Lions, Tigers, and Bears, Oh My!(Among Others...)

TFatseas · 10-19-11, 01:19 AM

Quote:

ZANESVILLE, Ohio — Dozens of exotic animals escaped Tuesday from a wild animal preserve that houses bears, big cats and other beasts, and the owner was found dead there, said police, who shot several of the creatures and urged residents to stay indoors.

The fences had been left unsecured at the Muskingum County Animal Farm in Zanesville, and the animals' cages were open, police said. They wouldn't say what animals escaped but said the preserve had lions, wolves, tigers, giraffes, camels and bears. Bears and wolves were among 25 animals that were shot and killed, police said, and there were multiple sightings of exotic animals along a nearby highway.

"These are wild animals that you would see on TV in Africa," Sheriff Matt Lutz warned at a news conference.

He called the escaped animals "mature, very big, aggressive," but said a caretaker told authorities the preserve's 48 animals had been fed on Monday. Police were patrolling the 40-acre farm and the surrounding areas in cars, not on foot, he said, and were concerned that big cats and bears could be hiding.

"This is a bad situation," Lutz said. "It's been a situation for a long time."

Lutz said his office started getting phone calls about 5:30 p.m. that wild animals were loose just west of town on a road that runs under Interstate 70...

Rest at link...

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...,2040741.story

Penguin · 10-19-11, 06:18 AM

Looks like the Privateer household will have a variety of game on their bbq grill.

frau kaleun · 10-19-11, 07:51 AM

This is all over the news here... very bizarre story. They are not saying (and probably don't know yet) how the owner was killed - if someone else killed him and let the critters out, or if he opened everything and then killed himself. They are saying that he had a criminal record and was just recently released from prison where he'd been for a year on a firearms charge... which makes me wonder, who was taking care of the animals and compound in his absence, and where are they now?

They have people from the Columbus Zoo on site and they are hoping that when more animals are sighted they can shoot them with tranquilizers and remove them without any more of them having to be killed. That will depend on the situation and how the animals react if they can get the tranqulizers in them - if they can't take them alive safely it will mean the critters will have to be killed instead as they are (obviously) making public safety the primary concern.

The public is being advised to stay indoors and stay in their cars if they are traveling through the area. Area schools have been closed. What a bizarre situation. I just hope it's not the work of someone who thought he/she was making some statement about animal rights... certainly doesn't justify the death of the owner and it didn't do the animals any favors either as unfortunately most of them will probably end up being killed.

Jimbuna · 10-19-11, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Penguin

Looks like the Privateer household will have a variety of game on their bbq grill.

Well he certainly got one of the bears

MothBalls · 10-19-11, 03:31 PM

This is starting to make big headlines in the US now, mainly because the Sheriff ordered the animals killed on site and not tranquilized. The animal huggers are coming out of the woodwork.

Quote:

Sheriff Matt Lutz said he personally gave the order to shoot the escaped animals, including grizzly bears, black bears, wolves, tigers and lions.

On Wednesday, Mr Lutz said police believe they have now accounted for all the animals but one wolf and monkey. The animals' owner, Terry Thompson, was found dead at the zoo, and police believe he killed himself.

Mr Lutz said a preliminary investigation suggested Mr Thompson left fences open at the farm. Officials said the "volatile situation" of animals escaping from the Muskingum County Animal Farm and the approach of nightfall on Tuesday had prompted the shoot-to-kill order.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-15364027

Have nothing against the animals, feel bad for them, but have to go with the Sheriff on this one. Tough decision to make but I think he made the right one. If he didn't and someone got hurt it would have been worse. His job and priority is to protect the public and his officers, and he did what he had to do.

I don't understand why everyone is blaming the Sheriff instead of the guy who had the animals and let them loose before killing himself.

CaptainMattJ. · 10-19-11, 06:51 PM

dont worry it shouldnt be hard to take down the lions.

i mean, if the 49ers could do it...

Platapus · 10-19-11, 07:22 PM

Are the officials even trying to tranquilize the escaped animals?

I fully understand the justification for shooting them if they pose a threat. But I would like, when possible, for them to consider non-lethal ways also.

frau kaleun · 10-19-11, 07:42 PM

It was a bit confusing this morning. They interviewed the sheriff and a zoo official at least twice each, and each time separately. The sheriff was adamant about shooting to kill. The zoo official talked only about tranquilizing them but with the safety of the humans involved being a top priority, the implication being that shooting to kill was a last resort. They definitely seemed to be on two different wavelengths which is probably understandable given their occupations and the different perspectives that necessarily come from that.

Granted it was still dark and most of the story unfolded overnight so I can see where just shooting on sight would have been the best option in that situation. I haven't had the news on to hear what happened with any animals they located after sunup.

RickC Sniper · 10-19-11, 09:06 PM

The guy let them loose then offed himself.

"The animals killed included 18 rare Bengal tigers, 17 lions, eight bears, three mountain lions, a baboon and a wolf", the sheriff said.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44964272.../#.Tp-BNLKCvPY
updated 1 hour 22 minutes ago.

What a tragedy.

TLAM Strike · 10-19-11, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimbuna

Well he certainly got one of the bears

He got a walrus too..

August · 10-19-11, 11:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickC Sniper

What a tragedy.

Yes it really is a crying shame.

10-20-11, 12:26 AM

It's sad they had to make the call to put the animals down.

I agree with the decision based on public safety and past experiences with wild animals around my area.
We have had large Cats around here for the past few years and even a few Alligators that escaped into the nearby river!

The gators died over the winter but were a VERY serious threat for some months.
I only know about the gators because it was a friend of mine that was raiseing them.
It was kept pretty hush hush or not news worthy enuff at the time?

One of the large Cats dragged a deer into the rafters of another friends barn.
I've heard of bears being spotted from time to time also.
That has not been confirmed while all the other reports have been.

I use to walk the woods around my home armed only with a camera.
Those days are gone now.
I prefer to stay at the Top of the food chain myself.

CCIP · 10-20-11, 02:20 AM

Looking at the aerial view attached to that article also gives a better appreciation for the gravity of that whole scenario. Firstly the farm is a trash heap and the enclosures look horrible for keeping that number of animals. Secondly though, you can see that the place is right off the I-70, within running distance of town, lots of woods and homes/workplaces all around, lots of places to hide, a terrible risk to take if you left dangerous animals alive. It wasn't in the middle of nowhere, that's for sure.

So with that in mind, at least the original putting down of animals that they couldn't contain before darkness fell was a good call. They could've brought in someone to help capture the stragglers on the second day, but at the end... better safe than sorry.

It's a shame, but at the end it's not the sheriff who's to blame - all of this is on the dead man's conscience here.

Oberon · 10-20-11, 06:33 AM

Bloody shame, but given the location there really wasn't any option of safely darting them, particularly in the night. Must have been terrifying for the locals, and why oh why did he have to have Bengal bloody Tigers, they're rare enough as it is!

The laws in Ohio need to change, definitely, we had such laws back in the sixties and you used to see people taking a panther down to the shops, thankfully we changed that...however that resulted in a lot of people just releasing their big cats into the wild where many still remain to this day.

Jimbuna · 10-20-11, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CCIP

It's a shame, but at the end it's not the sheriff who's to blame - all of this is on the dead man's conscience here.

Rgr that.

10-19-11, 06:51 PM	#6
CaptainMattJ. The Old Man Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Sin City Posts: 1,364 Downloads: 55 Uploads: 0	dont worry it shouldnt be hard to take down the lions. i mean, if the 49ers could do it... __________________ A popular Government without popular information nor the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy or perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance, and a people who mean to be their own Governors must arm themselves with the power knowledge gives - James Madison

10-19-11, 07:22 PM	#7
Platapus Fleet Admiral Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 19,360 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 0	Are the officials even trying to tranquilize the escaped animals? I fully understand the justification for shooting them if they pose a threat. But I would like, when possible, for them to consider non-lethal ways also. __________________ abusus non tollit usum - A right should NOT be withheld from people on the basis that some tend to abuse that right.

10-19-11, 09:06 PM	#9
RickC Sniper Undetectable Join Date: Sep 1999 Location: Colorado Posts: 1,221 Downloads: 132 Uploads: 0	The guy let them loose then offed himself. "The animals killed included 18 rare Bengal tigers, 17 lions, eight bears, three mountain lions, a baboon and a wolf", the sheriff said. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44964272.../#.Tp-BNLKCvPY updated 1 hour 22 minutes ago. What a tragedy. __________________ Support Subsim http://www.subsim.com/store.html

10-20-11, 02:20 AM	#13
CCIP Navy Seal Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Waterloo, Canada Posts: 8,700 Downloads: 29 Uploads: 2	Looking at the aerial view attached to that article also gives a better appreciation for the gravity of that whole scenario. Firstly the farm is a trash heap and the enclosures look horrible for keeping that number of animals. Secondly though, you can see that the place is right off the I-70, within running distance of town, lots of woods and homes/workplaces all around, lots of places to hide, a terrible risk to take if you left dangerous animals alive. It wasn't in the middle of nowhere, that's for sure. So with that in mind, at least the original putting down of animals that they couldn't contain before darkness fell was a good call. They could've brought in someone to help capture the stragglers on the second day, but at the end... better safe than sorry. It's a shame, but at the end it's not the sheriff who's to blame - all of this is on the dead man's conscience here. __________________ There are only forty people in the world and five of them are hamburgers. -Don Van Vliet (aka Captain Beefheart)

10-19-11, 06:18 AM	#2
Penguin Ocean Warrior Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Rheinische Republik Posts: 3,322 Downloads: 92 Uploads: 0	Looks like the Privateer household will have a variety of game on their bbq grill.

10-19-11, 07:51 AM	#3
frau kaleun Rear Admiral Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Skyri--oh who are we kidding, I'm probably at Lowe's. Again. Posts: 12,706 Downloads: 168 Uploads: 0	This is all over the news here... very bizarre story. They are not saying (and probably don't know yet) how the owner was killed - if someone else killed him and let the critters out, or if he opened everything and then killed himself. They are saying that he had a criminal record and was just recently released from prison where he'd been for a year on a firearms charge... which makes me wonder, who was taking care of the animals and compound in his absence, and where are they now? They have people from the Columbus Zoo on site and they are hoping that when more animals are sighted they can shoot them with tranquilizers and remove them without any more of them having to be killed. That will depend on the situation and how the animals react if they can get the tranqulizers in them - if they can't take them alive safely it will mean the critters will have to be killed instead as they are (obviously) making public safety the primary concern. The public is being advised to stay indoors and stay in their cars if they are traveling through the area. Area schools have been closed. What a bizarre situation. I just hope it's not the work of someone who thought he/she was making some statement about animal rights... certainly doesn't justify the death of the owner and it didn't do the animals any favors either as unfortunately most of them will probably end up being killed.

10-19-11, 07:42 PM	#8
frau kaleun Rear Admiral Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Skyri--oh who are we kidding, I'm probably at Lowe's. Again. Posts: 12,706 Downloads: 168 Uploads: 0	It was a bit confusing this morning. They interviewed the sheriff and a zoo official at least twice each, and each time separately. The sheriff was adamant about shooting to kill. The zoo official talked only about tranquilizing them but with the safety of the humans involved being a top priority, the implication being that shooting to kill was a last resort. They definitely seemed to be on two different wavelengths which is probably understandable given their occupations and the different perspectives that necessarily come from that. Granted it was still dark and most of the story unfolded overnight so I can see where just shooting on sight would have been the best option in that situation. I haven't had the news on to hear what happened with any animals they located after sunup.

10-20-11, 12:26 AM	#12
Madox58 Stowaway Posts: n/a Downloads: Uploads:	It's sad they had to make the call to put the animals down. I agree with the decision based on public safety and past experiences with wild animals around my area. We have had large Cats around here for the past few years and even a few Alligators that escaped into the nearby river! The gators died over the winter but were a VERY serious threat for some months. I only know about the gators because it was a friend of mine that was raiseing them. It was kept pretty hush hush or not news worthy enuff at the time? One of the large Cats dragged a deer into the rafters of another friends barn. I've heard of bears being spotted from time to time also. That has not been confirmed while all the other reports have been. I use to walk the woods around my home armed only with a camera. Those days are gone now. I prefer to stay at the Top of the food chain myself.

10-20-11, 06:33 AM	#14
Oberon Lucky Jack Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 25,976 Downloads: 61 Uploads: 20	Bloody shame, but given the location there really wasn't any option of safely darting them, particularly in the night. Must have been terrifying for the locals, and why oh why did he have to have Bengal bloody Tigers, they're rare enough as it is! The laws in Ohio need to change, definitely, we had such laws back in the sixties and you used to see people taking a panther down to the shops, thankfully we changed that...however that resulted in a lot of people just releasing their big cats into the wild where many still remain to this day.