| 2011 Zanesville, Ohio animal escape | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 39°56′48″N82°03′45″W / 39.9466772°N 82.0625522°W | |
| Date closed | October 2011 |
| Location | Muskingum County, Ohio, United States |
The 2011 Zanesville, Ohio animal escape occurred on October 18, 2011, when the owner of Muskingum County Animal Farm released multiple exotic animals before dying by suicide. 48 animals were subsequently killed by law enforcement.
Muskingum County Animal Farm was a private zoo located in Zanesville, Ohio, United States.
The animal farm had been repeatedly reported for inadequate and unsafe housing for the animals, as well as insufficient water and food. Neighbors had previously complained of animals escaping "improper fencing" and causing damage to neighboring property. [1]
On October 18, 2011, owner Terry Thompson allegedly set free 50 of his 56 exotic animals before taking his own life by shooting himself in the head. Lions, tigers, bears and wolves were among the animals that escaped and were hunted by local law enforcement out of fear for public safety. [2]
Forty-eight animals were killed by the local police while two were presumed eaten by the other animals. [3] [4] The animals confirmed to be dead were eighteen bengal tigers, six black bears, two grizzly bears, two wolves, one macaque monkey, one baboon, three mountain lions, and seventeen african lions (nine males and eight females). [4] Three leopards, a small grizzly bear, and two monkeys were left caged inside Thompson's home. These animals were tranquilized and sent to the Columbus Zoo. [5]
Terry Thompson, a Vietnam War veteran, was a lifelong collector of exotic animals. He had acted as an animal handler on Wild Kingdom in 2008, and provided a lion cub to a photoshoot with Heidi Klum. [6] In the years leading up to his death, he went to prison on federal gun charges, was heavily in debt, and his wife had left him. [7]
Jack Hanna, TV wildlife expert and Director Emeritus of the Columbus Zoo, lamented the killings but deemed the police actions necessary. [8] Ohio governor John Kasich called for a temporary moratorium on the sale of exotic animals. [4]
Troy Balderson, Zanesville's representative in the Ohio Senate at the time, sponsored a bill requiring a permit and liability insurance for private owners of dangerous wild animals in the next legislative session. [9] [10] The bill was signed into law on June 5th, 2012, and owners were required to have permits by January 1st, 2014. Ohio had not regulated exotic animal ownership previously. [11]
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