# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/41 "2011-10-19T19:53:11Z")
report was that a tiger was shot at 15 yards with a tranquilizer, went nuts and took off and was killed before it ran off. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/42 "2011-10-19T19:55:13Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > Still Loose > 1 Wolf > 1 Monkey So is anyone else assuming the monkey is riding the wolf, combining the wolf’s speed with the monkey’s craftiness to avoid capture? ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/43 "2011-10-19T19:58:39Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > No. Cars do not make decisions. Not even cars controlled by human drivers. > > Human drivers make decisions. Nitpick fail. My edit said “the system.” It’s like if I nitpicked your comment out point out that, of course, humans _don’t_ make decisions. Only _brains_ make decisions. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/44 "2011-10-19T19:59:59Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > ☹ > > There’s only about 2000 Bengal tigers in the whole fricking world. > > I still support the sheriff’s decision to kill 'em, but if the idiot who loosed them hadn’t killed himself already, I’d be tempted to. This. This whole story makes me very, very sad. I love cats of all kinds. If this moron wanted to off himself, why didn’t he just do it? Why did he have to guarantee that these beautiful animals would have to die along with him? I hate people sometimes. I really do. ---
**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, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/45 "2011-10-19T20:01:31Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > Nitpick fail. My edit said “the system.” It’s like if I notpicked your comment ot point out that, of course, humans _don’t_ make decisions. Only _brains_ make decisions. Look, you have experienced analogy fail. It’s OK, it happens to the best of us. You want something that is predatorial and deadly but that is still allowed to exist freely in our society. A car is deadly but is not a predator and therefore does not fit the bill. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/46 "2011-10-19T20:02:49Z")
> [@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. There were also **48 animals** that escaped. Even if tranquilizing _one_ had been a really great option (they did try to tranquilize one tiger, but it started to run away after the dart hit), it wouldn’t have been feasible to do it 48 times, transport 48 animals, and find places to take care of all 48. ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/47 "2011-10-19T20:05:26Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > ☹ > > There’s only about 2000 Bengal tigers in the whole fricking world. > > I still support the sheriff’s decision to kill 'em, but if the idiot who loosed them hadn’t killed himself already, I’d be tempted to. Right there with you. I can only assume that the idiot who loosed them was batshit crazy and thought he was doing them a favor so they wouldn’t starve to death. “Oh they can hunt, they’ll be fine…” Yeah, they can hunt for breakfast down the street at the elementary school playground. :eek: Otherwise, I can’t imagine what would be going through someone’s head to put an entire community at serious risk AND cause the death of some really pretty, endangered puddy tats. ---
**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, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/48 "2011-10-19T20:06:16Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > There were also **48 animals** that escaped. Even if tranquilizing _one_ had been a really great option (they did try to tranquilize one tiger, but it started to run away after the dart hit), it wouldn’t have been feasible to do it 48 times, transport 48 animals, and find places to take care of all 48. Also (and someone can please correct me if I’m wrong) the impression I got from the press conference was that you can’t just shoot the tranquilizer dart from far away. It sounds like the veterinarian that attempted to tranquilize the tiger you mention here had to get pretty damn close to it in order to shoot the dart. And they couldn’t just let it run away because they didn’t know if the tranquilizer was enough to bring it down. (Nobody knew the exact weights of any of the animals, or when they’d last eaten.) ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/49 "2011-10-19T20:10:36Z")
The director of the Ohio Humane Society supports the decision to kill the animals. [“We think they did their job.”](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44960279/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/#.Tp8t3d6Ik8k) ---
**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, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/50 "2011-10-19T20:12:52Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > So is anyone else assuming the monkey is riding the wolf, combining the wolf’s speed with the monkey’s craftiness to avoid capture? That was exactly my first thought, kind of a Mutual of Omaha’s Wild [Mutton Bustin’](http://pixdaus.com/small3/1312565224JVAJzRH.jpeg). ---
**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, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/51 "2011-10-19T20:13:22Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > This. This whole story makes me very, very sad. I love cats of all kinds. If this moron wanted to off himself, why didn’t he just do it? Why did he have to guarantee that these beautiful animals would have to die along with him? > > I hate people sometimes. I really do. Not to mention the people the animals could have killed. The only good thing about this whole story is that this piece of shit Terry Thompson is dead. ---
**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, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/52 "2011-10-19T20:44:05Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > So is anyone else assuming the monkey is riding the wolf, combining the wolf’s speed with the monkey’s craftiness to avoid capture? The monkey alertely sensed trouble brewing. I have now heard that it is the only animal unaccounted for. ---
**Author:** ![Millit\_the\_Frail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/51bf81/32.png) [@Millit\_the\_Frail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Millit_the_Frail)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/53 "2011-10-19T21:42:06Z")
I haven’t been posting for a VERY long time, but…sigh. This is my original hometown. I’m so sad about the loss of these beautiful animals, but I know Zanesville well, and there is no way the town has the resources to have tranquilized and captured even a small portion of these animals. The nearest city (Columbus) is almost an hour by car, so we’re talking about the police force cooling their heels for a couple of hours if they had waited for experienced animal handlers with tranquilzer guns/cages. This is a very residential area with an Interstate running through, and there is no doubt that the poor animals were scared. If they had waited before killing, then we’d all be outraged over the idiot police officers who gave a bunch of freaked-out wild animals a 90-minute head start. Many people online are expressing their outrage at the animal killings, but I think the real villain in this story is the asshole who irresponsibly kept the animals and then set them free as part of his final act of cowardice. ---
**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, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/54 "2011-10-19T21:51:17Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > The monkey alertely sensed trouble brewing. I have now heard that it is the only animal unaccounted for. Unfortunately they now think they’ve found it hiding in a tiger’s stomach. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/55 "2011-10-19T23:01:09Z")
Jack Hanna’s is such a terrible situation. He’s been a supporter of animals for decades. Ran a zoo. All sorts of things. For decades he was the guy that brought wild animals to the Tonight Show. His explanation for the shooting of the animals makes sense. As much everyone loves animals, they just couldn’t be allowed to kill humans. Jack makes a good point that his people couldn’t tranquillize those lions/tigers in the dark. You can’t see where the dart lands. You don’t know if the animal is out or waiting to kill you. There was a big neighborhood with families and kids close by. It’s a such a shame that the animals had to be taken down. I’m just glad no kids got killed. > **[Video News - CNN](https://www.cnn.com/videos)** > > Watch breaking news videos, viral videos and original video clips on CNN.com. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/56 "2011-10-19T23:36:57Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > Disgusting. > > Cars _actually have_ killed people in Ohio, but you don’t see police rounding up and destroying all cars “before they kill someone.” Ya know, if is were just emus and giraffes or something I might go for that argument, but Zanesville had full-grown tigers that had zero fear of human beings prowling around the neighborhood. We’re food to predators like that. There were 18 tigers, 17 lions, bears, mountain lions, leopards… CNN reports that one of the tigers _after_ an attempt to tranquilize it didn’t work and the animal became aggressive. There \*was \*an attempt made to capture animals alive, and those that they did capture have been taken in by a zoo where they will be properly cared for. But seriously, if people are out there trying to capture a grizzly bear or tiger or lion and the animal starts to charge them what do you expect them to do? Stand there and be mauled? At least one of the animals was killed not by a bullet but by a moving vehicles when it attempted to cross a road. The tragedy didn’t start with cops untrained in animal control having to shoot animals, it started with the jackass who not only kept them, but opened their cages before shooting himself. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/57 "2011-10-20T00:27:47Z")
Unfortunate timing for that Cameron Crowe/Matt Damon [“We Bought a Zoo” movie.](http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Bought_a_Zoo) ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/58 "2011-10-20T01:01:48Z")
There was a hoax like this in New York a long time ago about how animals had been let loose from the zoo, now its actually happened. ---
**Author:** ![kjbrasda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/74df32/32.png) [@kjbrasda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kjbrasda)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/59 "2011-10-20T01:23:43Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > 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://mcenter.slideshowpro.com/albums/027/935/album-273050/cache/lion10.sJPG\_900\_540\_0\_95\_1\_50\_50.sJPG?1318996436](http://mcenter.slideshowpro.com/albums/027/935/album-273050/cache/lion10.sJPG_900_540_0_95_1_50_50.sJPG?1318996436) > > [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 What a beautiful animal. Though it strikes my how skinny it looks. Is that a normal weight for a mountain lion? ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/60 "2011-10-20T01:24:32Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > 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://mcenter.slideshowpro.com/albums/027/935/album-273050/cache/lion10.sJPG\_900\_540\_0\_95\_1\_50\_50.sJPG?1318996436](http://mcenter.slideshowpro.com/albums/027/935/album-273050/cache/lion10.sJPG_900_540_0_95_1_50_50.sJPG?1318996436) > > [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 I loved that! Particularly when mountain lion meets statue of mountain lion. I’ll bet it attracted them. Like a duck lure. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093.md?page=4)