Those of you who know me, realize I am from Zanesville, Ohio. Today, the news has been plastered with ongoing press conferences, and articles relating to an unfortunate situation regarding the escape of several exotic animals.
News Coverage:
The sheriff who issued a shoot-to-kill order after dozens of exotic animals — including Bengal tigers, mountain lions and bears — escaped from an Ohio farm defended his decision Wednesday, saying "we were not going to have animals running loose."
"It is still, still not a completely secure area," he said.
The sheriff told an afternoon press conference that as many as 56 animals on the farm may have been set loose. Authorities tracked down and killed 48 of them: 18 rare Bengal tigers, 17 lions, six black bears, three mountain lions, two grizzlies, one wolf and one baboon.
The animals were buried on the Thompson's property at the request of his wife, the sheriff said.
Read the full Story Here
Perhaps this is not the time to mention this, but I knew Terry Thompson and his wife Marian personally. And I have always, and will always remember them as good caring people. They are eccentric, yes-- but that made them even more interesting. I loved the time I spent with them, their horses and their animals. It is a cherished memory from my youth, and I believe I have developed my own unconditional love for animals as a partial result of their influence.
Despite the terribly unfortunate accident involving various wild animals last night/today in my hometown, I have to say that he was a good man with a good heart. Yes, he did things that don't make sense to us, but he did it from a place of love for the animals. I assure you he did not set them free as an act of vengeance-- but rather an act of desperation. I agree that that law should not have allowed this to happen in the first place-- a private property owner should not be allowed to have wild animals-- however, in this case, T was trying to help. He saw himself as a caring person who had the space, some knowledge and the resources to care for these animals that would allow them to be saved in the long run, rather than given to the "highest bidder" at an auction where any number of unfortunate outcomes could occur.
The pictures of the dead animals are horrifying. But you can tell they were well fed, healthy animals.
The outcome of this was unfortunate, but I don't want to forget that the Thompson's are people, good caring people who were mixed up in more than they could handle. All of the slander on Facebook from my high school "friends" makes me angry. This was a serious, unfortunate accident involving not only several animals but also a human being. Posting pictures of dead animals, or of trick bears, or of The Lion King superimposed over Zanesville is in bad taste.
This Lion King Photo is particularly bothering me because in the past, when the Thompsons operated a horse farm, and were friends with my family while I took riding lessons there, they acquired their first exotic animal-- a lion cub-- Simba. I met the cub, it was well cared for and at the time the only large cat they had. I thought it was strange, but after seeing the care and understanding the reasoning first hand-- I shrugged it off as T being T-- eccentric, but caring. Obviously, as time has moved forward, I have lost touch with them, and things have escalated to a point of no return-- but I truly believe that he had a good heart, and his reasons for having these animals were grounded in love and respect for all animals.
1 comment:
Well stated, Andrea. It has been a sad 24 hours for all involved.
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