Wild Animals On The Loose In Ohio
Ohio is not a place where one is driving along the road and suddenly spots a cheetah. OK, well I take that back. If you are Harold and Kumar you might actually see a cheetah and if Neil Patrick Harris is riding it then, that is ok too.
On Tuesday night, the owner of approximately 48 wild animals died. Authorities suspect he committed suicide. Prior to his death, the man released all of the animals back into the wild. They included cheetahs, lions bears and many others. Police last night advised residents of Zanesville, OH to remain in their homes. Schools were canceled this morning. Last night, police killed many of the animals, but the lion and bear were still on the loose. I don't understand why they cannot just tranquilize them and find a zoo. I also do not understand how a man who got out of prison a year ago managed to obtain 48 wild animals in such a short time.
49 comments:
This story boggles my mind.
How was one man permitted to own 48 wild animals?!?! Seriously. Now the town that permitted this is screwed. They have to protect the public, but you know all the animal rights activists are going to be up in arms about them killing cheetahs and lion bears. I so don't want to see animals get killed, but I also don't want to have people harmed by the wild animals.
Awesome. And now all the animals will pay the price for having been kept captive by a wild animal collector/hobbyist.
What Susan said - Toms, Dicks and Harrys should not be allowed to own such animals.
This really pisses me off. Those animals did not deserve to die. How does one obtain THAT many wild animals?? Are there not laws against that in OH? WTF???
I think this qualifies as wild animal HOARDER!
The guy owned an exotic-animal preserve, which is how he was able to obtain so many animals. Plus, he was a total idiot (by all accounts.)
"the man released all of the animals back into the wild."
In OHIO??? More like he released them into the farmland.
You're right Enty. The animals should have been tranquilized and sent to a zoo.
As much as I hope the animals do not hurt a person, I feel for the animals. I thought the same thing, why kill them, donating to a zoo would have been a better solution. Sad for the animals.
From what the local news has been saying, the animals were well-fed and taken care of but were rather aggressive. Maybe zoos wouldn't want to risk having these animals attacking their animals? It's just not right.
Jack Hanna was on the scene this morning. Maybe he can save some of the animals.
Maybe the police felt they didn't have the time to wait for a zoo to come pick up the animals. I know police will use the excuse to save people at the cost of the animals lives but seriously I hate that excuse. People could have stayed inside for 24 hours I would think with no ill effects but look how many senseless deaths have occured.
This is awful and I hate it when people get their hands on exotic animals. Now they pay the price for this asshats actions. I wish they could have tranquilized them too, but maybe 48 of them being loose was just too many for them to handle to try to do that. So very sad!
On Today this morning One man from a zoo (not sure which zoo but he was on site)said it takes time for the tranqs to work and, as the animals are in distress it would take longer. They also said the animals were aggressive. I think they were hoping to tranq some, but were unsure at the time I watched the interview.
I was so mad when I read this this morning. By all means I don't want to see anyone get hurt either,and I am by no means a cray cray animal activist! But really you had to shoot to kill and not tranquilize them. Really ticks me off.
It's Ohio and unfortunately here animals are considered an object - not a soul with emotions and feelings. The Columbus Zoo got into the action ASAP but was "run over" by the Ohio State Police who insisted that all the animals die. Like it's the animals fault. Buying exotic animals is supposed to be against the law - but where I live in Amish Hell Ohio, there are auctions here all the time. The whole situation was handled wrong. With the zoo, workers from another large animal park called "The Wild" and Jack Hanna - this could have been handled differently.
If I start a band, I'm going to name it "Lion In Ohio".
BTW - just read that Ohio is going to pass a stronger exotic animals law: http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/state/jack-hanna-ohio-6-weeks-away-from-exotic-animal-law
How this was all legal is mind boggling. The Today show said about 25 of the 48 were taken down, and the local zoo was on the scene with tranq guns. I, for one, am hoping that the lions, tigers and bears somehow find a life outside of captivity, but also don't kill any peoples. Wouldn't that be a great movie?
Sad, but the animals did have to be killed. There was a tiger and a vet tried to tranquilize it, but it started getting away.
Great news, Allie.
God I hope Allie's right. I really hope this brings attention to the current f-ed up exotic animal laws. How sad. The cops suck, the government sucks, but the biggest ASSHOLE in this whole mess is the owner! Why did he let all those animals loose?! Had he not and actually did something about it--had professionals come by to transport them somewhere where they'd be safe(r)--this wouldn't have happened. I couldn't watch the video. Too sad.
Allie, they sell exotic animals at your animal auction houses? Most exotic animals I've seen at my auction house is chinchilla.
Completely, completely co-sign RQ.
When I heard about this is morning on the news I thought the same thing. But then I called the guy and the authorities in Ohio dumb fucks.
I've been watching this story all day, the authorities that handled the situation last night said that it was too dark to use tranquilizers and the animals posed a large threat to the community (confused, disoriented, etc). They also said that the authorities don't have a lot of training on exotic animal situations, and no training in regards to when something this large happens. The chief also said that the animals the man had included 18 tigers and primates that could spread Hep B. My heart breaks for everyone (animals and people) that were put at risk because of this ONE man.
Suicide is a very selfish act and this guy upped the anty by insuring that a whole bunch of animals where going to die right along with him. The animals were large and aggressive and they sadly had to kill some of them. The officer's safety and the safety of the community had to come first here unfortunately.
Disgusting. If there is a hell, I hope the man who committed suicide burns for all eternity. Those animals did NOT deserve this end. Shame on you, Ohio.
This is so weird - I can't figure out what was in the guys head - what did he want to happen?
His suicide was definitely selfish but I don't think all suicides are selfish. Depends on the cirumstances.
I wondered the same (shooting over tranq), & then I read this article today which made it a little clearer: http://www.freep.com/article/20111019/NEWS05/111019012/As-Ohio-hunts-down-escaped-wild-animals-Detroit-zoo-boss-fights-Michigan-protections
"“That’s an unusual outcome,” he said, pointing out that reports say that only a couple of people were at the site with more than 40 animals. “That’s why you wouldn’t want individuals or a tiny organization to handle dangerous, exotic animals, because in an emergency situation you need to have lots of layers, lots of professionals.”"
I read that the humane society or some other organization did not fault the police for doing their job, which is protecting the public. As someone mentioned above, tranquilizing is difficult to do in a controlled situation and their safety would be compromised.
This is a devastating story. Aren't tigers still endangered? Good riddance to the loon that caused so much trouble and is responsible for the deaths of all those poor creatures.
This story makes me so angry and brings me to tears that these animals had to die because of this stupid man's decisions. And Ohio better get some better rules so that this kind of shit doesn't happen again.
While the numbers keep changing, right now the count is that 49 animals were killed out of the 56 total. One monkey is still loose. What the news briefly mentioned this morning was that most of the animals were killed IN THE ENCLOSURE.
A nearby park called The Wilds had lots of trained help ready at the scene last night to tranquilize and capture - they were later joined by zoo vets, but authorities declined their help and gave the order to shoot to kill.
It all could have been handled so differently. I guess the bottom line for them is that it is so much easier to shoot 'em dead than dart them and put them in a truck.
As others said, the tranquilizers can take too long to work. If someone got injured because the police tried tranqs instead of bullets, they'd be in BIG trouble. It's awful, but they really didn't have any choice.
Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!
This story makes me rage. I cannot believe we still allow "exotic zoos" in this backwards country - I'm not suprised because of the high rate of animal abuse as well. Shit, the USA has the highest child abuse and death rates of any industrialized countries. Sickening, we can't even care for our kids, so how can we even begin to care about animals?
It sickens me that this "man" supposedly cared for his animals well. He had to have known these poor bbs would be hunted down immediately. The only good part of this story is that he's dead. Fucker.
I cannot image a life that consists of being stuck in a cage for your eternal memory, and then the minute freedom is handed to you, you're hunted down and killed.
I really, really hate this story.
RIP poor animals.
From what I heard on the news, this guy was in prison because of the animals (not properly restraining them maybe?), his wife left him recently & he let the animals loose before he killed himself b/c he was so angry over being in prison & the divorce.
What a mess. Those animals didn't deserve to die like that.
I'm here. I live here. Like many of you, I have been reading and hearing and crying over this story all day long. Full disclosure: I am also a sensible animal rights activist (how funny that I have to use a word like "sensible" so that people don't imagine me tossing buckets of red paint on women wearing fur coats or conducting midnight raids on laboratories to set all the animals free. The stories I *DO* have, though...).
To answer a few questions:
1) The reason the man owned so many "exotic" animals--for which he did indeed have the correct permits--is that our current asshat of a Governor let an emergency executive order banning the ownership of such animals (signed by our last Governor) expire shortly after his term began. Because he's an asshat (as well as the the most openly, belligerently hostile political figure I've ever witnessed in this state). Yes, as another poster mentioned, there is pending legislation that would permanently block all private ownership, but it was the old executive order and our asshat of a Governor's refusal to extend it that created the loophole that allowed this man to obtain all these animals despite his previous convictions for animal cruelty (he claimed that he couldn't climb up the hill to the pasture where he kept cows, so he left them there to starve and die).
2) There are, in fact, TWO major zoos within MINUTES of where this all occurred. The Wilds is a national leader in conservation and education efforts, while the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium (home of Jungle Jack Hanna, the "zoo guy" you saw on the news this morning, and who also makes regular appearances on The Tonight Show) is pretty much regarded as the best zoo in the world (yes, even better than San Diego). Hanna was called in to the situation in the very early hours of the morning, but police had already issued their "shoot to kill" order. Since yesterday evening, the rain here has been torrential and nonstop, so that combined with the darkness and the open, hilly terrain made for terrible conditions to try to find, calm, and subdue so many wild animals. As Hanna explained on the news (while spinning the PR so hard it hurt to watch), tranquilizers were not really an option, given the weather, the location, the size/type/temperament/condition of the various animals, and so forth. Personally, I don't think that's completely true--I believe that *some* of these animals could have been saved, with proper tranquilization dosages and techniques. (And yes--if a grizzly bear or a lion is running up to me on the street, please take out that gun you're allowed to carry in a concealed place and SHOOT IT. Animals that are actively attacking people--and other animals--are entirely different from animals that are scared, hungry, cold, wet, defensive, tired, disoriented, and everything else I don't want to imagine.
3) The man who killed himself only wanted to give a big, giant "FUCK YOU" to society by not only opening all of the cages in which the animals were housed, but also tearing down part of the fence to the entire property before killing himself. He has had many troubles with the law in the past, and I think he just decided to "go out with a bang" because he was just that type of felon. The truth is that the caretaker (NOT the "owner") of the animals--who confirmed the total number of animals for authorities, as well as the fact that they had been fed yesterday--would have been back today to feed them as usual. Would he have talked to or seen the owner? Maybe, maybe not. But those animals were deliberately, misguidedly, and hatefully "set free" only to be murdered.
And so this dissertation explains why, on so many days, I love animals far more than I love people. We are so hateful to one another at times--which is why, even though I don't comment here all that often, I will ALWAYS stand up for someone who is being treated hatefully here. My heart feels a little less pain at seeing all the comments here tonight, long after everyone else has posted, and knowing that sometimes our shared sentiments over a tragedy can make us more compassionate toward one another. It's on these days that I can love humans a little bit more.
Ohio - the armpit of America..
Of course, I'm in Michigan, the middle finger of America...
I just read about this after being at school all day....
I feel a bone deep heartache that can only be caused by the most insane injustice.
Perhaps it's because I for one dont value human life so far ahead of animal's lives that I can so easily dismiss or forgive the Sheriff's decision to shoot to kill. Yes, some people could have been in danger but we are talking about killing a fucking endangered species. You kill 10 -15 bengal tigers of which there are under a few thousand in the world and you expect me to care that tom and jane from bum fuck middle america were saved?!?
Go fuck yourself Ohio
btw-the fact that nothing is going to happen to this sheriff is a travesty.
To fill in some after BP's posts [in case you haven't heard it elsewhere], Jack Hanna was spinning, but he made some valid points. Because of the weather and visual problems [night and then torrential a.m. rain], he said the animals had to be shot.
He said, and i'm paraphrasing these "quotes", that even if you know you've shot an animal w/tranks, you don't know if you've shot into bone or muscle if there are visual constraints. You can't keep shooting because it's so easy to overdose the animal. [I know, i guess if only a few animals are out, and it's a remote area, you've got time to wait and see. They didn't think they had the time.] So then you send a vet in to check the animal's condition. Hanna said he's seen a Bengal tiger take down a 2,000 lb. water buffalo in 10 seconds. So there goes your vet if the dart didn't hit flesh and release enough of the tranquilizer.
He said it was the worst animal related thing he's seen in decades of working w/animals, and he'll carry the memory of the tragedy for the rest of his life, but under the circumstances, it had to be done. Hanna said they WILL change Ohio's laws which allowed this man -- and others in Ohio -- to legally possess these animals.
BP, and any other Ohio residents, if out-of-staters can help w/petitions or in any way, please post here. This has angered as much as it has broken hearts. You know you'll find willing help here. I guess the rest of us better check our own state and municipal laws if we don't already know them.
This made me cry. Those poor animals paid for this a-hole's selfishness. I don't think they had to shoot all the animals. but I understand why they did. There is a monkey with herpes still on the loose. I hope this guy is in hell right now.
I can only encourage any of you who cannot understand the human behavior involved in this to take a look at the movie I am Fishead. The guy is probably in hell and it probably doesn't matter.
Thank you for your posts, blankprincess. I'm glad there are people like you in Ohio.
I just wish loose animals have not harm any of in Ohio,those animals should be catch & place in wildlife century
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