Six Exotic Animals Saved from Ohio Tragedy, Resting At Columbus Zoo

10/20/2011

Six Souls Saved in Horrible Tragedy

A young grizzly bear, three leopards and two monkeys rescued this week from a backyard farm are adjusting to their new homes at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. The two monkeys were easily transported from the Muskingum County Animal Farm, but the four larger and more dangerous animals had to be sedated, Doug Warmolts, director of animal care at the zoo, told The Los Angeles Times.

Acording to Warmolts, the animals seem to be quietly adjusting to their new diets and recovering nicely, "They are doing well," he said. "We had a close watch on them to make sure they came out of the anesthesia, but by early evening they were up and moving around." He added: "They are calm. They are not angry or aggressive; they are just being very quiet," he told The Times.

The animals were let loose this week when Terry W. Thompson threw open the cages and slashed open the pens at his makeshift zoo, letting all the animals loose before turning a gun on himself. Authorities are still searching for a motive, although there are some unfolding suggestions that he was in deep debt.

In all, authorities killed 49 animals, including 18 tigers and a baboon. Much controversy has erupted regarding the actions of the authorities as well as the lax laws than enabled Thompson to keep these animals in such conditions. The six animals now at the Columbus Zoo are the only ones who were saved and they are being held in an isolated area, away from the public.

Check them out here.

You Can Help: An Outpouring of Concern 

The zoo has been flooded with callers from around the country asking about the animals' welfare, and offering to help defray the costs for their care. A special Web page has been set up and can be found here if you are interested in helping support these innocent animals. 

 Photo Source: ( Grahm S. Jones / Columbus Zoo and Aquarium)

Comments

[jim]

Ming was a 500 lbs tiger that was removed from a Harlem NYC apartment. It was an Fatal Attractions on Animal Planet. At the end of the show they mention how they sent Ming to a big cat refuge in Ohio. Sounds like Ming was one of the eighteen tigers that the police shot to death. Simply a an ugly end to such beauty!

[Lynnix]

They all look so sad! D:

[Emily]

This is very tragic. This incident actually occurred in the next town over from where I live. Exotic animals aren't meant to be kept by humans and it really is a wonder how he kept them on his "farm" for so long.

[Peyton]

This story has got me feeling really down, but it's good to know that 6 animals were saved. What was that guy thinking? I know no one can answer that, but any idea why they didn't use anesthesia on the other 49 animals?
I can't imagine being one of those animals doing nothing wrong at all, being forced to be a pet, and then get shot. That's a F***ed up life.

[Linda Lou in Philadelphia, PA]

I couldn't sleep last night. I had the terrible images of the carnage that was left of those beautiful animals in Ohio.

I am a big animal lover. I love my 4 cats and my pitbull. I am sure I could come to love a tiger, panther, lion...etc.....but that isn't reality. These animals belong in their OWN habitat, NOT mine.

The harm to human not withstanding, it isn't fair to the animals. Why this man decided to let these poor animals out, knowing that either they would turn on each other or the public for food, we will never know, he killed himself. But he could have easily picked up the phone and called the zoo and turned them over. Instead they had to be gunned down for the public's protection.

If he truly loved or valued those animals, they wouldn't have been out of their cages. 18 of only 1,400 Bengal tigers????? HOW did he GET them to begin with????? Not to mention the giraffe, leopards, monkeys and bears.

Ohio and other states LISTEN UP: If you haven't already, PLEASE ban the transportation, sale, trade and breeding of exotic pets!!!

[L. Rollins]

Actually Ming is safe at Noah's Lost Arc in Berlin, Ohio. He is safe :) http://www.noahslostark.org/

[Dafna Yee]

I can't believe that shooting those beautiful tigers was the only way to handle their release! Unfortunately, though, it was the easiest.

[caperuzita roja de feroz]

bellisimos animales rescatados muy buena nota animal planet!!!

[Louanne Dugan]

That is really sad that what happened to all those animals, the police should have tranquilized them all and sent them to somewhere they could be cared for. The animals did not have to die, that is really sad. I love all mammals and would have loved to been by all those animals.

[animalovernj]

it is sad they had to put down so many of the animals. I had heard that some of the ones they tried to tranq. ended up trying to attack them so they had to be put down, for the safety of the officers.

[BV]

HORRIBLE what happened, why kill these innocent animals? for what? terrible "judgement" on the part of these idiots in "control" of the situation. Glad these few were saved, but look at how sad they are. what a shame.

[Confused]

I really don't understand what the authorities were thinking when they killed zebras and giraffes, among other exotic herbivores that were on the property. The deputies and law enforcement officials then took "big game hunting" style photos of the dead animals. I think the judgement of the officials on this part, a least, should be under scrutiny. I know that the large predators could have become a risk to humans, but a giraffe could have been easily tranquilized. I think someone wanted a few exotic trophies to show their buddies on poker night.

[sandesh]

natures beauty. these animals are really god's gift.

[Kris]

THEY DIDNT HAVE TO SHOOT ANY OF THESE ANIMALS ALL THEY HAD TO DO IT TRANQUILIZE THEM N MOVE THEM I THINK THE COPS WERE IN THE WRONG N I BELIEVE THEY SHOULD ALL BE CHARGED!!!!!!

[Brandi Coffman]

I just read that they killed herbivores. I cant belive this. I asume that means that they do not eat meat and humt. This is ridiculous, that they killed innocent none threating animals. Some one should do something about this.

[Hassie Betz]

I agree. I don't understand why they had to kill a giraffe or monkey. In fact, is there any hard proof that the guy killed himself and released the animals? Could it have been someone else that did this? Was he stupid enough to believe his animals would be ok? or did he just not care? How can you care for a creature, nurture it and then release it to certain slaughter? This could easily have been murder but I think the suicide gives an easy solution. If it is suicide, then he was the monster, not the animals.

[Nope]

To all of the people not understanding why they killed herbivores.
all animals, regardless of what type of food they eat will protect themselves. People are killed by Giraffes, Monkeys, Chimpanzees, etc. Etc each year.
Granted, it could have been avoided but you didn't know the circumstances.
If a giraffe is charging at you and you have a gun, your going to shoot it. its a heavy, angry giraffe with feet & hooves like daggers.

[Confused]

Ok, then. Google the number of giraffe related killings of humans. Can't find any? I couldn't either. As for the zebras and camels, when your horse gets out of the field, you don't shoot it.

[Ralph]

Absolutely sickening! It was uncivilized and inhumane the way they handled this very unforturnate situation, no call for zoo's or animal experts - it's like going back 100 years, wild wild west. These poor and incredibly beautiful animals deserved so much better than this, -like being alive and relocated to a friendlier habitat to live out the rest of their short lived lives.

[L Levine]

Did local law enforcement have big tranquilizer guns at their immediate disposal (not to mention the training to use them)? I'm thinking not. It's HORRIBLE that the escaped animals were shot, but public safely must come first.

[Confused]

They were 30 minutes from the Columbus Zoo, one of the largest animal care facilities in the country! They could have gotten tranquilizer guns in 45 minutes if they made the call to Jack Hannah, instead of waiting until 44 animals were shot to bring zoo workers in. The animals that were saved were rescued as soon as zoo workers got there. That sheriff should have made a call instead of loading his rifle to kill a zebra.

[chelsea jones]

The animals were shot to kill because using tranquilizer at night is dangerous. It confuses the animals and they stumble off to God knows where, and then later wake up mad.

[Confused]

Why is all of the news footage of the escaped animals shot in the daylight if this all took place overnight?

[NeuBunny]

This is the second article I've read that mentioned the pens were 'slashed' open. Why would the owner have needed/wanted to cut the fences - presumably he had the key to the gates? Seems to argue against the owner having been the one to release the animals?

[Court]

They did tranquilize some of the animals, and those animals immediately turned and attacked zoo vets. Some of the herbivores were actually eaten by the carnivores, as well. This was chaos, people. It had, at that point, been raining here for over 36 hours. Mud and muck and darkness and over 40 dangerous carnivores roaming around -- one of the tigers was killed after being struck by a motorist on the very busy interstate 70 -- hundreds of 911 calls came in from people saying there were exotic animals in their yards. This was a tragedy, but it had to happen this way. People and domestic animals WOULD have been killed, no question, if these animals had been allowed to roam. I live a half hour from Zanesville and this whole thing was terrifying. The police officers have been breaking down on tv. They didn't want to do this. They weren't prepared, because we have no laws! So stop yelling at these poor men who were just doing their jobs and help us get our laws changed so this never happens again. Thank you.