A sign warns drivers of the exotic animals loose outside Zanesville, Ohio, on Wednesday, October 19. It appears that Terry Thompson, 62, released 56 animals and then died from a self-inflicted wound, an official said.
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Two tigers that lived on Thompson's farm are seen about a year ago. Thompson was convicted of animal cruelty and animals at large in 2005.
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Thompson also kept lions on his property. Seventeen lions were killed after getting free. Thompson's property is about 2 miles outside Zanesville, the city's Mayor Howard Zwelling said.
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The three mountain lions Thompson owned were killed on October 19 as a safety measure. "When we got here, obviously, public safety was my No. 1 concern," Muskingum County Sheriff Matt Lutz said. "We could not have animals running loose in this county."
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A grizzly bear looks through his cage. One grizzly was brought to a zoo, and two others were killed. Law enforcement officials said on October 19 that they had accounted for all but one of the menagerie of animals released, with just a monkey remaining on the loose.
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Thompson kept camels on his farm as well. Lutz said law enforcement officials were well aware of Thompson's animals and made numerous visits to the property to look into complaints and ensure that Thompson was in compliance with permits.
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A miniature horse grazes on the farm. The Humane Society of the United States urged Ohio officials on October 19 to issue an emergency rule to crack down on exotic animal ownership.
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The bodies of animals that got free of an Ohio farm lie on the ground outside Zanesville. Officials were forced to shoot the animals, citing public safety.
