Lions, wolves & bears...oh my!

**fast eddie** · 19.10.2011, 07:40

ZANESVILLE, Ohio — Dozens of wild animals — from bears to lions to wolves — were running loose in Muskingum County yesterday, apparently set free from their cages.

Meanwhile, the man who owned the animals was found dead on the wildlife preserve that he ran, authorities said.

What happened to Terry Thompson — and how his animals were all set free — went unanswered last night, as deputies continued to try to round up the creatures. Those that they cornered, they shot, Muskingum County Sheriff Matt Lutz said.

“Our first responsibility is to protect the public,” Lutz said.

Late last night, Lutz said deputies had killed at least 25 animals, and the sheriff’s office had cordoned off about 5 to 7 square miles in the county. The deputies were being assisted by the State Highway Patrol, authorities from the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and the Wilds, the state Division of Wildlife, the county Emergency Management Agency and township fire departments.

A plan to bring in a patrol helicopter with a thermal-imaging camera to find animals was scuttled last night by stormy weather.

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stor...um-County.html

**Caddywumpus** · 19.10.2011, 07:56

Originally Posted by fast eddie

Those that they cornered, they shot]

Maybe this is my inner hippie, but that's shitty.

But why was the guy deaD? ALF?

**gambiacrumember** · 19.10.2011, 09:45

This made news in the UK. Looks like the guy either released all the animals then killed himself or the animals there developed opposable thumbs and killed the guy on their way out.

**Flandangle** · 19.10.2011, 10:12

Basically Animal Farm.

**Caddywumpus** · 19.10.2011, 10:25

Shit. Crzy.

**fast eddie** · 19.10.2011, 16:15

UPDATE:

Holy shit, the dude let all the animals go, then killed himself.

18 tigers, nine male lions, eight female lions, six black bears, three mountain lions, two grizzly bears, one baboon and two wolves, Sheriff Matt Lutz said. The escaped monkey poses a danger because it is infected with herpes, the sheriff said.

Beware the herpes infected monkey!

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stor...um-County.html

**Flandangle** · 19.10.2011, 17:16

Holy jesus. Lots of dead, rare animals. Not good man.

WATCH OUT FOR THE HERP MONKEY

**Titties 'N' Beer** · 19.10.2011, 18:28

The last article that I read said something along the lines of "rabid chimp that may be infected with Hepatitis B"

Its a fucked up situation, but killing those things was the smartest choice to make.

The coolest part of the story was that the first I heard of it was through an AP app on my phone, and the article was written by one of my neighbors from my freshman year at college.

**basshole** · 19.10.2011, 18:50

let me get this straight, they cornered the animals with authorities from the zoo and from the state division of wildlife, but they couldnt figure out how to capture/contain/tranquilize the animals? thats fuckin bullshit. i bet some hick cops thought it good sport to shoot a bunch of big game. im disgusted by that picture

**basshole** · 19.10.2011, 19:14

Forty-eight of the 56 animals were then shot dead on the sheriff's orders.

Among those killed were 17 lions and 18 Bengal tigers. US nature TV host Jack Hanna said the killing of the tigers was especially tragic as there were only about 1,400 remaining in the world.

Mr Hanna, a former director of Columbus Zoo, in the nearby Ohio state capital, said tranquilising animals in the dark was incredibly dangerous, and told reporters that "the sheriff did the right thing".

"You cannot tranquilise an animal like this, a bear or a leopard or a tiger [at night]," Mr Hanna told ABC before the news conference.

"If you do that, the animal gets very excited, it goes and hides, and then we have [police officers] in danger of losing their life, and other people."

out of 18 tigers and 17 lions, i am not at all convinced that not a single one of them was in a position in which they could have safely captured it. unfortunate

**salomonskater** · 19.10.2011, 20:55

Originally Posted by Titties 'N' Beer

Its a fucked up situation, but killing those things was the smartest choice to make.

NO.

**Red Rider** · 19.10.2011, 21:58

YES finally my chance to claim the moral high ground in a life or death situation I couldn't possibly imagine being in yet feel qualified to evaluate the crisis decision making of experts!

**Titties 'N' Beer** · 20.10.2011, 01:05

Originally Posted by salomonskater

NO.

I know, its sad.

We're all being Captain Hindsight right now.

* · 20.10.2011, 03:42

Originally Posted by toe-bee

sooo...

would it have been better if they got captured and locked up for the rest of their lives?
or are they better off dead?

my conclusion, fuck mankind.

R.I.P. awesome animals.

def better off dead. zoos are just animal collector assholes with degrees.
dont want to get into it and get all pissed off so
"my conclusion, fuck mankind."

***ROYALwithCHEESE*** · 20.10.2011, 04:24

What your surprised Americans used a gun to solve this complex situation?

* · 20.10.2011, 05:24

Originally Posted by *ROYALwithCHEESE*

What your surprised Americans used a gun to solve this complex situation?

no, but also not surprised that a non-american brought up guns like they have anything to do with this. guns have triggers you have to pull to fire them. the individual holding the gun makes the decision to pull it or not. guns are fine, people are not.

* · 20.10.2011, 05:29

Originally Posted by basshole

let me get this straight, they cornered the animals with authorities from the zoo and from the state division of wildlife, but they couldnt figure out how to capture/contain/tranquilize the animals? thats fuckin bullshit. i bet some hick cops thought it good sport to shoot a bunch of big game. im disgusted by that picture

and the fact that these animals were already in captivity and were used to human contact. wouldnt surprise me if this was another PETA conspiracy.

***ROYALwithCHEESE*** · 20.10.2011, 05:30

You notice how they shot the black bears and rhinos first?

I bet they planted a gun on them....

***ROYALwithCHEESE*** · 20.10.2011, 05:31

Originally Posted by *

no, but also not surprised that a non-american brought up guns like they have anything to do with this. guns have triggers you have to pull to fire them. the individual holding the gun makes the decision to pull it or not. guns are fine, people are not.

congratulations for being the first....

* · 20.10.2011, 05:34

Originally Posted by Red Rider

YES finally my chance to claim the moral high ground in a life or death situation I couldn't possibly imagine being in yet feel qualified to evaluate the crisis decision making of experts!

here is where you should be criticizing america. ignorance pulls the trigger.