49 Wild Animals Slaughtered near Preserve in Zanesville Ohio- Owner dead- Animals dead- New INFORMATION!

Exotic animal laws called into question after Ohio killings
Welfare activists call for tougher laws on the keeping of wild animals after 49 exotics are killed after being set free by their suicidal owner.

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Residents were well aware of Thompson's sprawling hillside property near Interstate 70, where drivers could catch a glimpse of camels and llamas roaming "like they were cows and horses," said Terry Wolfe, who works at the local animal shelter. That frustrated some people, particularly since Thompson's backyard zoo was a few miles from a high school, but they had no way to make him close it down.

He was described as fiercely proud of his exotic creatures and fond of showing them off. In 2007 he was asked to leave a local pet fair when he showed up with a bear and lion cubs, Wolfe said. The next year, organizers had to specify that only domestic animals were invited.

He was perceived as dangerously eccentric, if not unpredictable. When Thompson purchased a Corvette convertible from Wolfe a few years ago, he arrived in a helicopter to pick it up. "That was pretty odd," she said.

Then, in June 2008, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives raided his property, seizing more than 100 guns. Thompson pleaded guilty to two federal charges and served a year in prison.

In the wider animal sanctuary movement, Ohio is known for inadequate regulation when it comes to exotic animals. It ranks on the bottom with Missouri, Nevada and Oklahoma among 25 states that have few if any rules on the keeping of wild animals, according to a 2009 report by the Humane Society of the United States.

"People die as a consequence of our reckless attachment to dangerous exotic animals," said Wayne Pacelle, president and chief executive of the humane society. "Now animals are dead because of an awful absence of policy in Ohio."

Pacelle called on the Ohio governor to immediately adopt a ban on private ownership of exotic animals.

Even Zanesville residents were confused about who should be in charge of animals that are usually seen in a zoo from a safe distance.

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Last Edited by 5d WhiteLight on 10/21/2011 12:54 PM