# 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:** 14\ **Page:** 4
**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 20, 2011, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/61 "2011-10-20T14:04:28Z")
> [@Dogzilla](#): > > 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. Well, one report speculated that he was furious at the community and police and this was his final act of revenge before suicide. > [@Broomstick](#): > > 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… Yes, but they’ve also killed animals that weren’t predators, and have state their intentions to kill the monkey still at large. So the decision to kill was not entirely related to the size or dietary choice of the animals involved. > [@Broomstick](#): > > CNN reports that one of the tigers _after_ an attempt to tranquilize it didn’t work and the animal became aggressive. I’m not blaming them for the ones they tried to tranquilize, but had to terminate if something went wrong. I’m blaming them for their explicit stance that recapture would be too risky and many of the animals had to be shot pre-emptively. > [@Broomstick](#): > > 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? See above. At the start of this story, officials were quoted as saying that “it’s too risky to _try_ to tranquilize them.” For the cases where they did try, good for them. > [@Broomstick](#): > > At least one of the animals was killed not by a bullet but by a moving vehicles when it attempted to cross a road. Careful, I’ve been advised cars can’t kill. 😉 I just read that one of the last two animals remaining at large, a monkey, “will be killed” when found because he or she is “carrying a disease.” Elsewhere in the article, it’s mentioned that the monkey has _herpes_. Look, if they’re going to kill every primate in Ohio who’s carrying herpes, they’re going to have to go back and get a LOT more bullets. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/62 "2011-10-20T14:09:08Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > I just read that one of the last two animals remaining at large, a monkey, “will be killed” when found because he or she is “carrying a disease.” Elsewhere in the article, it’s mentioned that the monkey has _herpes_. > > Look, if they’re going to kill every primate in Ohio who’s carrying herpes, they’re going to have to go back and get a LOT more bullets. The way you say this makes it sound like you don’t think that simian herpes is a big deal for humans. > **[B virus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herpes_B_virus)** > > B-virus a virus of the genus Simplexvirus that infects macaque monkeys. B virus is very similar to Herpes simplex virus 1, and as such, this neurotropic virus is not found in the blood. > In the natural host, the virus exhibits pathogenesis similar to that of cold sores in humans. There have been a number of accidental infections and fatalities of researchers working with rhesus monkeys (Rhesus macaque). When humans are zoonotically infected with B virus, they can present with a severe encephaliti... > [@Wikipedia](#): > > Linked with more than two dozen deaths since its discovery, B virus is the only identified nonhuman primate herpesvirus that displays severe pathogenicity in humans. And the monkey is presumed dead anyway. They found a monkey carcass and it seems to have been killed by one of the big cats. [Big Cat Rescue](http://bigcatrescue.org/pressroom/) has more information about why tranquilizers were not a viable option for most of these animals. ---
**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 20, 2011, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/63 "2011-10-20T16:42:58Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > The way you say this makes it sound like you don’t think that simian herpes is a big deal for humans. > > [B virus - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herpes_B_virus) That’s interesting enough you’d think a reporter might want to put it into the story. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/64 "2011-10-20T17:55:07Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > That’s interesting enough you’d think a reporter might want to put it into the story. I’m not sure what your point here is. Can you expand? ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/65 "2011-10-20T18:08:09Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I’m not sure what your point here is. Can you expand? Well, I think he (she?) feels that I unfairly harshed on him for not knowing that simian herpes is kind of a big deal, and that is an excellent point, because I only learned that myself yesterday. “Herpes” doesn’t sound like such a big deal until you find out that, for example, a primate researcher died less than two months after getting hit in the eye with feces from a herpes-infected monkey. (And man, that’s a hell of a way to go, innit?) ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/66 "2011-10-20T18:53:22Z")
I was kinda surprised none of the animals ate Thompson, what with him laying out in the open and reeking of fresh blood. Now they’re reporting that one of the large cats, probably a Bengal, did take a crack at his head. ---
**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 20, 2011, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/67 "2011-10-20T19:36:04Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I’m not sure what your point here is. Can you expand? > [@MsWhatsit](#): > > Well, I think he (she?) feels that I unfairly harshed on him for not knowing that simian herpes is kind of a big deal, and that is an excellent point, because I only learned that myself yesterday. Right. For example, a news story simply stating “The woman was beheaded by authorities to prevent anyone from looking at her face,” is a **very** different story if we’re talking about a Saudi woman in 2011…or Medusa in Greek mythology, isn’t it? Especially if the press is playing up the danger involved in the story. “…and a monkey infected with an encephalitis-causing virus deadly to humans!” makes better copy than “some monkey with herpes.” PS: I’m a he. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/68 "2011-10-20T23:22:32Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > Right. For example, a news story simply stating “The woman was beheaded by authorities to prevent anyone from looking at her face,” is a **very** different story if we’re talking about a Saudi woman in 2011…or Medusa in Greek mythology, isn’t it? The mythology geek in me feels compelled to point out that Medusa was not killed to protect anyone. She was on a remote island that Perseus had to search out; her existence endangered no one except persons who sought her out. ---
**Author:** ![Snow\_Pea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Snow\_Pea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snow_Pea)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/69 "2011-10-21T00:14:26Z")
Why are they so sure it was suicide? An easier explanation is that someone wanted the guy dead and came on the property just before feeding time and opened all the cages. Thompson comes out of the house with a bucket of chicken parts, encounters multiple loose big cats in the driveway, realizes he’s a goner and chooses to shoot himself with his sidearm (remember he’s a gun fanatic that just got out of prison for illegal guns). Seconds later, sure enough, he is attacked by one of the cats, but by then, he’s already dead by his own hand. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![akennett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee59a6/32.png) [@akennett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akennett)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/70 "2011-10-21T01:31:42Z")
For those stil following along, six animals were saved. They are: 1 brown bear, 2 Celebes macaques, and 3 leopards (including one black leopard). Those animals were transported to the Columbus Zoo and are being observed/treated by zoo staff. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/71 "2011-10-21T05:55:51Z")
So was the guys farm legal or illegal? I can’t quite make out what the reporter is saying. 18 Bengal tigers? Where did he get them? ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/72 "2011-10-21T13:05:23Z")
> [@Snow\_Pea](#): > > Why are they so sure it was suicide? > > An easier explanation is that someone wanted the guy dead and came on the property just before feeding time and opened all the cages. > Thompson comes out of the house with a bucket of chicken parts, encounters multiple loose big cats in the driveway, realizes he’s a goner and chooses to shoot himself with his sidearm (remember he’s a gun fanatic that just got out of prison for illegal guns). Seconds later, sure enough, he is attacked by one of the cats, but by then, he’s already dead by his own hand. > > 😕 I don’t think you know what the word _easier_ means. Since there’s no evidence of such a person, it’s not wise to assume the existence of one. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2011, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/73 "2011-10-27T20:34:21Z")
Bumping this with a [new development](http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2011/10/27/Wife-of-Terry-Thompson-wants-exotic-animals-back.html). Six animals were saved in this entire debacle, and are currently being cared for at the Columbus Zoo. Well, the widow of the animals’ former owner says that they are her property and she wants them back. The Ohio Department of Agriculture has taken the unusual step of quarantining the animals to prevent them from being moved from the zoo, presumably as a temporary stopgap measure while the legislature gets something passed so that they can legally stop the widow from getting the animals. At least, that is my interpretation of what’s going on. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093/74 "2011-10-28T02:47:36Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > Well, one report speculated that he was furious at the community and police and this was his final act of revenge before suicide. What I heard was that he’d just been ordered to rehome his animals because he didn’t have a permit (or it got revoked), and he seems to have figured that if HE can’t have them, no one else can either. Though the update about his widow trying to get them back makes me think I may have been misinformed. Either that, or she gets this year’s Total Chutzpa award. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lions-tigers-bears-loose-in-my-hometown-oh-my/600093.md?page=3)