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

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.

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, 07:22 PM	#1
Platapus Fleet Admiral Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 19,373 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	#3
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	#6
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, 07:42 PM	#2
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	#5
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	#7
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.