, rather than just tranquilize them :-(

:cry:

[redgiant]

12. Doesn't always work

Case in point. Just watched a report where the sheriff told of personnel with a tranq gun got very, very close to a large Bengal tiger, 10 or 15 yards, shot it with a dart, and the tiger became "wild" and started to run away. Deputies had to shoot to kill to keep it from getting away. They couldn't take the chance the dart didn't "take."

[Lisa0825]

14. Yes, I read similar comments from people at another refuge...

Too dangerous to try to tranq and capture at night. But still, very sad for the beautiful animals.

[sarcasmo]

9. Oh, My!

[hfojvt]

13. huh? I thought the Rangers took care of the Tigers

[FarCenter]

15. Generally, private farms like these are a problem.

"Ohio has some of the nation’s weakest restrictions on exotic pets and among the highest number of injuries and deaths caused by them."

[joeybee12]

16. Really sucks, they lived a caged life and now they're killed...

These need to be outlawed or at least much more difficult to have...this guy could have rescued them all at some point, which would be good, but somehow i doubt that.

[valerief]

17. Lions, tigers, and bears, oh, my! This will certainly curb nearby Occupy protests.

When Lauer makes a point of mentioning suicide, I automatically think the guy was probably suicided.

[HopeHoops]

19. YEAH! And THIS time nobody hacked the portable road sign!!!