# Lions, tigers, bears loose in my hometown. Oh my. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 19, 2011, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093 "2011-10-19T01:56:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/1 "2011-10-19T01:56:33Z")
[Not making this up.](http://www.10tv.com/content/stories/2011/10/18/zanesville-exotic-animals-escape.html) This is about 50 miles southeast of where I now live. My entire Facebook feed has been lighting up with people variously expressing disgust and/or hilarity at the situation. There are rumors that they have armed the fire department and that there are animal-control professionals out there with guns and night-vision goggles. It sounds sort of like Jurassic Park. I kind of wish I could watch, if that didn’t mean potentially getting eaten by a lion. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/2 "2011-10-19T02:00:05Z")
Animal Farm 2. This time, it’s exotic. ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/3 "2011-10-19T03:52:52Z")
Scarey for the people, but I’m also sorry for the animals. Its a bad situation all around. Stay inside and post on the Dope tonight! ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/4 "2011-10-19T03:55:19Z")
Here’s what’s going on just west of me. (Warning - cat pictures) [http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site36/2011/1018/20111018\_\_lion05~p1.jpg](http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site36/2011/1018/20111018__lion05~p1.jpg) [![](http://slideshowpro.com.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/1x1.gif) ](http://slideshowpro.com.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/1x1.gif) [http://photos.denverpost.com/mediacenter/2011/10/mountain-lion-checks-out-cat/#name](http://photos.denverpost.com/mediacenter/2011/10/mountain-lion-checks-out-cat/#name) here ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/5 "2011-10-19T07:22:54Z")
[http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/national\_world&id=8397210](http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/national_world&id=8397210) > [@](#): > > ZANESVILLE, Ohio (KABC) – The entire town of Zanesville, Ohio, was locked down after dozens of wild animals were suddenly let loose. > > Forty-eight big animals including lions, tigers, cheetahs, wolves, giraffes, camels and bears ran off from a Zanesville animal farm. > > The farm’s owner was found dead and the facility’s cages left wide open. > > One resident took pictures of a bear on her property. > > There have been dozens of animal sightings near homes and along freeways I wonder if 12 monkeys are among them.. :eek: Kidding aside, it does look like a scene from the movie “12 monkeys” minus the time traveler and deadly virus, could this be the work of radical animal activists? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/6 "2011-10-19T07:54:19Z")
Already posted [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=628340) by **MsWhatsit.** ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/7 "2011-10-19T09:29:20Z")
I’ve merged the two threads (and that’s no lion). ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/8 "2011-10-19T11:05:35Z")
> [@](#): > > giraffes, camels Glad they mentioned the _really_ deadly animals. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/9 "2011-10-19T11:23:06Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > Kidding aside, it does look like a scene from the movie “12 monkeys” minus the time traveler and deadly virus, could this be the work of radical animal activists? Unlikely. It sounds like the owner just got out of prison and his wife left him. It sounds like he opened up all the cages and then shot himself. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/10 "2011-10-19T13:01:52Z")
Sad deal for the freed animals: this morning’s news reported that a couple dozen had been shot dead by the authorities. I’m sure that many more will be killed before this is all over… ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/11 "2011-10-19T13:09:57Z")
I, too, am in Central Ohio and this whole situation is off the hook. Jungle Jack Hannah is on the scene and he said, as of about 7:30 this morning, that 31 of the 48 animals have been killed. Columbus Zoo employees are helping to track down the rest and tranqualize them, if possible. What a mess. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/12 "2011-10-19T13:10:26Z")
I was wondering why they couldn’t just tranquilize them, but a zoo official on the _Today Show_ this morning said it takes at least two minutes for the dart to take effect, by which time several policemen could be chowed-down upon. So they were going to take them alive if possible, but that didn’t look likely. I was impressed that he told Ann Curry that “lions and tigers and bears” were loose, and the usually “take the low road” Ann did not respond with an “oh, my!” ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/13 "2011-10-19T13:19:00Z")
Outrageous, truly sickening and frightening. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/14 "2011-10-19T13:29:41Z")
So they do have a definate count as to how many animals of each species escaped? I’d hate for them to think they’ve got them all and then, “Hey, has anyone seen Bill?” ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/15 "2011-10-19T13:32:00Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > I was wondering why they couldn’t just tranquilize them, but a zoo official on the _Today Show_ this morning said it takes at least two minutes for the dart to take effect, by which time several policemen could be chowed-down upon. So they were going to take them alive if possible, but that didn’t look likely. Seems like it should be possible to have one guy with the tranq gun who takes first shot - backed up by several guys with real guns ready to take the animal down if the animal threatens anyone on scene. However, there are probably many teams of armed officers/hunters looking for animals, trying to take care of this whole thing before any people get killed - and I imagine it’s difficult to scrounge up more than a couple of tranquilizer guns. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/16 "2011-10-19T13:32:33Z")
People are assholes, animals suffer. ☹ I hope no one gets hurt. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/17 "2011-10-19T13:36:32Z")
What a mess. This is all over my local news and I’m in California. Those of you near, please stay safe. Why on earth would this guy loose these animals before killing himself? I just don’t understand. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/18 "2011-10-19T13:40:50Z")
Well I guess it’s one way for him to get his suicide in the paper and make his wife sorry for leaving him. Asshole. I hope she realizes this means she’s done the right thing. ---
**Author:** ![Gedd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gedd/32/4938_2.png) [@Gedd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gedd)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/19 "2011-10-19T13:48:08Z")
From the article > [@](#): > > Licking County Sheriff’s Office said they had activated members of its SWAT team who were equipped with night vision and the weapons necessary to deal with the animals. I doubt they’ve trained for this one before. Must be a bummer for kids though. School was cancelled but they can’t go outside to see the animals! ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/20 "2011-10-19T14:06:38Z")
This makes me very sad & angry. As usual, the animals lose. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093.md?page=2)