# In News: Ohio Zoo Escape



## PGuk (Oct 2, 2011)

BBC News - Bears, tigers, lions and wolves escape from Ohio zoo

"Police have shot and killed dozens of exotic animals that escaped from a private zoo in Zanesville, Ohio."

Did anyone see this?

Sad to see so many rare animals killed, but I understand they were a threat and that the authorities probably made the right decision.


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## EquineArcher (Feb 13, 2010)

How very sad, and what a massive blow to the bengal's too.


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## Junior13reptilez (Oct 17, 2010)

Just what the tiger population needed...


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## Zoo-Man (Apr 12, 2008)

This story is in today's The Sun. It said though, that it was the keeper who released the animals before killing himself. And it also said he had prviously been in trouble for animal cruelty. Aparently he had horses that were not fed properly & when any of them died, he fed them to the big cats.


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## PGuk (Oct 2, 2011)

Being a scouser I wouldn't read the sun!

But it also mentions that in the BBC article posted, he must of been a pretty wealthy guy, were would he even acquire these animals?

Ohio it mentions is one of the more lax states when it comes to keeping exotic animals.


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## Newt182 (Sep 3, 2011)

Just read this on another forum. Another source with pics.. Ohio animals killed: Lions, tigers shot dead after escaping from US zoo | Mail Online

Poor animals


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## Tarron (May 30, 2010)

I was just about to post this to.

Awful news, I can understand why they went with a shoot to kill, it would have been impossible to quickly gather and sedate them all.

It is a real shame though, the poor things didnt stand a chance.


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## adamntitch (Jun 17, 2007)

i hate things like this man kills more animals and other people than any animal 

i truly beleve no tiger or any of they animals would of attacked a person unless cornered rip animals was not there fault 

same as wene a shark attacks or any animal could kill my own mum and i would not want that animal hunted and killed people make them how they are xx


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## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

Those poor creatures...


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## scottishsany (Nov 5, 2009)

*why????*

you just wonder WHY at one stage he must have flipped you don't sit and think something like that over ??


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## Elina (Jul 22, 2009)

Apparently the man who owned the animals was depressed and had a fair few screws loose after his wife left him. The animals did not exactly escape, he let them loose. 

I am so very upset by this as I have had countless people on my foxes FB page asking me to sign band on exotics in Ohio due to this but the fact of the matter is that this was a one off, most people with exotics are not mad and will not let their precious critters loose. 

Many of my fellow fox owners live in Ohio and they are terrified that their animals will be taken away due to this. 

-
Elina


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## em_40 (Sep 29, 2010)

True it is a one off, but he still shouldn't have been allowed to keep those animals, he was charged with animal cruelty and there was repeated reports of 'escaped' animals, he also told police on a number of occasions that he would let them all free. Something obviously needs to be better regulated.
A sad turn of events that never should have been allowed to happen in my eyes.


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## spinnin_tom (Apr 20, 2011)

PGuk said:


> BBC News - Bears, tigers, lions and wolves escape from Ohio zoo
> 
> "Police have shot and killed dozens of exotic animals that escaped from a private zoo in Zanesville, Ohio."
> 
> ...


DISGUSTING

helping the american stereotype a lot


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## Elina (Jul 22, 2009)

em_40 said:


> True it is a one off, but he still shouldn't have been allowed to keep those animals, he was charged with animal cruelty and there was repeated reports of 'escaped' animals, he also told police on a number of occasions that he would let them all free. Something obviously needs to be better regulated.
> A sad turn of events that never should have been allowed to happen in my eyes.


Indeed he should not have had them, that is true. 
People just wont understand that this is not a normal situation. This guy was 'troubled'. If the same thing happened to farm animals or domestics they would not be promoting bans.
-
Elina


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## Devi (Jan 9, 2011)

Tarron said:


> I was just about to post this to.
> 
> Awful news, I can understand why they went with a shoot to kill, it would have been impossible to quickly gather and sedate them all.
> 
> It is a real shame though, the poor things didnt stand a chance.


Having worked in a zoo, sedation can be pretty slow, and even completely ineffective in animals that are full of adrenaline. These animals were released in a residential area and a darted animal could still kill a few people. Basically the protocol in British zoos for class A animals, which are the most dangerous ones, is that we dart them unless a person is in the proximity, in which case it's a shotgun.
I'm assuming this was the situation here.
It was also mentioned on the news that police may not have dart guns readily available and they may have taken a long time to get them.
As a personal point though, I'm gutted that the animals died, I wish they hadn't been released, I wish they had been darted, and I wish they were ok now. The owner seems to be a horribly selfish man who knew that these animals would die and wasn't bothered in the slightest. :devil:


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## Pouchie (Feb 9, 2008)

When things like this happen it adds to threat of a ban on exotic pets.

It makes me think about how little they actually need as an excuse and an incident like this could be used to impose another US ban.

The pouched rat ban was imposed due to one single incident of an idiot releasing his rats. 

Would be surprised if this incident is not a big deal for a long time :sad:


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## em_40 (Sep 29, 2010)

Opposing view: Let people own exotic animals


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