Dozens of escaped exotic animals shot by police

[Puppycow]

This is a breaking story:

Exotic animals escape Ohio farm; owner found dead

ZANESVILLE, Ohio (AP) – Dozens of animals escaped Tuesday from a wild-animal preserve that houses bears, big cats and other beasts, and the owner later was found dead there, said police, who shot several of the animals and urged nearby residents to stay indoors.

The fences had been left unsecured at the Muskingum County Animal Farm in Zanesville, in east-central Ohio, 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. They said bears and wolves were among 25 animals that had been shot and killed 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 press 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. He said police were patrolling the 40-acre farm and the surrounding areas in cars, not on foot, and were concerned about big cats and bears hiding in the dark and in trees.

Here's the curious thing:

He said four deputies with assault rifles in a pickup truck went to the animal farm, where they found the owner, Terry Thompson, dead and all the animal cage doors open. He wouldn't say how Thompson died but said several aggressive animals were near his body when deputies arrived and had to be shot.

Animal rights activists?

 

[Normal Dude]

How bizarre. There must be an interesting story behind all of this.

 

[rustypouch]

But how did they taste?

 

[kerikiwi]

Suicide

 

[lionking]

Suicide

That's what I think. I would have thought that having an "Animal Farm" like that would require a high level of regulation, like safeguards preventing animals from escaping.

 

[Furcifer]

Same guy that had one of the new keepers killed last year?

 

[Duffy Moon]

Couldn't help but think of this classy flick:

 

[Sabrina]

There are easier and less painful ways of committing suicide, IMO, than getting mauled by the animals you're caring for.

The cage doors were open, so had he committed suicide, that would mean he deliberately opened the cage doors, making mauling by wild animal the most likely cause of death. I find it difficult to believe that, upon being presented with a soft, juicy meal like that that most of the animals would just run off; I'm sure some would, but seems to me the rest might go after the keeper.

I suppose it'll have to wait until we know more, but my initial thought upon hearing the story this morning was that it was animal rights activists; I would hope that the death of the keeper was accidental, but I suppose that'll have to wait for an autopsy to confirm.

 

[CosmicDP]

But how did they taste?

That was my first thought too. What an opportunity to sample delicious wild game from around the world.

 

[NoahFence]

I consider myself an animal rights activist - but if it comes to light that a group of them were responsible, that's a blindingly stupid way to get your message across.

Not exactly sure what a good outcome would look like here, but hopefully we see one....

 

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Releasing the animals was the act of a crazy person, whomever did the deed. First they were going to have to be hunted down, and there would "shoot to kill" orders issued. Second, they would have to be utterly unconcerned about the safety of humans and other animals in the area.

I'm a docent at The Endangered Wolf Center, and we have a federally mandated "shoot to kill" rule if an animal escapes. We've never had to do that because we know it's there and we don't want the guests or the visitors hurt.

 

[MRC_Hans]

Perhaps the forensic examination will shed some light. If he was dying, he might had decided to free his animals as a last act. Silly, but a critically ill person is not always rational.

Pity to shoot the animals, but in a situation like this, there is little else to do. You can call in specialists to catch a single or even a few alive, but with a lot roaming the countryside, it gets risky: The animals are frightened, unaccustomed to the surroundings, and likely hungry, and they will be unpredictable.

Hans

 

[CosmicDP]

Perhaps the forensic examination will shed some light. If he was dying, he might had decided to free his animals as a last act. Silly, but a critically ill person is not always rational.

Pity to shoot the animals, but in a situation like this, there is little else to do. You can call in specialists to catch a single or even a few alive, but with a lot roaming the countryside, it gets risky: The animals are frightened, unaccustomed to the surroundings, and likely hungry, and they will be unpredictable.Hans

What are you talking about? Look at the list of species, some of those are mindless killing machines.

 

[excaza]

What are you talking about? Look at the list of species, some of those are mindless killing machines.

What exactly is your point? What you said does not contradict Hans in the least, try thinking before you kneejerk.

 

[CosmicDP]

What exactly is your point? What you said does not contradict Hans in the least, try thinking before you kneejerk.

Well since you agree with me that those animals are mindless killing machines, then it should be obvious to you that my point is that the behavior of those animals will not be unpredictable. Mindless killing machines are programmed to kill therefore their behavior is entirely predictable, they will try to kill.

 

[excaza]

Well since you agree with me that those animals are mindless killing machines,

No.

Mindless killing machines are programmed to kill therefore their behavior is entirely predictable, they will try to kill.

No, that's not how animal behavior works.

 

[CosmicDP]

No.


No, that's not how animal behavior works.

So did you become an expert on how animal behavior works by studying wild animals in their native habitat in Boston, or did you read about it in a book?

 

[zooterkin]

Lions and tigers and bears, oh, my!

 

[TragicMonkey]

Well since you agree with me that those animals are mindless killing machines, then it should be obvious to you that my point is that the behavior of those animals will not be unpredictable. Mindless killing machines are programmed to kill therefore their behavior is entirely predictable, they will try to kill.

I'm especially worried about that escaped giraffe. It will slaughter its way up and down the Midwest, and take its murder spree south for the winter. Even people living on the second floor are at risk, the giraffe can easily smash through a window and snatch people out of their homes. It will kill them even when not hungry, for the giraffe kills for pleasure. It amuses it to rip a baby to shreds, or bite off the heads of children, or coil its neck around a fullgrown adult and squeeze until the head and feet pop right off in a fountain of blood.

 

[bottsranzee]

I'm especially worried about that escaped giraffe. It will slaughter its way up and down the Midwest, and take its murder spree south for the winter. Even people living on the second floor are at risk, the giraffe can easily smash through a window and snatch people out of their homes. It will kill them even when not hungry, for the giraffe kills for pleasure. It amuses it to rip a baby to shreds, or bite off the heads of children, or coil its neck around a fullgrown adult and squeeze until the head and feet pop right off in a fountain of blood.

Wow, they are more dangerous than I thought! I didn't even realize they could do that with their neck!