Follow Up of the Day: This is the heartbreaking denouement of the wildlife chase that took place near Zanesville, Ohio today: 49 dead animals.
Of the 56 animals released from their pens at the 73-acre Muskingum County Animal Farm, only six were rescued: a grizzly bear, three leopards, and two macaques.
The rest — six black bears, two grizzly bears, nine male lions, eight lionesses, one baboon, three mountain lions, 18 tigers, and two wolves — were shot and killed by local authorities.
One monkey, believed to be carrying the harmful Herpes B virus, may yet be on the loose, but Muskingum County Sheriff Matt Lutz said his department was convinced that the monkey was consumed by one of the big cats.
“I’m sorry for what happened to these animals, but also for what could have happened to people,” said Jack Hanna, director emeritus of the Columbus zoo, where the rescued animals were transported. “Let’s hope this never has to happen again in any state. This is a tragedy for the animal world. It could have been a bigger tragedy for the human world.”
According to officials, Terry Thompson, the farm’s owner, released the wild and exotic animals before taking his own life a short while later. No suicide note was found.
Thompson, a Vietnam War vet, has had several run-ins with the law, including animal abuse charges, and, most recently, a seizure by the ATF of illegal weapons from his property. He spent time in jail after pleading guilty in 2010 to two counts of illegal firearms possession.
In light of today’s events, Ohio’s lax restrictions on exotic pet ownership have come under fire. “How many incidents must we catalog before the state takes action to crack down on private ownership of dangerous exotic animals?,” said Humane Society of the United States president and CEO Wayne Pacelle in a statement.
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