Zanesville animal escape
The Zanesville animal escape, also known as The Zanesville Massacre, occurred on October 18, 2011, when the owner of Muskingum County Animal Farm in Zanesville, Ohio released multiple exotic animals before committing suicide. The Muskingum County Sheriff's Office and Ohio State Highway Patrol subsequently killed 48 of the animals. Additionally, two were presumed eaten by the other animals, and six were captured and relocated to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. The event led to widespread media attention and legislative changes regarding exotic animal ownership in Ohio.
Background
Muskingum County Animal Farm was a private zoo located in Zanesville, Ohio, United States owned by Terry Thompson, a 62-year-old Vietnam War veteran, pilot, and exotic animal collector. He had acted as an animal handler on Wild Kingdom in 2008 and provided a lion cub to a photoshoot with Heidi Klum. In the years leading up to his death, he went to prison on federal firearm charges, was heavily in debt, and his wife had left him.The animal farm had been repeatedly reported for inadequate and unsafe housing for the animals, as well as insufficient water and food. Neighbors had previously complained of animals escaping "improper fencing" and causing damage to neighboring property.
The escape
On October 18, 2011, owner Terry Thompson allegedly set free 50 of his 56 exotic animals before killing himself by shooting himself in the head. Lions, tigers, bears and wolves were among the animals that escaped and were hunted by local law enforcement, including the Muskingum County Sheriff's Office and Ohio State Highway Patrol, out of fear for public safety. The law enforcement did not use tranquilizers because they take time to take effect, and they must be tailored to an animal's size to be effective. Additionally, officers feared that animals shot with tranquilizers would run off and hide in the darkness once night fell. The animals were malnourished and diseased when they were released.Forty-eight animals were killed by the local police while two were presumed eaten by the other animals. The animals confirmed to be dead were eighteen Bengal tigers, six American black bears, two grizzly bears, two wolves, one macaque monkey, one baboon, three mountain lions, and seventeen African lions. Three leopards, a small grizzly bear, and two Celebes crested macaques were left caged inside Thompson's home. These animals were tranquilized and sent to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.