This morning, I was devastated by the news of the escaped exotic animals in Ohio and the thought of their fate. I was utterly horrified to hear reports of their massacre this afternoon. I don't know what to say, what to think. I am very sad.
Rest in Peace.
I live near the area where this occurred and we too are mourning the loss of those poor animals :( I am so sad that they decided it was better to kill them all, rather than tranquilize and transport them. I appreciate that they had the safety of the community in mind, but it really just makes me want to cry. I just can't see how that was the best way to handle this situation.
ReplyDeleteWhile it’s absolutely heartbreaking to see exceptionally rare and beautiful animals like Bengal Tigers killed so ruthlessly, I think that the people who are immediately decrying the sheriff’s response are failing to see the larger picture- namely that it should absolutely be illegal for some random individual to be in possession of so many exotic animals on a sham “preserve” like Thompson's. The sheriffs should have never been put in this situation to begin with, and they weren’t armed with the skills or equipment or time to deal with this sudden situation any better. It’s ridiculous to expect any police officers to just carry around numerous large animal tranquilizers capable of safely putting the size and number of animals they would have needed to, and to have some master plan already in place for where they’d all immediately go and how. So as an animal lover, it’s not the response I’m upset about, it’s what led to it.
ReplyDeleteIt's so unfortunate! And the gene pool for these rare animals is made all the more precarious because of this situation. I feel for the animals, as I must if I'm to remain "human" but I also understand the difficult situation of the authorities. If no zoo or legal preserve was willing to step in and help out, there was little else to be done. It's such a shame that these wild animal "experts" saw fit to sit on their hands. Some charity!
ReplyDeleteFirst of all it takes a lot of manpower to transport those animals, not to mention the difficulty and exceptionally dangerous situation it is to tranquilize an animal much less 50+ and transport them. Secondly, where are these institutions supposed to house them? Many are full as it is, especially the rescue groups who take in abused and abandoned dangerous animals from idiots like this guy. Its not a matter of throwing them in a cage. Authorities were working in the dark and in a town full of people. This whole situation is awful and as a pet owner, former wildlife rehabilitator and zoo keeper it breaks my heart. I cried when the first images of the dead animals started emerging. All of it preventable if states like Ohio (and mine, Alabama) had stricter laws prohibiting the ownership of exotic and dangerous animals. Hopefully this will be the push states need to pass legislation and the public to petition their representatives.
ReplyDelete