50+ Exotic Animals killed in Ohio!

[tantricia44]

In the news this week there's a report that a exotic wild animals was released by the owner & killed himself afterwards. When the police came they killed all animals & also all the rare tigers that are near extinction today.Why didn't they call the wild animal experts to take care of the problem? Why didn't they have enough dart guns to take down the animals?It's such a waste & it makes me angry when I saw the field littered with dead beautiful wild exotic animals. It sadden me because this could have been prevented if they had taken care of the owner of these animals from the beginning from the very first complaint this would have never happened. I know the police was just doing their job but I think they could have done in away that wouldn't have gotten the animals killed. 

[mawhite63]

I saw that briefly on the news. It was absolutely heartbreaking.

I don't know enough about the story to answer your questions, but off the top of my head I'd think it was a public safety issue. Not saying that I agree with their actions, but that's the first thought that comes to mind.

[tigerlilly01]

    Very Sad     I live about in Ohio but about 4 hours from this tragedy.  I head the director of the Columbus zoo explain that the tranquilizers don't take effect for 4 minutes after they are hit and they became agitated and the animals are so fast that they couldn't safely shot them and get out of the way.  It was too dangerous for all involved.  I don't understand why the man let the animals loose ?  Why not contact the zoo's if he could no longer care for them.   I personally HATE to see animals caged.  I love all animals and it broke my heart but I do understand you can't have all those wild animals roaming the streets .... WAY to DANGEROUS!   What a waste of such beautiful animals.   

[animikokala]

I love animals, and think this is truly tragic, but I can't really blame the cops for this one.  Their job is to protect the public.  It was a dark and stormy, and tranquilizers wouldn't work fast enough to save the shooter if the animal decided to attack once shot, or slip off into the darkness.  The problem is that Ohio (where I live btw) has the most lenient exotic animal laws in the country.  If you are angry, go after the lawmakers, not the poor police that had to deal with this mess.

Every time he visited Thompson's farm, Durst was escorted by at least three sheriff's deputies because he feared for his safety.
He said local authorities had alerted the U.S. Department of Agriculture, state representatives and other power players about their fears concerning Thompson and his wild animals.
"And now we're dealing with this."

Read more: http://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/national/deceased-ohio-exotic-animal-farm-owner-supplied-lion-cub-for-heidi-klum#ixzz1bbfG5hXk

To the sheriff, though, the pressure of the previous 24 hours was evident. “It’s just terrible,” he said. “These killings were senseless. It was nonsense. It was crazy.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/20/us/police-kill-dozens-of-animals-freed-from-ohio-preserve.html?_r=2&adxnnl=1&pagewanted=2&adxnnlx=1319372520-fkZ6djy3/ljNw2YL+rR5Xg

[gaylasue]

The main problem was that the man should have never been allowed to keep such animals in the first place.  The police had no choice but to shoot and kill.  They do not carry tranquilzer guns in their cruisers.  Wild animals are a danger to the general population.  If I lived in the area and had children, I definitely would be armed and ready to shoot without hesitation if it was a pretty or endangered animal.  My child's life is worth more than any animal.

[briannajeanxo]

this is the first i have heard of this..its a shame! why couldnt they just cage them back up and have someone else take over the animals?

[isabel1226]

I heard about it,and yes it was very sad. but I think that officers were only doing their jobs to protect the people and they were not trained to capture these animals. They should have called the proper agencies and the agencies should have responded in time to save them.

[acurtsinger2]

I'M SORRY THAT GODS CREATURES HAD TO BE KILLED, THEY WERE ONLY DOING WHAT GOD MADE THEM TO DO, AND THE LAWS NEED TO BE CHANGED.  NO ONE SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO OWN WILD PETS.  I UNDERSTAND THAT SOME TIMES THEY ARE INJURED AND NEED REHABILITATION, BUT THEN AFTER THEY RECOVER THEY NEED TO RETURN TO THE WILD OR GO TO A PUBLIC OWNED ZOO.

[timvolley]

it is sad but since the owner killed himself and let the animals go the only choice is to kill those that escaped

[Falconer02]

:-(

[billrune]

Agreed.

Makes me angry as well. The animals didn't have to be killed.

Police just doing their job doesn't mean it's right.

[hawkeye3210]

By killing the animals, the cops likely saved multiple human lives and even greater tragedy.  It would have been great if they could have captured them instead, but it just wasn't possible or worth the risk.

[billrune]

Very true hawkeye!

[nancy661]

i think its tragic just how selfish humans can be when we are adoment to have a wild animal as a pet

[Annella]

Wild animals (exotic) belong in their own environment. I've never liked zoo's and/or petting farms where animals are kept for show or exploitation for monetary gain. Also, law enforcement must do what they must to protect the public. I would have had no problem shooting any animal that would endanger myself or my family. No matter how exotic or extinct. It's safety first.

Case in point:  There was a very dangerous car chase in Lodi, California. The police were chasing a fugitive that was trying to elude them.  His girlfriend and dog were in the truck with him. He finally made a wrong turn into a dead end road, and the police closed in. The girl ran from the truck and was subdued by an officer who put her face down on the ground and cuffed her. Another officer had the fugitive bending over the truck cuffing him. The dog was snarling and barking, advancing ever nearer to the scene. A third officer shot the dog to contain the scene and make it safe.

There was such an outpouring of sympathy for the dog that was shot. The public was angry about it. How stupid!!  The officer was doing what he was trained to do, and that was to secure the area. The dog posed a threat to the safety of the officers. Sometimes the public loses sight of what is important. There was nothing said about the danger about how this fugitive put everyone in danger speeding through the streets trying to elude the police for crimes he had done....just that the poor dog got shot. Come on people, do we put animals over human safety? 

On another note, obviously Ohio's laws need to be changed concerning keeping exotic animals as pets.