Lions, Bears and Tiger on the Loose in Ohio. Can it happen here?

**Lowell** · October-19-11, 07:42 AM

No this isn't sports news.

The breaking news of the release of numerous exotic animals, including lions, a tiger and grizzly bears, the death of their bizarre ex-felon owner under suspicious conditions in Zanesville, Ohio last night begs the question of what may exist here.

As many as 48 wild animals, including cheetahs, grizzly bears, black bears, wolves, lions, a white Siberian tiger, camels and giraffes are on the loose across Zanesville, which has a population of about 25,000 residents. Police said that orangutans and chimps were found in Thompson's home, but they were still in their cages.

Are there such 'collectors' here in metro Detroit-Windsor? What are the regulations and what monitoring is in place for such activities? For instance, I know that the practice of having wild Russian boars on Michigan hunting farms has recently been outlawed for fear of their escape.

**Meddle** · October-19-11, 07:54 AM

The cops involved in their slaughter need to be charged with animal cruelty. Some of them were standing peacefully at their cages when they were gunned down. People who knew how to handle them were on the way with tranquilizer darts to help capture them. Unless a specific animal was actively charging or attacking a person, there was no reason to shoot.

**Lowell** · October-19-11, 08:30 AM

Give 'em a break. How many Ohio cops get to say they bagged a lion?

Levity aside I am going to give them the benefit of doubt that they were totally freaked out.

Apparently no one knows exactly how many animals are loose since the owner is dead.

**Meddle** · October-19-11, 08:39 AM

Originally Posted by Lowell

cops

totally freaked out.

Those word and phrases don't go together in my book.

There seems to be a lot of goofups in this case. Apparently no one knew much about this place from what little I've read. Permits? Inspections? Health certificates?

Why aren't they saying much about his death? It doesn't sound like the animals got him since they said all the cages were left open. It sounds more like some animal activist group somehow, but I'm not sure why they just let the animals go free.

On your original question, would DNR know? They might if it was a legal operation, but not if it was a renegade collector. There have been cases of exotics being found inside Detroit homes during raids, but nothing along this scale.

**Lowell** · October-19-11, 08:47 AM

later...

Finding answers to my questions now.

Michigan Compiled Laws Annotated Currentness. Chapter 287. Animal Industry; Large Carnivore Act

Summary: This Michigan law bans acquisition and possession of large carnivores [[big cats and bears), though it “grandfathered” animals already owned as pets at the time of the law's enactment. In order to maintain public safety and animal welfare, the state created a strict permit system for those owners who were allowed to keep their already-existing pets. The statute also outlines minimal care requirements, transportation guidelines, and procedures for when a large carnivore suspected of carrying rabies bites a human or livestock.

It appears the law was enacted in the year 2000, so there still could be 'grandfathered' animals around although they would be getting 'long in the tooth'.

**Downriviera** · October-19-11, 09:38 AM

You can make big money in Petite Lap Giraffes.

http://www.petitelapgiraffe.com/

**sirrealone** · October-19-11, 10:00 AM

Just saw that the owner apparently let the animals out and then killed himself. So I think it's safe to put 100% of the blame on him for what's happening now. Everybody else is just picking up the pieces.

Also read that tranquilizing during the dark at night isn't advisable especially considering the large number of animals being dealt with. If it was just one animal then yeah, they probably could have tried tranquilizing, but it probably simply isn't feasible to outfit everybody that is looking for them with a tranquilizer gun on a moment's notice, don't you think?

**rjk** · October-19-11, 11:20 AM

How about the showdown that the Warren police department had with the black panther?

For those that didn't see the story, it turned out to be a large stuffed animal placed in a cement sewer pipe.

**iheartthed** · October-19-11, 11:55 AM

Originally Posted by sirrealone

Just saw that the owner apparently let the animals out and then killed himself. So I think it's safe to put 100% of the blame on him for what's happening now. Everybody else is just picking up the pieces.

No blame for the authorities who allowed him to house such dangerous animals in the 7th most populated state in the country?

**Danny** · October-19-11, 12:29 PM

There already wild animals on the loose in Detroit. This city has snakes, rabie carrying skunks, coyotes, feral wolf dogs, wild cats, deer and of course wild humans!

**DetroitPlanner** · October-19-11, 12:44 PM

I've ead a couple of articles plus listened to WJR on this. Apparently Ohio has the least stringent laws pertaining the owning of exotic animals. It is doubtful that one person in Michigan could get such a menagerie, though they do exist in some places under heavy permitting. One example is Oswald's Bear ranch, WJR interviewed that owner. Another is along the Ausable W of Oscoda.

**Johnnny5** · October-19-11, 01:39 PM

Originally Posted by Meddle

The cops involved in their slaughter need to be charged with animal cruelty. Some of them were standing peacefully at their cages when they were gunned down. People who knew how to handle them were on the way with tranquilizer darts to help capture them. Unless a specific animal was actively charging or attacking a person, there was no reason to shoot.

Give me a freaking break.

There were DOZENS of wolves, bears and big cats on the loose that most likely had little fear of humans, and to make matters worse they were released just hours before nightfall. Left in the open these animals could have been miles away from the site by morning, which would have made capturing them in a reasonable amount of time extremely difficult, if not impossible. They also posed an immediate threat to every officer on the scene and every resident in the area.
The cops did the right thing, and only a PETA nut would consider their actions anything less than proper, let alone criminal.

**mikeg19** · October-19-11, 04:18 PM

Originally Posted by Meddle

The cops involved in their slaughter need to be charged with animal cruelty. Some of them were standing peacefully at their cages when they were gunned down. People who knew how to handle them were on the way with tranquilizer darts to help capture them. Unless a specific animal was actively charging or attacking a person, there was no reason to shoot.

Correct me if I'm wrong but the initial reports didn't specify what so ever if any animals in cages were shot. It only stated that some of the wild loose animals had been shot, and that the Columbus zoo had eventually made it to the scene to try and tranq any animals they came across. Don't get me wrong, if they were in the cages then there was absolutely no reason to shoot them, but if a lion is standing 20 yards in front of you, he becomes a threat very, very quickly one would assume.....

**Gistok** · October-19-11, 04:49 PM

Originally Posted by Danny

There already wild animals on the loose in Detroit. This city has snakes, rabie carrying skunks, coyotes, feral wolf dogs, wild cats, deer and of course wild humans!

LOL.... Danny that was one of your best posts ever.....

**Gistok** · October-19-11, 05:01 PM

I just read that the owner who commited suicide let the animals out as one last act of vengeance against his neighbors.

Sadly the most tragic of the shootings was the death of 18 Bengal tigers... an endangered species... since there's only 1,400 remaining in the world.

Hope that guy roasts in hell...

**Rochelle St.** · October-19-11, 05:25 PM

There was a person on Curtiss Street in Roseville who kept Llamas in their backyard untill a few years ago.
At least, i think they were Llamas.

**Gistok** · October-19-11, 05:37 PM

Originally Posted by Rochelle St.

There was a person on Curtiss Street in Roseville who kept Llamas in their backyard untill a few years ago.
At least, i think they were Llamas.

I know... one person's Alpaca is another persons Llama.... who really knows?

**Detroitej72** · October-19-11, 05:52 PM

Clearly Ohio needs stronger laws to stop idiot's from keeping these types of animals, but I'm sure the tea party types will call for less laws.

**Jimaz** · October-19-11, 06:38 PM

I heard on the radio that the reason they didn't use tranquilizers is that they couldn't get enough tranquilizers to the scene fast enough for an emergency of that scale. The police don't stock it because they don't usually need it in those quantities and it needs to be inventoried/secured/tracked/expiration dates/yadda yadda.

It's a shame but that's the practicality of it.

Had a person or persons been killed by the lack of response by the first responders, I can imagine the uproar that would have followed. This is an example of where more rather than less regulation could have averted the disaster.

I wasn't there so I'm not saying it's right or wrong. That's just the position they're taking and I can understand it.

So sad. I wish I could turn back the clock and undo it. If they don't know how many animals were involved, it may not be over yet.

**Rochelle St.** · October-19-11, 06:51 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

I know... one person's Alpaca is another persons Llama.... who really knows?

So you know what I'm talking about?
You've seen the Alpacas/Llamas too?

**Gistok** · October-19-11, 06:55 PM

Originally Posted by Rochelle St.

So you know what I'm talking about?
You've seen the Alpacas/Llamas too?

Yessirree they all look the same to me... but I'm sure if I knew what to look for, I'd have a clue... I know that Alpaca's spit [[a nasty acidic stomach mixture)... not sure if Llama's do?? Of course that's not how I'd like to find out the difference!

**milesdriven** · October-19-11, 10:15 PM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

No blame for the authorities who allowed him to house such dangerous animals in the 7th most populated state in the country?

Personal freedom and personal safety have somewhat of an inverse relationship.

**iheartthed** · October-20-11, 07:36 AM

Originally Posted by milesdriven

Personal freedom and personal safety have somewhat of an inverse relationship.

I think you meant public safety. Nobody stopped him from killing himself... He was successful with that. But his so called "personal freedom" endangered public safety. But I don't believe the right to store the animal kingdom in your backyard falls under "personal freedom."

**j to the jeremy** · October-21-11, 01:06 PM

Originally Posted by Meddle

Those word and phrases don't go together in my book.

There seems to be a lot of goofups in this case. Apparently no one knew much about this place from what little I've read. Permits? Inspections? Health certificates?

Why aren't they saying much about his death? It doesn't sound like the animals got him since they said all the cages were left open. It sounds more like some animal activist group somehow, but I'm not sure why they just let the animals go free.

On your original question, would DNR know? They might if it was a legal operation, but not if it was a renegade collector. There have been cases of exotics being found inside Detroit homes during raids, but nothing along this scale.

i think those words "cops" and "freaked out" go together in a lot of police shootings in minority communities as well...

ferntruth · October-21-11, 03:01 PM

Originally Posted by j to the jeremy

i think those words "cops" and "freaked out" go together in a lot of police shootings in minority communities as well...

+1

Although, not where Meddle lives apparently.
Interesting that before all the facts were in Meddle was ready to assign the blame to "animal activists".
Your leg muscles must be in great shape Meddle from all of the jumping to conclusions you do.

It's a tragedy that this happened - a shameful waste, but as much as I hate to admit it, what was done was necessary. I place the blame squarely at the feet of the State government for having such relaxed laws pertaining to keeping such dangerous animals.

The SOB should have just gotten a dog like the rest of us!