ZANESVILLE, Ohio - Police have confirmed that the owner of the Muskingum County Animal farm from which an unknown number of exotic animals escaped was found dead on Tuesday night.
Terry Thompson, the owner of the farm, had recently been released from prison, police said.
According to police, Thompson’s body was found outside of his home on the animal farm property.
Police said the fences had been left unsecured.
According to police, the animals escaped at about 6 p.m. from an animal farm near Kopchak Road.
Police would not comment on what animals escaped but said the animal farm did have lions, wolves, tigers, giraffes, camels and bears.
25/48 animals shot by authorities. Three schools (Zanesville, Maysville, West Muskingum) all closed. Man apparently opened the cages for the animals then took his own life. What a sad and twisted situation.
very twisted...hopefully all are ok and they catch them all...shame as that animal park was pretty cool to go to...
I didn't realize you could go to Thompson's farm (unless you knew him?). You aren't thinking of The Wilds, are you?
I kind of knew this guy.. I'm from Zanesville. Had a few experiences with him. Nice enough guy, but I always felt like something was off there. My grandpa knew him well. Dude did some crazy stuff.
It's unfortunate that the local officers are going to take so much criticism for killing the animals. I'm sure they wouldn't have if they didn't think there was any danger. I highly doubt they had tranquilizers available immediately when they went to check on Thompson on his property, where it sounds like many of the animals were actually killed.
Weird seeing my hometown in the national spotlight for sure. Especially for such a bizarre and unfortunately situation.
I didn't realize you could go to Thompson's farm (unless you knew him?). You aren't thinking of The Wilds, are you?
I kind of knew this guy.. I'm from Zanesville. Had a few experiences with him. Nice enough guy, but I always felt like something was off there. My grandpa knew him well. Dude did some crazy stuff.
It's unfortunate that the local officers are going to take so much criticism for killing the animals. I'm sure they wouldn't have if they didn't think there was any danger. I highly doubt they had tranquilizers available immediately when they went to check on Thompson on his property, where it sounds like many of the animals were actually killed.
Weird seeing my hometown in the national spotlight for sure. Especially for such a bizarre and unfortunately situation.
You're from Zanesville, too? What school did you go to and what year did you graduate? You can PM me if you don't want to share that in public on here.
But yeah people are criticizing the situation but when the police showed up they had no idea what was up and saw animals hovered around Thompson's body. Their instinct was to shoot and save the man, only to find out he took his own life beforehand.
It's a rough situation, and the police did what they had to do. If they avoid killing the animals, like some suggested on my Facebook, then you have issues where animals could have killed or injured someone, then there's a lawsuit against Muskingum County, and then our tax dollars pay even more for that lawsuit. And if all that happened, people would complain about that!
Also, given how many people responded to the situation I bet the cost of the episode will be expensive in itself.
For what it's worth, every major news outlet worth its salt has this story among its top stories this morning on their website. Maybe not *the* top story, but among the top ones.
But yeah people are criticizing the situation but when the police showed up they had no idea what was up and saw animals hovered around Thompson's body. Their instinct was to shoot and save the man, only to find out he took his own life beforehand.
It's a rough situation, and the police did what they had to do. If they avoid killing the animals, like some suggested on my Facebook, then you have issues where animals could have killed or injured someone...
I haven't read all about it yet, but, as I understand it, we're not talking about kitties and puppies, here, right? It's not like they could call up Marlin Perkins to come down the street and organize an instant roundup. Local cops had to do the best they could with what they had. Unless there's more to come out (like the cops called their friends to come out and shoot a wildibeast for fun), they did what they thought they had to do to protect their citizens. Unlike when I was in college, I no longer think the police are always wrong.
I haven't read all about it yet, but, as I understand it, we're not talking about kitties and puppies, here, right? It's not like they could call up Marlin Perkins to come down the street and organize an instant roundup. Local cops had to do the best they could with what they had. Unless there's more to come out (like the cops called their friends to come out and shoot a wildibeast for fun), they did what they thought they had to do to protect their citizens. Unlike when I was in college, I no longer think the police are always wrong.
Perkins was Jungle Jack before there was Jungle Jack. And maybe even more "Jungle" than Jack.
That said, Hanna is apparently on the scene out there.
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Jack Hanna has compared it to a Noah's Arc wreckage site, and said the cops are completely justified in shooting and killing the animals.
When Jack Hanna says it, you know darn well the situation is serious.
Did you catch the end when Jack said it's imperative to locate the last bear and lion, but that monkey can just run around for now. I know it's a serious situation, but cracked me up the way he put it.
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Did you catch the end when Jack said it's imperative to locate the last bear and lion, but that monkey can just run around for now. I know it's a serious situation, but cracked me up the way he put it.
At work, couldn't see it, but I'm getting details sent to me.
You're from Zanesville, too? What school did you go to and what year did you graduate? You can PM me if you don't want to share that in public on here.
Tri-Valley, 2005
Zanesville is a trending topic in the US on Twitter. Never thought I'd say that. Top story on MSNBC.com (and other sites, but that's the one I use).
Despite all the talk of justification and such, one has to wonder about the use of traq darts. I understand it's a unique situation, but I'm not sure if I want cops opening fire on animals in the fields either. Good way for someone to get hurt as well.
Was there no one in the Columbus area that could have been called to assist with capturing these animals? I'm sure it would have taken a few hours to find a few of animals while waiting on assistance to show up.
It's a shame it came to this, but if you have a farm of this type close wouldn't you like to attempt to be prepared in the event of an issue? It's not like someone else couldn't have done the same thing for fun even.
Perkins was Jungle Jack before there was Jungle Jack. And maybe even more "Jungle" than Jack.
Thanks for interpreting for me, DSL, I sometimes forget how wide the generation gaps are, around here. Things that seem so recent to me, may be ancient history to many. I'm really not THAT old, but there are times, here, that make me feel like it.
I suppose it's just more of a moderator doing his job.
18 tigers, very hard to take but it had to be done for the public safety. The owner killed these animals, not the cops.
Edit: How in the **** can the state allow this guy to have this many exotic animals? I don't give a **** about up to date permits or any of that, no human being should "own" 50+ wild animals
Despite all the talk of justification and such, one has to wonder about the use of traq darts. I understand it's a unique situation, but I'm not sure if I want cops opening fire on animals in the fields either. Good way for someone to get hurt as well.
In that part of the state, there are THOUSANDS of hunters out there every week, and I'd say that none of them are as trained as these officers. I'd be more worried about Joe Schmoe wandering the woods with his shiny new shotgun and only a few hours of safety training (and maybe not even that).
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Was there no one in the Columbus area that could have been called to assist with capturing these animals? I'm sure it would have taken a few hours to find a few of animals while waiting on assistance to show up.
Animal Control is prepared for raccoons, deer, that sort of problem. Not dozens of lions, bears, etc. The Columbus Zoo is probably the only organization even remotely prepared for something like this, and they were called.
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It's a shame it came to this, but if you have a farm of this type close wouldn't you like to attempt to be prepared in the event of an issue? It's not like someone else couldn't have done the same thing for fun even.
Prepare for the possible escape of dozens of highly dangerous wild animals? Cops with guns sounds like the right plan to me. The person that held all these animals would be responsible for the results, but in this case that doesn't matter anymore.
I read that the only animals left are a wolf and a monkey. They might catch the wolf but that monkey is LONG gone. Aint no chance in hell theyre gonna find that thing.
18 tigers, very hard to take but it had to be done for the public safety. The owner killed these animals, not the cops.
I like to think society killed them, and the owner just sped up the process. When any type of dangerous animal escapes from anywhere it shouldn't be in the first place, the safety of humans is the first concern. There's never a real discussion on whether it's our attitudes towards confining wild animals that should be examined.
I could certainly do without zoos and their like. I could also do without humans who go into wild areas and get attacked, thereby causing--except in rare and wonderful cases--people to hunt down and kill that animal. Haven't we already won? We're on top of the food chain. We don't need to keep proving it.
There is a slightly darker aspect of my nature rooting for the wild animals to get their fill in these situations. Unfortunately, I know that the right people probably wouldn't be the ones to suffer.
There is a slightly darker aspect of my nature rooting for the wild animals to get their fill in these situations. Unfortunately, I know that the right people probably wouldn't be the ones to suffer.
In that part of the state, there are THOUSANDS of hunters out there every week, and I'd say that none of them are as trained as these officers. I'd be more worried about Joe Schmoe wandering the woods with his shiny new shotgun and only a few hours of safety training (and maybe not even that).
You kind of fed into my point.
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Animal Control is prepared for raccoons, deer, that sort of problem. Not dozens of lions, bears, etc. The Columbus Zoo is probably the only organization even remotely prepared for something like this, and they were called.
I didn't say animal control did I? Having said that, Florida animal control can deal with things like alligators and poisonous snakes. We aren't a swamp to be sure and this isn't normal, just pointing out a fact.
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Prepare for the possible escape of dozens of highly dangerous wild animals? Cops with guns sounds like the right plan to me. The person that held all these animals would be responsible for the results, but in this case that doesn't matter anymore.
The invention of the traq gun (in this case rifle) must be a foreign concept out there. If I am a cop and I live in an area with exotic animals of this kind, I might try and make a contingency in case they were set loose and hopefully lethal force is only needed as backup.
