Comments on: On the Ownership of Large Dangerous Wild Animals

By: N. S.

N. S. — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 15:34:50 +0000

Mr. Thompson’s actions originating in mental instability display the worst intentions for his fellow human beings as well as these wild animals. Locked up safely where they were until they would have been found and taken care of properly would at least have given them a chance. Unfortunately, the sanity or insanity of humans cannot be controlled. However, one thing that can and should be controlled much more strictly by law is how these exotic animals enter the country in the first place and how individuals like Mr. Thompson can get a hold of them for their collection? My husband and I are still appalled and saddened by the fact that these helpless, already threatened animals ended up paying with their lives for the ignorance and callousness of human beings. Assuming that it’s costly and very difficult to coordinate I have to ask anyway: Was there really no other option than to kill them?

Yesterday in Canada two exotic snakes were found in two separate apartment buildings in the same area of Toronto. One was found in the toilet, while the other came up through a wall …

By: Mark L.

Mark L. — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 15:01:40 +0000

Shooting tiger and lions is understandable. Shooting 2 wolves? Come on. Don’t get me wrong, if I was a deputy and ordered to shoot, I’d do it too, but how much of a real threat are 2 wolves? …compared to pit bulls?

By: Greg Laden

Greg Laden — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 12:49:29 +0000

I was assuming that Thompson set the lions, tigers, and bears free on his neighbors as an intentional act of violence. I suppose we should consider it lucky that he did that instead of turning his firearms on his fellow humans. His animals, while theoretically dangerous, were incompetent.

By: Zach

Zach — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 03:00:52 +0000

My take on this situation is a perfect example of why exotic wild animals need to be handled by professionals and not the average animal lover. Terry Thompson sounded like a very unstable person and his actions proved fatal. He shot himself and gave the lives of most of his animals. This is a perfect example of a utopia situation gone wrong. Terry had to have known the possibilities of what would happen to the animals if he were to let them go. He decided to make that choice. If these animals were in proper hands in a reserve or zoo or some other facility that professionals run, then they would still be alive.

By: Rev.Enki

Rev.Enki — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 01:42:13 +0000

Not sure how I feel either, about the ownership of large dangerous animals thing. Out of curiosity, I looked up the statistics of people killed by cattle, which is apparently about 20 a year. My college girlfriend’s mother was nearly one of them. I’ve seen multiple people put in hospitals by cattle, and one was just a six month old calf. I’m not really trying to draw a comparison, since there are practical purposes for non-vegetarians to keep cattle, and the number of cattle in the US is perhaps a more than a few orders of magnitude greater than human kept tigers and bears. But it’s still interesting to think about. One of the many weird old farmer dude neighbors while I was growing up could show off a wicked injury from when a mule tried to bite off one of his pectorals. They may not have have a direct interest in eating people (though sometimes they’ll chew on them a bit) but our large domestic herbivores can be downright dangerous too.

By: Alan

Alan — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 14:06:33 +0000

Sad trivia; The US has the largest population of tigers in the world.

By: mark

mark — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 22:47:36 +0000

So now the governor says he will sign a law to limit people keeping “exotic” animals. The same kind of law that the previous governor signed, which he let expire (regulations are just job-killers, doncha know).

By: Ralf Muschall

Ralf Muschall — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 20:34:36 +0000

@Calli Arcale (#7):
“We desperately need stronger regulations against ownership of non-domestic species.”

I’d say we need stronger regulations of anything dangerous by proven maniacs like this one, and against keeping *all* kinds of animals (i.e. including dogs, cats and birds) by proven animal abusers.
Simply asking for laws against exotic animals will cause populist politicians to outlaw keeping frogs or lizards and drive keepers of dangerous or potentially invasive species underground (this brings pythons to the Everglades, which I think are much cuter than the gators there (but authorities disagree)).

By: Greg Laden

Greg Laden — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 19:25:02 +0000

I read one news report in which it was stated that tranqs were used but abandoned. Specifically, a tiger was hit with a dart, it ran off into the woods and got mad, then they went and shot it.

As you point out, it really wasn’t an option. And, in fact, I was surprised to read that they had even tried, but there is that one report.

Your other correction are not really corrections because it is what I said … except that I did not know that there were two monkeys possibly eaten. So, were there a total of three “monkeys” (one eaten, one maybe eaten, and a baboon?) Also, I’m not sure what the six animals that were transported consisted of. Do you know?

By: Calli Arcale

Calli Arcale — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 19:15:04 +0000

A few corrections…..

They did not attempt to use tranquilizer guns before resorting to shooting; the tranquilizer guns were at least half an hour and a veterinarian away, and they had dangerous macro predators coming at them now. Plus, as they later indicated in interviews, the trouble with tranquilizers is that not only can the animal hurt people for the 15 minutes or so in which the drug begins to work, it will likely run off and then you will have a dickens of a time finding it again. One lion had jumped into a citizen’s back yard. A black bear was shot dead as it charged a deputy. (Damn good shooting, too; he dropped it only 7 feet away, and shooting a bear at that range means you had better kill it on the first shot or it’ll do it’s best to kill you.) The deputies who’ve been interviewed all expressed great sorrow at having to do this, but their duty was clear — they had to protect the public by the most expedient means available, and that meant shooting them.

However, they didn’t kill all of the animals. In addition to the macaque who’d been eaten, there was another monkey possibly infected with herpes. It was never found, and they suspect a lion ate it. They were planning necropsies to see if they could find it in somebody’s stomach. Also, six animals did not leave their pens and were able to be transported alive to the Columbus Zoo, where they have been recovering from the ordeal. But six survivors out of that guy’s menagerie is a sad outcome. I blame no one but the owner. He created this situation. We desperately need stronger regulations against ownership of non-domestic species.