# Exotic Animals turned loose



## Terry Devine (Mar 11, 2008)

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/n...xotic-animals-free-kills-himself-1922333.html

Officials are hunting down exotic animals that were turned loose just before their owner committed suicide.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Terry Devine said:


> http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/n...xotic-animals-free-kills-himself-1922333.html
> 
> Officials are hunting down exotic animals that were turned loose just before their owner committed suicide.




Oh no. :sad:

This is so sad and awful on so many levels.


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## Terry Devine (Mar 11, 2008)

I agree Connie. Not sure why the guy committed suicide but he definitely did not do right by his animals.


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## David Frost (Mar 29, 2006)

The worst part is; several animals have already paid the price for his thoughtlessness. Jack Hanna is trying to assist but admits the extreme difficulty. Really tragic. Just reinforces my opinion they don't need to be collector items. 

DFrost


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## Dave Martin (Aug 11, 2010)

Terrible.. what an unfortunate situation for all those animals.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

From what I got out of it the guy just got out of prison, came home and saw what crappy shape all his animals were in. Turned them all loose then shot himself. 
When asked why they had to be shot, Jack Hanna said LE got there late at night and the animals were charging and running all over the place. Also to many neighbors about a mile away. 
Shooting them with tranqulizers wasn't an option because of the numbers and darkness. It would be to easy for them to run off into the night before the tranqulizers worked.


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## Skip Morgart (Dec 19, 2008)

Yes, a very sad outcome, and not too far from me. I'm not aginst someone wanting to have and keep some exotics, but there are people that are doing it right, and a lot that are doing it wrong. This guy didn't really care about the animals. There's another town not too far from me (Mt. Hope) that has exotic animal auctions in the spring and fall. You name the animal, it's probably there. I've been to watch a few times. There are dozens of these huge trailers there from many "game ranches" all over the US that buy at this auction. So many of them were those "canned hunt" ranches where they just turn these newly purchased exotic animals loose in a 10 acre fenced enclosure for some "hunter" to pay big bucks to go in there and shoot it.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Skip Morgart said:


> Yes, a very sad outcome, and not too far from me. I'm not aginst someone wanting to have and keep some exotics, but there are people that are doing it right, and a lot that are doing it wrong. This guy didn't really care about the animals. There's another town not too far from me (Mt. Hope) that has exotic animal auctions in the spring and fall. You name the animal, it's probably there. I've been to watch a few times. There are dozens of these huge trailers there from many "game ranches" all over the US that buy at this auction. So many of them were those "canned hunt" ranches where they just turn these newly purchased exotic animals loose in a 10 acre fenced enclosure for some "hunter" to pay big bucks to go in there and shoot it.



Missouri has one of those auctions also. It's at the same time and place where all the puppy millers come and sell there "product" out of the back of their trucks.


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## Skip Morgart (Dec 19, 2008)

Bob Scott said:


> Missouri has one of those auctions also. It's at the same time and place where all the puppy millers come and sell there "product" out of the back of their trucks.


 
Yeah, all the Amish puppy millers are there also..not auctioning pups, but just hoping to sell a lot more during the auction. The spring auction has a LOT of bear and lion and tiger cubs. They had a "baby room" there years ago (it's been awhile since I've went) where you could just go in and pick up the cubs and hold them before the auction.


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## Ricardo Ashton (Jun 3, 2010)

Now that's some jacked up shit. Why do people think they should keep wild animals as pets or novelties? And why the hell was a private individual allowed to collect so many animals? Didn't anyone check up on those that he first acquired? If they had this situation might have been avoidable. I hate stupid puny humans.


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## Thomas Barriano (Mar 27, 2006)

Ricardo Ashton said:


> Now that's some jacked up shit. Why do people think they should keep wild animals as pets or novelties? And why the hell was a private individual allowed to collect so many animals? Didn't anyone check up on those that he first acquired? If they had this situation might have been avoidable. I hate stupid puny humans.


It's a more and more prevalent idea that we should relate and commune with wild animals. I saw a sign on the back of a taxi recently promoting a wolf sanctuary. It said "Have you ever been kissed by a Wolf? Giving the impression that spectators are going to be allowed to get close enough for a wolf to lick them. WTF are they thinking? I respect most wolf and hybrid rescue that place them in preserves BUT do we really want
some poor wolf manhandled by every retard in the State of
Colorado or people to get the idea that wolves are like cute
little dogs? They're fukin wild animals not pets.


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## Melissa Thom (Jun 21, 2011)

I do have a few people in my life who hold private zoo licenses. A couple of them do it for the novelty - one specializing in Australian animals and the other in fish and reptiles - one does it for rescue - and the last one is a serious researcher and venom collector. His venom collections are his "job".

None of them would be what I would consider the wholesale hump and dumpers who trade the public dangerous animals because they can - but they did acquire their animals from a private sale. The major issue I see are idiots who acquire these animals and think they can love them enough to be something else. A cougar on a leash isn't the same thing as a dog on a leash. Just like no amount of love I can give a fox will make it a cat. 

The other issue is dealing with collectors - those who acquire and then half ass care - or acquire just for the novelty of having such a creature without consideration of why have such an animal - or knowledge of how much work having such a creature would be. 

The solution to this in my eyes is pretty easy. We already have a system in place for falconers, why not adapt it to other exotics?


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## Barry Connell (Jul 25, 2010)

....about 15 miles from my place. Supposedly PETA was headed there today to protest.


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## Skip Morgart (Dec 19, 2008)

Jack Hanna was there. He seemed very, very sincerely saddened by the terrible events, and was trying to explain the tragedy of it all to the news crew and why the animals had to be killed.


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## ann schnerre (Aug 24, 2006)

Melissa Thom said:


> The solution to this in my eyes is pretty easy. We already have a system in place for falconers, why not adapt it to other exotics?


melissa--can you link me to the falconer's website/system (i've always wanted to have a falcon since reading "the Other Side of the Mountain" a year or two ago.

as re the zanesville tragedy--it IS one. i think LE did what they had to do as sad as it was. i hate to think of the loss of the genetic material of the endangered species. a bad, bad deal all the way around. like connie said--on so many levels, including the owner's mental state.

this little town is not far from where i grew up--i don't think they want to be remembered for this...


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## Melissa Thom (Jun 21, 2011)

ann schnerre said:


> melissa--can you link me to the falconer's website/system (i've always wanted to have a falcon since reading "the Other Side of the Mountain" a year or two ago.
> .


You will need a federal and state falconry license. This varies from State to state except Hawaii who doesn't allow falconry. Usually you can find information with your state dept of fish and wildlife.

There is a written test - it covers aspects of bird care, handling, biology and animal husbandry. 

There is a mandatory apprenticeship. I'm told this is a minimum 2 year commitment normally. This person will sign off on your application with the state. 

Your facility must be inspected. Usually the dept of fish and wildlife is the one who does the inspection. They will issue a permit. 

You then may either purchase or trap your raptor.

This is usually enough of a barrier to keep the weekend wannabes and the but I want it NOW crowd away from these birds.


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## Sara Waters (Oct 23, 2010)

I believe wild animals should only be kept under very specific situations in habitats created for and suited to them and run by people who know what they are doing. Obviously this situation is pretty important in some cases to preserve the genetic material of very endangered animals and to perhaps fascilitate the repopulation of wild communities. Education of the general public too although definitely not of kissing and cuddling variety yuk! No wild animal should be subjected to that. 

People keeping these animals as pets shouldnt be allowed!

A very sad situation though for both the man and the animals. Shame it was allowed to happen in the first place.


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

I was driving down I-80 in Indiana a few years back and there was a pick-up truck pulled over off to the side of the highway with a sign on the back that said:

*CUBS $60*

I pulled over and took a peek and he had a big box with 5 mountain lion cubs in it... coulda took one home for $60.00. Glad I didn't...

A friend of mine bought a squirrel monkey from Montgomery Ward in the 70's...and "Christian" the Lion (youtube viral) was bought at a Harrod's department store in 1969..

I have kept some exotics, I know a few people that have decent "collections", that are well cared for, but also agree that this was a tragedy...


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## ann schnerre (Aug 24, 2006)

Melissa Thom said:


> You will need a federal and state falconry license. This varies from State to state except Hawaii who doesn't allow falconry. Usually you can find information with your state dept of fish and wildlife.
> 
> There is a written test - it covers aspects of bird care, handling, biology and animal husbandry.
> 
> ...


thanks melissa. i can contact my extension agent and go from there for information. seems like VERY reasonable requirements. don't know if i'll ever actually do it, but now at least i know where to start.

did you see the vids a year or two ago of using eagles to hunt (i think) coyotes/wolves (or some pretty big predator)? WOW!

back OT--yes, i personally think laws worldwide need to be tightened up a LOT as to who can purchase/raise/"train" these animals. for a LOT of reasons.


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## Barry Connell (Jul 25, 2010)

Here is a link to an ebay shirt from the Harley dealership he used to own...

http://www.ebay.ph/itm/TS-HARLEY-DAVIDSON-ZANESVILLE-OHIO-T-SHIRT-XL-NICE-/250862396778


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## Charlotte Hince (Oct 7, 2010)

I keep seeing bits of Jack Hanna on the news and he looks absolutely gutted particularly when the police officer was talking about the adult tiger who they got near enough to dart. They thought they got a dart into him but he went nuts and charged running off toward a wooded area so they had to shoot him. What a horror show. 



ann schnerre said:


> melissa--can you link me to the falconer's website/system (i've always wanted to have a falcon since reading "the Other Side of the Mountain" a year or two ago.


The North American Falconers Association has a pretty handy website including the club affiliate list. They're generally a pretty helpful group and are up front about the cost and time it takes to actually get your own bird. It's all well beyond my current budget but I not so secretly want a red-tailed hawk one day.


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## Molly Graf (Jul 20, 2006)

This guy had a permit to keep all of these animals. Not only did he have a permit to have them all (50+ of them), he was inspected annually. And even though he had MANY complaints and citations for animal neglect and abuse (so the information says) he STILL had his permits and his animals. PITIFUL. Laws NEED to be changed in states like Ohio, WV (where you don't even need a permit to keep big cats and other exotics), FL and TX - in the end, the animals suffer. They never lead a long happy life - never. 

Re: Falconry - I'm a wanna-be falconer who has pre-apprenticed under master and general falconers, and have studied for the apprentice test etc. I just don't have time to do it right now, but I am prepared when I do have time (probably when I retire from Schutzhund). 

If you are interested in falconry, the first step is to find a general or master falconer, and talk to them. Get the apprentice books and read them. Read up on state laws and regulations. And follow the falconer around, watch and learn. Then when you are accepted as an apprentice, you get your first bird -normally wild-caught, and normally restricted (per state but as far as I know most states have the same restrictions for apprentice falconers) - you start with a redtail hawk or kestrel. Most falconers won't allow their apprentices to handle a kestrel, they are too small and delicate and their feeding requirements are too difficult to "get right", difficult to keep the kestrel alive, basically.

Then you apprentice for at least a year before taking the test and becoming a general, which you have to be for another year before you can take an apprentice yourself.

I agree, this sort of process should be required to own, keep and handle any wild/exotic animal especially primates and predators.

molly


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## Melissa Thom (Jun 21, 2011)

Molly Graf said:


> This guy had a permit to keep all of these animals. Not only did he have a permit to have them all (50+ of them), he was inspected annually. And even though he had MANY complaints and citations for animal neglect and abuse (so the information says) he STILL had his permits and his animals. PITIFUL. Laws NEED to be changed in states like Ohio, WV (where you don't even need a permit to keep big cats and other exotics), FL and TX - in the end, the animals suffer. They never lead a long happy life - never.


I don't know a thing about this zoo and it's care but I would venture to say you won't find a zoo in this country without complaints of animal neglect and abuse both valid and not valid. I was once at a Cheyanne Mt zoo where the staff were instructing students in elephant handling with the old style shackles and hooks - I can really say the elephant really didn't look like he wanted to be there. No idea if it's considered abuse though. I was once at the San Diego zoo and saw a koala with an obvious weeping abscess on full public display. No idea if that meets zoo standards but I did complain. When you look at those San Diego or Woodland park zoo pens after going to the San Diego Wild animal park just about everything just looks too small and dirty. On a warm humid day in Seattle the smell coming off that hippo pond can make one want to puke. No idea if it was truly dirty of if hippos just can smell like rotten cabbage and ass. 

I don't pretend to know everything about everything in animal husbandry and zoo standards but the public knows even less than I do - they tend to think zoos should look like Disney movies or perhaps they have another agenda entirely.


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## Molly Graf (Jul 20, 2006)

But this wasn't a zoo, it was one person who had permits to keep wild animals in cages on his private property, not open to the public - inspected yearly and despite complaints and officials admitting the animals were not kept in good conditions, allowed to keep them. As I said, this is what ends up happening, or something similar - it seems every time, with privately owned exotics. They end up being abandoned, get loose and get killed. They don't lead happy long lives. I think most zoos and sanctuaries do a pretty good job housing their animals in good-sized enclosures that aren't "cages" - not ideal by any means but not the same as these poor animals kept as "pets" because people are allowed to do that in some states. I don't think it should be allowed unless it's a zoo or santuary keeping the animals.


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## Mark Horne (Oct 12, 2006)

It's disgusting that the laws of that state allow wild animals to be kept, the numbers are outrageous. 
Outside of professional institutions what right do these donuts have to own such animals, I've just watched a TV programme on the thousands of privately owned pythons that have been released in Florida over the years and are screwing up the eco system.

The rescue centres in the states particulary are overrun with these types of animals, it's a tragedy. These animals belong in only the most professional zoos, if they can't be wild.

Mark


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## Terry Devine (Mar 11, 2008)

Back in 2004 in Palm Beach County we had a tiger escape from a private compound that made a threatening move toward an officer and had to be shot. The tiger belonged to an actor who used to play Tarzan and I think he rescues exotics.


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## ann schnerre (Aug 24, 2006)

OT, but thnks for all the falconer information ladies!! MUCH appreciated!


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## Kadi Thingvall (Jan 22, 2007)

Mark Horne said:


> The rescue centres in the states particulary are overrun with these types of animals, it's a tragedy. These animals belong in only the most professional zoos, if they can't be wild.


I think this is part of the problem. They knew he had a lot of animals, in questionable conditions, but where were the animals going to go if they took them away from him? Finding rescues that had the space to take in 50+ exotics, many of them large predators, would be difficult if not impossible. Unless AC, the state, whoever is in charge here, had someone to put the animals once they took them, there only other option would have been euthanasia, which I don't think they could have done legally without a court case first, so they would have had to have at least short term accommodations for them.

This is something though that they should be taking into account before they issue permits to people to own these animals. Not afterwards, when the situation is at a point where someone needs to step in.


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## Alison Grubb (Nov 18, 2009)

The whole situation saddens me. It sucks that the animals had to be shot, but they couldn't be allowed to run wild with people living nearby - that could have spelled disaster.
When I was in high school I did some volunteer work at a carnivore preserve. It was incredible and beautiful to be able to go in there and be around those wild cats but I always respected them and knew their power. I never had any desire to hug or kiss or touch these animals, to see them was enough for me. My Dad stopped letting me do volunteer work there after one of the guys who ran it was killed by a tiger.



Mark Horne said:


> It's disgusting that the laws of that state allow wild animals to be kept, the numbers are outrageous.
> Outside of professional institutions what right do these donuts have to own such animals, *I've just watched a TV programme on the thousands of privately owned pythons that have been released in Florida over the years and are screwing up the eco system.*
> 
> The rescue centres in the states particulary are overrun with these types of animals, it's a tragedy. These animals belong in only the most professional zoos, if they can't be wild.
> ...


Yep. It's more than pythons though. There are all kinds of reptiles, including venomous and some aggressive species that are in the area now. They have actually started a series on Animal Planet (it may be called Swamp Wars?? if I remember correctly, which I may not) about these exotics in Miami. Pretty crazy stuff.


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## Lindsay Janes (Aug 9, 2007)

It is tragic to kill those 18 Bengal tigers.


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