Terry Thompson, Ohio Exotic Animal Owner, Wasn't Drunk Or On Drugs
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- A final coroner's report shows an Ohio man who released dozens of wild animals and then killed himself had no alcohol or illegal drugs in his system.
The Columbus Dispatch reports (http://bit.ly/saaXlR ) that the findings released Wednesday also confirm that 62-year-old Terry Thompson died after he put a gun to the roof of his mouth and fired. And the report indicates he was bitten and clawed by large cats immediately after his Oct. 18 death on his property near Zanesville in eastern Ohio.
Sheriff's deputies were forced to kill 48 loose exotic animals, including bears, lions and endangered Bengal tigers.
Three leopards, two primates and a grizzly bear survived the big-game hunt and are now in the care of the Columbus zoo.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/22/terry-thompson-exotic-animal-owner_n_1164918.html?ref=weird-animals
Showing posts with label ohio. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ohio. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Duck's Boon Might Be a Turtle's Bane: Overturned Duck Nest Boxes Can Be Death Traps for Turtles
ScienceDaily (Nov. 3, 2011) — Duck nest boxes used to aid cavity-nesting ducks can prove to be turtle death traps. That was the discovery made by University of Cincinnati Educator Associate Professor Denis Conover, of the Department of Biological Sciences in UC's McMicken College of Arts and Sciences, when he came upon a duck nest box in the wetlands of southern Ohio's Miami Whitewater Forest. The box had tipped over. Turtle corpses were strewn about the mud and mire surrounding the fallen nesting box. Several species of turtles had been trapped by the box, and not all of them made it out alive.
Conover's concern for the turtles' welfare led him and co-authors Wayne Wauligman and Karen Cody, a naturalist, to write "Tipped Over Duck Nest Box Traps Turtles in a Restored Wetland (Ohio)," to raise awareness about the problem of improperly maintained and monitored duck nest boxes. A slide presentation of the research will be displayed at the Kansas Herpetological Society's (KHS) annual meeting in Wichita, Kansas, Nov. 4-6, 2011.
Ordinarily a good thing, duck nest boxes -- a nesting box attached to a pole in the wetland ground -- are often erected in wetlands to provide nest sites for cavity-nesting ducks such as wood ducks and hooded mergansers. In fact, duck nest boxes have been put up in many wetlands throughout the United States and Canada and have helped with increasing wood duck populations.
However, improper care of these boxes can have devastating effects on wetland turtles. Conover writes that "if a pole gets tipped over and the box gets into the water, these duck nest boxes can serve as death traps for turtles."
In Conover's case, the three species of trapped turtles -- painted, snapping and box -- are not endangered in Ohio. Still, other wetlands, such as the Beaver Creek Wetlands, Spring Valley Wildlife Area, and Cedar Bog, may harbor species like the spotted turtle which are much rarer. Such species may also be affected by overturned duck nest boxes.
Duck nest boxes are typically monitored and maintained during the winter or just before the breeding season, but Conover suggests that it "should probably be done more frequently." Periodically checking on duck nest boxes throughout the year can help reduce the dangerous and sometimes fatal consequences overturned boxes can have on turtles.
"Our goal is to reduce suffering and death of turtles by warning land managers about the threat to turtles that downed duck nest boxes can pose."
Conover recently finished an article titled, "Keystone Role of Beavers in a Restored Wetland (Ohio)," and has also published articles on control of Amur honeysuckle, deer management, woodland, wetland and prairie restoration, earlier flowering of wetland prairie plants associated with global warming, seed germination, plant/water relations, and ecological physiology of freshwater clams.
Over the years Conover has conducted many botanical surveys for various park districts and conservation groups such as Oxbow, Inc. and the Bergamo Center at Mount Saint John Nature Preserve. He is currently doing a vascular plant survey at Campbell Lakes Preserve for the Hamilton County Park District.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111103120457.htm
Conover's concern for the turtles' welfare led him and co-authors Wayne Wauligman and Karen Cody, a naturalist, to write "Tipped Over Duck Nest Box Traps Turtles in a Restored Wetland (Ohio)," to raise awareness about the problem of improperly maintained and monitored duck nest boxes. A slide presentation of the research will be displayed at the Kansas Herpetological Society's (KHS) annual meeting in Wichita, Kansas, Nov. 4-6, 2011.
Ordinarily a good thing, duck nest boxes -- a nesting box attached to a pole in the wetland ground -- are often erected in wetlands to provide nest sites for cavity-nesting ducks such as wood ducks and hooded mergansers. In fact, duck nest boxes have been put up in many wetlands throughout the United States and Canada and have helped with increasing wood duck populations.
However, improper care of these boxes can have devastating effects on wetland turtles. Conover writes that "if a pole gets tipped over and the box gets into the water, these duck nest boxes can serve as death traps for turtles."
In Conover's case, the three species of trapped turtles -- painted, snapping and box -- are not endangered in Ohio. Still, other wetlands, such as the Beaver Creek Wetlands, Spring Valley Wildlife Area, and Cedar Bog, may harbor species like the spotted turtle which are much rarer. Such species may also be affected by overturned duck nest boxes.
Duck nest boxes are typically monitored and maintained during the winter or just before the breeding season, but Conover suggests that it "should probably be done more frequently." Periodically checking on duck nest boxes throughout the year can help reduce the dangerous and sometimes fatal consequences overturned boxes can have on turtles.
"Our goal is to reduce suffering and death of turtles by warning land managers about the threat to turtles that downed duck nest boxes can pose."
Conover recently finished an article titled, "Keystone Role of Beavers in a Restored Wetland (Ohio)," and has also published articles on control of Amur honeysuckle, deer management, woodland, wetland and prairie restoration, earlier flowering of wetland prairie plants associated with global warming, seed germination, plant/water relations, and ecological physiology of freshwater clams.
Over the years Conover has conducted many botanical surveys for various park districts and conservation groups such as Oxbow, Inc. and the Bergamo Center at Mount Saint John Nature Preserve. He is currently doing a vascular plant survey at Campbell Lakes Preserve for the Hamilton County Park District.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111103120457.htm
Monday, October 24, 2011
Police Blotter: Woman Reports Panther in Her Yard (via Chad Arment)
A Knowlton Parkway woman called police about 4:50 p.m. Oct. 13 and said she was getting ready to leave her apartment but was afraid to go outside because she looked out her back window and saw a black panther outside.
Police were unable to locate a panther in the area. They told the woman it was safe to go to her car.
http://strongsville.patch.com/articles/police-blotter-woman-reports-panther-in-her-yard
Panthers Prowling in Strongsville? Good Question
When a resident on Knowlton Parkway called police Oct. 13, she was so sure she had seen a panther outside she was afraid to walk to her car.
Local animal experts say it's unlikely that's what she saw.
"I hear about sightings from time to time," Animal Warden Mike Roth said. "But when I check them out, I haven't seen any signs of them."
But others insist it's possible that a panther -- also called a puma or a cougar -- was, in fact, strolling through Strongsville because they've seen one, too.
Roseann Cyngier said her husband, Peter, spotted a huge black cat in the field behind their woods several years ago and called her over to see it.
"Later, it was sighted in Medina County," Roseann said.
A 2008 story in the Medina County Gazette said a number of people in Sharon Township had glimpsed a large cat they believed was a puma. One resident saw it slip into the woods near Chippewa Lake; another found 4-inch-wide paw prints between Brunswick and Medina.
Jane Christyson, director of marketing for Cleveland Metroparks, said big cats aren't hiding out in the woods there.
"We have not had any confirmed sightings in Cleveland Metroparks at all," she said.
But Christyson said a puma was recently killed by a car in Connecticut and found to match puma living in North Dakota, indicating that some -- or at least one -- migrated across several states.
Roth said someone reported seeing a very large cat on I-71 near Pearl Road last year, but he was unable to locate tracks, even though there was snow on the ground.
And this summer, someone in Forest Park reported seeing a panther or other big cat. "I never did see signs of it, though," Roth said.
He said he would check the area around Knowlton Parkway, but said wth leaves on the ground, it would be difficult to see paw prints.
Police were unable to locate a panther in the area. They told the woman it was safe to go to her car.
http://strongsville.patch.com/articles/police-blotter-woman-reports-panther-in-her-yard
Panthers Prowling in Strongsville? Good Question
When a resident on Knowlton Parkway called police Oct. 13, she was so sure she had seen a panther outside she was afraid to walk to her car.
Local animal experts say it's unlikely that's what she saw.
"I hear about sightings from time to time," Animal Warden Mike Roth said. "But when I check them out, I haven't seen any signs of them."
But others insist it's possible that a panther -- also called a puma or a cougar -- was, in fact, strolling through Strongsville because they've seen one, too.
Roseann Cyngier said her husband, Peter, spotted a huge black cat in the field behind their woods several years ago and called her over to see it.
"Later, it was sighted in Medina County," Roseann said.
A 2008 story in the Medina County Gazette said a number of people in Sharon Township had glimpsed a large cat they believed was a puma. One resident saw it slip into the woods near Chippewa Lake; another found 4-inch-wide paw prints between Brunswick and Medina.
Jane Christyson, director of marketing for Cleveland Metroparks, said big cats aren't hiding out in the woods there.
"We have not had any confirmed sightings in Cleveland Metroparks at all," she said.
But Christyson said a puma was recently killed by a car in Connecticut and found to match puma living in North Dakota, indicating that some -- or at least one -- migrated across several states.
Roth said someone reported seeing a very large cat on I-71 near Pearl Road last year, but he was unable to locate tracks, even though there was snow on the ground.
And this summer, someone in Forest Park reported seeing a panther or other big cat. "I never did see signs of it, though," Roth said.
He said he would check the area around Knowlton Parkway, but said wth leaves on the ground, it would be difficult to see paw prints.
http://strongsville.patch.com/articles/panthers-prowling-in-strongsville-good-question
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Wild animals on loose from US park
Dozens of animals have escaped from a US wild animal preserve that houses bears, big cats and other beasts, and the owner later was found dead.
Officers shot several of the animals and urged nearby residents to stay indoors.
Fences had been left unsecured at the Muskingum County Animal Farm in Zanesville, east-central Ohio, and the animals' cages were open, police said.
They would not say what animals escaped but said the preserve had lions, tigers, cheetahs, wolves, giraffes, camels and bears. They said bears and wolves were among 25 escaped animals that had been shot and killed and there were multiple sightings of exotic animals along a nearby highway.
"These are wild animals that you would see on TV in Africa," Sheriff Matt Lutz warned.
He called the escaped animals "mature, very big, aggressive" but said a caretaker told authorities the preserve's 48 animals had been fed on Monday. He said police were patrolling the 40-acre farm and the surrounding areas in cars, not on foot, and were concerned about big cats and bears hiding in the dark and in trees.
Mr Lutz said four deputies with assault rifles in a pickup truck went to the animal farm, where they found the owner, Terry Thompson, dead and all the animal cage doors open. He wouldn't say how Mr Thompson died but said several aggressive animals were near his body when deputies arrived and had to be shot.
Mr Thompson, who lived on the property, had orangutans and chimps in his home, but those were still in their cages, Mr Lutz said.
The deputies, who saw many other animals standing outside their cages and others that had escaped past the fencing surrounding the property, began shooting them on sight. They said there had been no reports of injuries among the public.
Staff from Columbus Zoo went to the scene, hoping to tranquillise and capture the animals. The sheriff said caretakers might put food in the animals' open cages to try to lure them back.
Monday, September 5, 2011
OH: Black leopard sightings still being reported (via Chad Arment)
Kelli Wynn, Staff Writer
Dayton Daily News
Thursday, September 1, 2011
HARRISON TWP., Montgomery County — A black leopard that has been roaming the area was sighted two more times this week, according to law enforcement officials and a resident.
Chris Walden of the 4500 block of Lofty Oaks Lane said he was looking out a window in his home and noticed a large black cat-like animal walking across his yard Wednesday night.
"It was like stalking, the way it was walking," Walden said. "He was stalking real cautious. Real aware of everything around him. "
Walden estimates that the dark animal weighed between 160 to 200 pounds. The sight of the animal prompted Walden to call the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office and Outreach for Animals, Inc., a local nonprofit that deals with exotic animals found in residential areas.
"It's definitely someone's pet that got out," outreach director Tim Harrison said of the leopard, which is commonly known as a black panther..
He believes the leopard could have been among the leopard cubs sold at an uncredited zoo and rescue facility in Mount Hope, Ohio, about five or six years ago. Harrison's organization discovered that this zoo, which was located in Amish country, was selling black leopard and cougar cubs.
Ohio does not regulate private ownership of dangerous wild animals, according to the Humane Society of the United States.
Harrison pointed out that when the buyers bought these cubs they were cute and adorable. By now, that might not be the case with these animals.
"They are either going to escape or get turned loose," Harrison said of the animals . "I predict now that there is going to be an explosion of black leopards and cougars (throughout Ohio).
This week's earlier sighting occurred Tuesday when a person reported seeing an animal near the wooded area along the Stillwater River near Shoup Mill Road and Riverside Drive, according to Montgomery County Sheriff's Major Dave Hale.
The leopard has been spotted at least five or six times in the last 14 or 15 months, Hale said.
"The likelihood of trapping an animal like that is pretty small," Hale said. "If we have a sighting, we will take the appropriate steps.."
So far, the sheriff's office has not had a report of the leopard approaching a human.
Harrison recommends that people not move when they spot a leopard because moving or running may trigger a chase instinct in the animal.
http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/black-leopard-sightings-still-being-reported-1243913.html
Dayton Daily News
Thursday, September 1, 2011
HARRISON TWP., Montgomery County — A black leopard that has been roaming the area was sighted two more times this week, according to law enforcement officials and a resident.
Chris Walden of the 4500 block of Lofty Oaks Lane said he was looking out a window in his home and noticed a large black cat-like animal walking across his yard Wednesday night.
"It was like stalking, the way it was walking," Walden said. "He was stalking real cautious. Real aware of everything around him. "
Walden estimates that the dark animal weighed between 160 to 200 pounds. The sight of the animal prompted Walden to call the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office and Outreach for Animals, Inc., a local nonprofit that deals with exotic animals found in residential areas.
"It's definitely someone's pet that got out," outreach director Tim Harrison said of the leopard, which is commonly known as a black panther..
He believes the leopard could have been among the leopard cubs sold at an uncredited zoo and rescue facility in Mount Hope, Ohio, about five or six years ago. Harrison's organization discovered that this zoo, which was located in Amish country, was selling black leopard and cougar cubs.
Ohio does not regulate private ownership of dangerous wild animals, according to the Humane Society of the United States.
Harrison pointed out that when the buyers bought these cubs they were cute and adorable. By now, that might not be the case with these animals.
"They are either going to escape or get turned loose," Harrison said of the animals . "I predict now that there is going to be an explosion of black leopards and cougars (throughout Ohio).
This week's earlier sighting occurred Tuesday when a person reported seeing an animal near the wooded area along the Stillwater River near Shoup Mill Road and Riverside Drive, according to Montgomery County Sheriff's Major Dave Hale.
The leopard has been spotted at least five or six times in the last 14 or 15 months, Hale said.
"The likelihood of trapping an animal like that is pretty small," Hale said. "If we have a sighting, we will take the appropriate steps.."
So far, the sheriff's office has not had a report of the leopard approaching a human.
Harrison recommends that people not move when they spot a leopard because moving or running may trigger a chase instinct in the animal.
http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/black-leopard-sightings-still-being-reported-1243913.html
Friday, September 2, 2011
Black leopard reportedly sighted again in Ohio
DAYTON, Ohio - A black leopard reportedly sighted several times in southwest Ohio apparently has been seen again in the Dayton area.
Maj. Dave Hale of the Montgomery County Sheriff's says a person reported seeing the animal Tuesday near a wooded area along the Stillwater River in Harrison Township. Hale says the leopard has been spotted at least five or six times in the past 14 or 15 months.
The Dayton Daily News reports reports that the leopard appears to be staying close to the wooded area near the river.
Hale says the sheriff's office has not had any reports of the leopard approaching a human. He says its unlikely authorities could trap the animal.
Read more: http://www.wcpo.com/dpp/news/black-leopard-reportedly-sighted-again-in-ohio#ixzz1WjHodfIz
Maj. Dave Hale of the Montgomery County Sheriff's says a person reported seeing the animal Tuesday near a wooded area along the Stillwater River in Harrison Township. Hale says the leopard has been spotted at least five or six times in the past 14 or 15 months.
The Dayton Daily News reports reports that the leopard appears to be staying close to the wooded area near the river.
Hale says the sheriff's office has not had any reports of the leopard approaching a human. He says its unlikely authorities could trap the animal.
Read more: http://www.wcpo.com/dpp/news/black-leopard-reportedly-sighted-again-in-ohio#ixzz1WjHodfIz
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Leopard sightings confirmed near Dayton
Leopard sightings confirmed near Dayton
By Dave Larsen and Steve Bennish
Staff Writers
Updated 9:19 AM Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Local animal control officials on Monday confirmed three sightings earlier this year of a black leopard, but said the public shouldn't panic.The leopard hasn't been seen since April, said Tim Harrison, director of Outreach for Animals, a local nonprofit dedicated to educating the public on the dangers of owning exotic animals.Maj. Dave Hale of the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office said two sightings were around the Stillwater River and Frederick Pike. No one has reported a pet leopard missing to the sheriff's office, he said, and the animal — if it is real — could be well out of the area by now.Investigators from Outreach for Animals and the Humane Society of Greater Dayton searched the area three times with infrared cameras and haven't seen so much as a paw print in nearly two months.
"This cat is most likely back with his owners," Harrison said.A black leopard averages in size from 60 to 100 pounds. One witness said it was bigger than a black Labrador Retriever, with a long bushy tail.A number of people in the Dayton area own leopards and African lions, said Harrison, a retired Oakwood police officer. "They do get out every once in a while," he said.Ohio is one of less than 10 states that don't regulate ownership of wild animals, according to the U.S. Humane Society. Regulations are now under study by Gov. Kasich's administration.Harrison said owning an exotic animal is like having a "time bomb" that could go off at any time, even in its owner's home."
If you see something like this please do not run, because that triggers a natural instinct in the cat to chase you and knock you down," Harrison said.The Daily, an iPad news app, published an article Monday on the leopard saying the animal was prowling streets and parks. "(The article) shouldn't have been done the way it was," Harrison said.
http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/dayton-news/leopard-sightings-confirmed-near-dayton-1205078.html
By Dave Larsen and Steve Bennish
Staff Writers
Updated 9:19 AM Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Local animal control officials on Monday confirmed three sightings earlier this year of a black leopard, but said the public shouldn't panic.The leopard hasn't been seen since April, said Tim Harrison, director of Outreach for Animals, a local nonprofit dedicated to educating the public on the dangers of owning exotic animals.Maj. Dave Hale of the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office said two sightings were around the Stillwater River and Frederick Pike. No one has reported a pet leopard missing to the sheriff's office, he said, and the animal — if it is real — could be well out of the area by now.Investigators from Outreach for Animals and the Humane Society of Greater Dayton searched the area three times with infrared cameras and haven't seen so much as a paw print in nearly two months.
"This cat is most likely back with his owners," Harrison said.A black leopard averages in size from 60 to 100 pounds. One witness said it was bigger than a black Labrador Retriever, with a long bushy tail.A number of people in the Dayton area own leopards and African lions, said Harrison, a retired Oakwood police officer. "They do get out every once in a while," he said.Ohio is one of less than 10 states that don't regulate ownership of wild animals, according to the U.S. Humane Society. Regulations are now under study by Gov. Kasich's administration.Harrison said owning an exotic animal is like having a "time bomb" that could go off at any time, even in its owner's home."
If you see something like this please do not run, because that triggers a natural instinct in the cat to chase you and knock you down," Harrison said.The Daily, an iPad news app, published an article Monday on the leopard saying the animal was prowling streets and parks. "(The article) shouldn't have been done the way it was," Harrison said.
http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/dayton-news/leopard-sightings-confirmed-near-dayton-1205078.html
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Wandering wolf caught in Ohio neighborhood
AKRON, Ohio, June 8 (UPI) -- A wolf on the loose in Akron, Ohio, in a neighborhood near the Akron Zoo has been captured after several weeks of sightings, officials said. Residents including Pam and Larry Witherow have been attempting to capture the animal for some time, WJW-TV, Cleveland, reported Tuesday.
The Witherows currently care for two rescued wolf-hybrids on their property.
The Witherows currently care for two rescued wolf-hybrids on their property.
(There is a video on the original site)
Man blames violence on wolf scratch
AMHERST, Ohio, June 10 (UPI) -- Authorities in Ohio said a man arrested after behaving violently and growling at sheriff's deputies blamed his actions on a scratch from a wolf.
Lorain County sheriff's deputies said Thomas Stroup, 20, was arrested at about 12:30 a.m. Sunday after they received a call of a "very violent" male attacking people at the Timber Ridge Campground in Amherst, The Chronicle-Telegram, Elyria, Ohio.
Deputies said a friend of Stroup who was at the scene told them the suspect had consumed a large amount of alcohol and fought with other campers, who left before deputies arrived. Stroup was found sleeping under a trailer and growled at the deputies before being placed under arrest.Read on...
Lorain County sheriff's deputies said Thomas Stroup, 20, was arrested at about 12:30 a.m. Sunday after they received a call of a "very violent" male attacking people at the Timber Ridge Campground in Amherst, The Chronicle-Telegram, Elyria, Ohio.
Deputies said a friend of Stroup who was at the scene told them the suspect had consumed a large amount of alcohol and fought with other campers, who left before deputies arrived. Stroup was found sleeping under a trailer and growled at the deputies before being placed under arrest.Read on...
Sunday, June 19, 2011
6-foot python found atop garbage truck in Ohio
The driver of a garbage truck found a 6-foot Burmese python on its roof after he emptied a trash bin into the truck at a Cincinnati fast-food restaurant.
Hamilton County sheriff's spokesman Steve Barnett says deputies who were summoned around 11 a.m. Thursday arrived to find the snake on the ground with its tail wrapped around a broom belonging to the driver. A deputy lifted the snake into a cardboard box using the broom.
Barnett says in a statement that the python appeared sluggish at first but revived once inside the box. Animal welfare workers took away the snake.
The sheriff's office says it doesn't know how the python got to the trash bin area.
Hamilton County sheriff's spokesman Steve Barnett says deputies who were summoned around 11 a.m. Thursday arrived to find the snake on the ground with its tail wrapped around a broom belonging to the driver. A deputy lifted the snake into a cardboard box using the broom.
Barnett says in a statement that the python appeared sluggish at first but revived once inside the box. Animal welfare workers took away the snake.
The sheriff's office says it doesn't know how the python got to the trash bin area.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Ohio Ban On Exotic Pet Sales To Expire This Week (Via HerpDigest)
Ohio Ban On Exotic Pet Sales To Expire This Week
April 2, 2011, COLUMBUS, Ohio -- An order that banned buying and selling bears, crocodiles and other exotic animals in Ohio is set to expire without intervention by state officials.
Former Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland issued the 90-day emergency executive order Jan. 6 before leaving office. It banned new exotic pets and allowed existing pets to be kept only under tough new rules in one of the few states where wild pet ownership was largely unchecked. It was part of a deal that help keep pet and livestock restrictions proposed by the Humane Society of the United States off the ballot.
The Columbus Dispatch reports Republican Gov. John Kasich's administration has confirmed he won't renew the order. State natural resources officials are expected to release information this week about what happens when the order expires.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Man Finds African Wild Cat Inside Barn
BLANCHESTER, Ohio -- An area man was shocked Tuesday morning when he saw an African wild cat outside his home.
Anthony Topmiller said he heard a growling sound when he opened his barn door to feed his cattle, and when he looked to see what it was, he saw what looked like a small cheetah about five feet away.
"I've never been afraid of an animal, but I will definitely say I was taken aback from this one," Topmiller said. "It sounds silly, but a 30-pound cat had my barn held hostage."
The animal was actually a serval, a medium-sized cat related to lions, hovering over a domestic cat it had just killed.
"It was not wanting to leave its prey, so we considered him fairly dangerous and called the proper authorities to come in and help us with this animal," Topmiller said.
Animal control officers picked up the serval, which a neighbor claims belongs to her.
The woman said she has been looking for the female serval, which she has raised from a baby and named Eris, since it escaped nine days ago.
She said the animal is valued at about $3,000.
The dog warden said Ohio has almost no regulations on wild animals such as this one.
"People need to be trained on what they're doing," Topmiller said. "We can't have these things wild like this. It's become a public safety (issue), and that's exactly what happened yesterday."
The serval remains with animal control officers while the neighbor attempts to regain custody.
Anthony Topmiller said he heard a growling sound when he opened his barn door to feed his cattle, and when he looked to see what it was, he saw what looked like a small cheetah about five feet away.
"I've never been afraid of an animal, but I will definitely say I was taken aback from this one," Topmiller said. "It sounds silly, but a 30-pound cat had my barn held hostage."
The animal was actually a serval, a medium-sized cat related to lions, hovering over a domestic cat it had just killed.
"It was not wanting to leave its prey, so we considered him fairly dangerous and called the proper authorities to come in and help us with this animal," Topmiller said.
Animal control officers picked up the serval, which a neighbor claims belongs to her.
The woman said she has been looking for the female serval, which she has raised from a baby and named Eris, since it escaped nine days ago.
She said the animal is valued at about $3,000.
The dog warden said Ohio has almost no regulations on wild animals such as this one.
"People need to be trained on what they're doing," Topmiller said. "We can't have these things wild like this. It's become a public safety (issue), and that's exactly what happened yesterday."
The serval remains with animal control officers while the neighbor attempts to regain custody.
Man Finds African Wild Cat Inside Barn
BLANCHESTER, Ohio -- An area man was shocked Tuesday morning when he saw an African wild cat outside his home.
Anthony Topmiller said he heard a growling sound when he opened his barn door to feed his cattle, and when he looked to see what it was, he saw what looked like a small cheetah about five feet away.
"I've never been afraid of an animal, but I will definitely say I was taken aback from this one," Topmiller said. "It sounds silly, but a 30-pound cat had my barn held hostage."
The animal was actually a serval, a medium-sized cat related to lions, hovering over a domestic cat it had just killed.
"It was not wanting to leave its prey, so we considered him fairly dangerous and called the proper authorities to come in and help us with this animal," Topmiller said.
Animal control officers picked up the serval, which a neighbor claims belongs to her.
The woman said she has been looking for the female serval, which she has raised from a baby and named Eris, since it escaped nine days ago.
She said the animal is valued at about $3,000.
The dog warden said Ohio has almost no regulations on wild animals such as this one.
"People need to be trained on what they're doing," Topmiller said. "We can't have these things wild like this. It's become a public safety (issue), and that's exactly what happened yesterday."
The serval remains with animal control officers while the neighbor attempts to regain custody.
Anthony Topmiller said he heard a growling sound when he opened his barn door to feed his cattle, and when he looked to see what it was, he saw what looked like a small cheetah about five feet away.
"I've never been afraid of an animal, but I will definitely say I was taken aback from this one," Topmiller said. "It sounds silly, but a 30-pound cat had my barn held hostage."
The animal was actually a serval, a medium-sized cat related to lions, hovering over a domestic cat it had just killed.
"It was not wanting to leave its prey, so we considered him fairly dangerous and called the proper authorities to come in and help us with this animal," Topmiller said.
Animal control officers picked up the serval, which a neighbor claims belongs to her.
The woman said she has been looking for the female serval, which she has raised from a baby and named Eris, since it escaped nine days ago.
She said the animal is valued at about $3,000.
The dog warden said Ohio has almost no regulations on wild animals such as this one.
"People need to be trained on what they're doing," Topmiller said. "We can't have these things wild like this. It's become a public safety (issue), and that's exactly what happened yesterday."
The serval remains with animal control officers while the neighbor attempts to regain custody.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Bear Attack Highlights Lax Ohio Exotic Pet Laws (Via HerpDigest)
Bear Attack Highlights Lax Ohio Exotic Pet Laws
COLUMBUS, Ohio -8/31/10 By JULIE CARR SMYTH (AP) - The bear that recently killed a caretaker in a Cleveland suburb was the latest example of animal violence in a state that has some of the nation's weakest restrictions on exotic pets and among the highest number of injuries and deaths caused by them.
After a standoff between the Humane Society and agriculture interests, state officials are crafting restrictions on the ownership of dangerous wild pets. But the killer beast and others owned by former bear-wrestling entrepreneur Sam Mazzola, who had lost his federal license to exhibit exotic animals, would have been grandfathered out of them.
"It's just a free-for-all in Ohio, and Sam Mazzola is just an example of that," said Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States. "Tigers, wolves, bears in a suburban Lorain County community: It is a disaster waiting to happen."
The death in Ohio and attacks elsewhere - including the maiming of a Connecticut woman by her friend's pet chimpanzee and a 2-year-old Florida girl squeezed to death by her family's python - highlight that the patchwork of federal, state and local laws on keeping dangerous wild animals at home has holes.
Mazzola had the proper state permit to keep the black bear, a species native to Ohio, on his property. He also kept wolves, tigers and a lion, something he was free to do because Ohio and at least four other states - Alabama, Idaho, Missouri and Montana - impose few or no restrictions on the ownership of non-native animals kept solely as pets, according to a review of state regulations by The Associated Press.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture regulates animals exhibited to the public but not private ownership. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service requires permits for native endangered and threatened species but doesn't normally track non-native, endangered species unless they are bought and sold across state borders.
The Humane Society cut a deal this year with Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland and leading farm groups that traded pulling an animal cruelty measure off the November ballot for certain animal protections, including a ban on exotic pets. Farm groups opposed the ballot measure, which would have imposed treatment and caging requirements on livestock, as threatening to Ohio's $93 billion agricultural industry.
Under the original version of the proposed Ohio regulations, owners could have kept existing dangerous pets like Mazzola's but not have been able to breed them or replace them when they died.
Strickland has now ordered that the new rules allow the state to pull animals away from owners who have engaged in misconduct, such as losing their federal license, spokeswoman Amanda Wurst said Tuesday. The rules will not ban exotic animals from zoos, research centers and existing athletic mascot programs, she said.
Many exotic pet owners in Ohio and elsewhere believe big animals - especially predators such as lions, tigers, bears and cougars - are no longer safe in the wild because of habitat loss, public fear and poaching. They view themselves as conservationists.
"Of the overall amount of people who actually have snakes as pets, who actually have chimpanzees as pets, these incidents are a very small percentage," said Cindy Huntsman, whose Stump Hill Farm near Massillon houses 250 wild animals.
According to a database of publicized exotic-pet escapes and attacks since 1990 kept by the animal rights group Born Free USA, Ohio ranks fifth in the number of episodes that hurt or killed a human - 14. The leader, Florida, has had 43, followed by Texas with 19, New York with 18 and California with 16. Alabama ties Ohio with 14.
The Ohio bear attack occurred Aug. 19 when caretaker Brent Kandra, 24, took the animal out of its cage for feeding at Mazzola's menagerie. Mazzola's federal license to exhibit the bear was revoked after animal rights activists complained about his practice of taking money to let people wrestle Ceasar, another bear he owned. But he was still free to keep the animals.
Most people who work regularly with exotic beasts know and accept the risks, Huntsman said, comparing it to being a farmer or working with killer whales at SeaWorld.
Mazzola reflected that attitude in comments to reporters the day after the fatal attack, showing off a facial scar he got from an encounter with a bear and saying he had a total of 2,000 stitches from his time working with animals.
"These are the things that happen when you deal and love these type of animals," he said.
Tom Burrington, 68, a retiree who lives two doors from Mazzola, recalled after the attack that one of the man's bears once rolled over a neighbor, who had to go to the hospital.
"It was a big joke," Burrington said. "They said the bear sat on a guy, but it was not funny to the safety forces. There wasn't anything funny about it."
A federal judge on Friday ordered mental health treatment for Mazzola as new terms of his probation sentence after pleading guilty in 2009 to transporting a bear to Toledo and selling a skunk without a license. Mazzola's attorney didn't return a message Monday seeking comment.
Animal rights groups have used attacks like the one that killed Kandra to push for tougher regulations elsewhere.
After a friend's 200-pound pet chimpanzee mauled and blinded a Connecticut woman in 2009, state lawmakers voted to ban ownership of large primates and other potentially dangerous animals, such as bears, leopards and wolves.
Since the Florida girl was suffocated by her family's Burmese python last year, it has become illegal for individuals there to own them and six other large, exotic reptile species.
Born Free USA considers it inhumane to keep large, wild animals in captivity even if they don't hurt anyone, Executive Vice President Adam Roberts said.
Exotic pet ownership also includes the risk of infectious disease, damage to the environment when pets are set free or escape, and a growing financial burden on animal rescue groups that run sanctuaries for animals that are abandoned, he said.
The Association of Zoos & Aquariums recommends against exotic pet ownership in part because of the lethal diseases wild animals can carry: distemper and rabies in carnivores; herpes in monkeys; and salmonella in reptiles. Vaccines used on domestic animals often don't work on their wild cousins, the group notes.
"People see wild animals and they see them as cute, as something they want to have, want to hold, want to covet," Roberts said. "Then they get bigger and more dangerous and the owner is in over their head."
COLUMBUS, Ohio -8/31/10 By JULIE CARR SMYTH (AP) - The bear that recently killed a caretaker in a Cleveland suburb was the latest example of animal violence in a state that has some of the nation's weakest restrictions on exotic pets and among the highest number of injuries and deaths caused by them.
After a standoff between the Humane Society and agriculture interests, state officials are crafting restrictions on the ownership of dangerous wild pets. But the killer beast and others owned by former bear-wrestling entrepreneur Sam Mazzola, who had lost his federal license to exhibit exotic animals, would have been grandfathered out of them.
"It's just a free-for-all in Ohio, and Sam Mazzola is just an example of that," said Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States. "Tigers, wolves, bears in a suburban Lorain County community: It is a disaster waiting to happen."
The death in Ohio and attacks elsewhere - including the maiming of a Connecticut woman by her friend's pet chimpanzee and a 2-year-old Florida girl squeezed to death by her family's python - highlight that the patchwork of federal, state and local laws on keeping dangerous wild animals at home has holes.
Mazzola had the proper state permit to keep the black bear, a species native to Ohio, on his property. He also kept wolves, tigers and a lion, something he was free to do because Ohio and at least four other states - Alabama, Idaho, Missouri and Montana - impose few or no restrictions on the ownership of non-native animals kept solely as pets, according to a review of state regulations by The Associated Press.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture regulates animals exhibited to the public but not private ownership. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service requires permits for native endangered and threatened species but doesn't normally track non-native, endangered species unless they are bought and sold across state borders.
The Humane Society cut a deal this year with Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland and leading farm groups that traded pulling an animal cruelty measure off the November ballot for certain animal protections, including a ban on exotic pets. Farm groups opposed the ballot measure, which would have imposed treatment and caging requirements on livestock, as threatening to Ohio's $93 billion agricultural industry.
Under the original version of the proposed Ohio regulations, owners could have kept existing dangerous pets like Mazzola's but not have been able to breed them or replace them when they died.
Strickland has now ordered that the new rules allow the state to pull animals away from owners who have engaged in misconduct, such as losing their federal license, spokeswoman Amanda Wurst said Tuesday. The rules will not ban exotic animals from zoos, research centers and existing athletic mascot programs, she said.
Many exotic pet owners in Ohio and elsewhere believe big animals - especially predators such as lions, tigers, bears and cougars - are no longer safe in the wild because of habitat loss, public fear and poaching. They view themselves as conservationists.
"Of the overall amount of people who actually have snakes as pets, who actually have chimpanzees as pets, these incidents are a very small percentage," said Cindy Huntsman, whose Stump Hill Farm near Massillon houses 250 wild animals.
According to a database of publicized exotic-pet escapes and attacks since 1990 kept by the animal rights group Born Free USA, Ohio ranks fifth in the number of episodes that hurt or killed a human - 14. The leader, Florida, has had 43, followed by Texas with 19, New York with 18 and California with 16. Alabama ties Ohio with 14.
The Ohio bear attack occurred Aug. 19 when caretaker Brent Kandra, 24, took the animal out of its cage for feeding at Mazzola's menagerie. Mazzola's federal license to exhibit the bear was revoked after animal rights activists complained about his practice of taking money to let people wrestle Ceasar, another bear he owned. But he was still free to keep the animals.
Most people who work regularly with exotic beasts know and accept the risks, Huntsman said, comparing it to being a farmer or working with killer whales at SeaWorld.
Mazzola reflected that attitude in comments to reporters the day after the fatal attack, showing off a facial scar he got from an encounter with a bear and saying he had a total of 2,000 stitches from his time working with animals.
"These are the things that happen when you deal and love these type of animals," he said.
Tom Burrington, 68, a retiree who lives two doors from Mazzola, recalled after the attack that one of the man's bears once rolled over a neighbor, who had to go to the hospital.
"It was a big joke," Burrington said. "They said the bear sat on a guy, but it was not funny to the safety forces. There wasn't anything funny about it."
A federal judge on Friday ordered mental health treatment for Mazzola as new terms of his probation sentence after pleading guilty in 2009 to transporting a bear to Toledo and selling a skunk without a license. Mazzola's attorney didn't return a message Monday seeking comment.
Animal rights groups have used attacks like the one that killed Kandra to push for tougher regulations elsewhere.
After a friend's 200-pound pet chimpanzee mauled and blinded a Connecticut woman in 2009, state lawmakers voted to ban ownership of large primates and other potentially dangerous animals, such as bears, leopards and wolves.
Since the Florida girl was suffocated by her family's Burmese python last year, it has become illegal for individuals there to own them and six other large, exotic reptile species.
Born Free USA considers it inhumane to keep large, wild animals in captivity even if they don't hurt anyone, Executive Vice President Adam Roberts said.
Exotic pet ownership also includes the risk of infectious disease, damage to the environment when pets are set free or escape, and a growing financial burden on animal rescue groups that run sanctuaries for animals that are abandoned, he said.
The Association of Zoos & Aquariums recommends against exotic pet ownership in part because of the lethal diseases wild animals can carry: distemper and rabies in carnivores; herpes in monkeys; and salmonella in reptiles. Vaccines used on domestic animals often don't work on their wild cousins, the group notes.
"People see wild animals and they see them as cute, as something they want to have, want to hold, want to covet," Roberts said. "Then they get bigger and more dangerous and the owner is in over their head."
Bear Attack Highlights Lax Ohio Exotic Pet Laws (Via HerpDigest)
Bear Attack Highlights Lax Ohio Exotic Pet Laws
COLUMBUS, Ohio -8/31/10 By JULIE CARR SMYTH (AP) - The bear that recently killed a caretaker in a Cleveland suburb was the latest example of animal violence in a state that has some of the nation's weakest restrictions on exotic pets and among the highest number of injuries and deaths caused by them.
After a standoff between the Humane Society and agriculture interests, state officials are crafting restrictions on the ownership of dangerous wild pets. But the killer beast and others owned by former bear-wrestling entrepreneur Sam Mazzola, who had lost his federal license to exhibit exotic animals, would have been grandfathered out of them.
"It's just a free-for-all in Ohio, and Sam Mazzola is just an example of that," said Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States. "Tigers, wolves, bears in a suburban Lorain County community: It is a disaster waiting to happen."
The death in Ohio and attacks elsewhere - including the maiming of a Connecticut woman by her friend's pet chimpanzee and a 2-year-old Florida girl squeezed to death by her family's python - highlight that the patchwork of federal, state and local laws on keeping dangerous wild animals at home has holes.
Mazzola had the proper state permit to keep the black bear, a species native to Ohio, on his property. He also kept wolves, tigers and a lion, something he was free to do because Ohio and at least four other states - Alabama, Idaho, Missouri and Montana - impose few or no restrictions on the ownership of non-native animals kept solely as pets, according to a review of state regulations by The Associated Press.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture regulates animals exhibited to the public but not private ownership. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service requires permits for native endangered and threatened species but doesn't normally track non-native, endangered species unless they are bought and sold across state borders.
The Humane Society cut a deal this year with Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland and leading farm groups that traded pulling an animal cruelty measure off the November ballot for certain animal protections, including a ban on exotic pets. Farm groups opposed the ballot measure, which would have imposed treatment and caging requirements on livestock, as threatening to Ohio's $93 billion agricultural industry.
Under the original version of the proposed Ohio regulations, owners could have kept existing dangerous pets like Mazzola's but not have been able to breed them or replace them when they died.
Strickland has now ordered that the new rules allow the state to pull animals away from owners who have engaged in misconduct, such as losing their federal license, spokeswoman Amanda Wurst said Tuesday. The rules will not ban exotic animals from zoos, research centers and existing athletic mascot programs, she said.
Many exotic pet owners in Ohio and elsewhere believe big animals - especially predators such as lions, tigers, bears and cougars - are no longer safe in the wild because of habitat loss, public fear and poaching. They view themselves as conservationists.
"Of the overall amount of people who actually have snakes as pets, who actually have chimpanzees as pets, these incidents are a very small percentage," said Cindy Huntsman, whose Stump Hill Farm near Massillon houses 250 wild animals.
According to a database of publicized exotic-pet escapes and attacks since 1990 kept by the animal rights group Born Free USA, Ohio ranks fifth in the number of episodes that hurt or killed a human - 14. The leader, Florida, has had 43, followed by Texas with 19, New York with 18 and California with 16. Alabama ties Ohio with 14.
The Ohio bear attack occurred Aug. 19 when caretaker Brent Kandra, 24, took the animal out of its cage for feeding at Mazzola's menagerie. Mazzola's federal license to exhibit the bear was revoked after animal rights activists complained about his practice of taking money to let people wrestle Ceasar, another bear he owned. But he was still free to keep the animals.
Most people who work regularly with exotic beasts know and accept the risks, Huntsman said, comparing it to being a farmer or working with killer whales at SeaWorld.
Mazzola reflected that attitude in comments to reporters the day after the fatal attack, showing off a facial scar he got from an encounter with a bear and saying he had a total of 2,000 stitches from his time working with animals.
"These are the things that happen when you deal and love these type of animals," he said.
Tom Burrington, 68, a retiree who lives two doors from Mazzola, recalled after the attack that one of the man's bears once rolled over a neighbor, who had to go to the hospital.
"It was a big joke," Burrington said. "They said the bear sat on a guy, but it was not funny to the safety forces. There wasn't anything funny about it."
A federal judge on Friday ordered mental health treatment for Mazzola as new terms of his probation sentence after pleading guilty in 2009 to transporting a bear to Toledo and selling a skunk without a license. Mazzola's attorney didn't return a message Monday seeking comment.
Animal rights groups have used attacks like the one that killed Kandra to push for tougher regulations elsewhere.
After a friend's 200-pound pet chimpanzee mauled and blinded a Connecticut woman in 2009, state lawmakers voted to ban ownership of large primates and other potentially dangerous animals, such as bears, leopards and wolves.
Since the Florida girl was suffocated by her family's Burmese python last year, it has become illegal for individuals there to own them and six other large, exotic reptile species.
Born Free USA considers it inhumane to keep large, wild animals in captivity even if they don't hurt anyone, Executive Vice President Adam Roberts said.
Exotic pet ownership also includes the risk of infectious disease, damage to the environment when pets are set free or escape, and a growing financial burden on animal rescue groups that run sanctuaries for animals that are abandoned, he said.
The Association of Zoos & Aquariums recommends against exotic pet ownership in part because of the lethal diseases wild animals can carry: distemper and rabies in carnivores; herpes in monkeys; and salmonella in reptiles. Vaccines used on domestic animals often don't work on their wild cousins, the group notes.
"People see wild animals and they see them as cute, as something they want to have, want to hold, want to covet," Roberts said. "Then they get bigger and more dangerous and the owner is in over their head."
COLUMBUS, Ohio -8/31/10 By JULIE CARR SMYTH (AP) - The bear that recently killed a caretaker in a Cleveland suburb was the latest example of animal violence in a state that has some of the nation's weakest restrictions on exotic pets and among the highest number of injuries and deaths caused by them.
After a standoff between the Humane Society and agriculture interests, state officials are crafting restrictions on the ownership of dangerous wild pets. But the killer beast and others owned by former bear-wrestling entrepreneur Sam Mazzola, who had lost his federal license to exhibit exotic animals, would have been grandfathered out of them.
"It's just a free-for-all in Ohio, and Sam Mazzola is just an example of that," said Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States. "Tigers, wolves, bears in a suburban Lorain County community: It is a disaster waiting to happen."
The death in Ohio and attacks elsewhere - including the maiming of a Connecticut woman by her friend's pet chimpanzee and a 2-year-old Florida girl squeezed to death by her family's python - highlight that the patchwork of federal, state and local laws on keeping dangerous wild animals at home has holes.
Mazzola had the proper state permit to keep the black bear, a species native to Ohio, on his property. He also kept wolves, tigers and a lion, something he was free to do because Ohio and at least four other states - Alabama, Idaho, Missouri and Montana - impose few or no restrictions on the ownership of non-native animals kept solely as pets, according to a review of state regulations by The Associated Press.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture regulates animals exhibited to the public but not private ownership. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service requires permits for native endangered and threatened species but doesn't normally track non-native, endangered species unless they are bought and sold across state borders.
The Humane Society cut a deal this year with Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland and leading farm groups that traded pulling an animal cruelty measure off the November ballot for certain animal protections, including a ban on exotic pets. Farm groups opposed the ballot measure, which would have imposed treatment and caging requirements on livestock, as threatening to Ohio's $93 billion agricultural industry.
Under the original version of the proposed Ohio regulations, owners could have kept existing dangerous pets like Mazzola's but not have been able to breed them or replace them when they died.
Strickland has now ordered that the new rules allow the state to pull animals away from owners who have engaged in misconduct, such as losing their federal license, spokeswoman Amanda Wurst said Tuesday. The rules will not ban exotic animals from zoos, research centers and existing athletic mascot programs, she said.
Many exotic pet owners in Ohio and elsewhere believe big animals - especially predators such as lions, tigers, bears and cougars - are no longer safe in the wild because of habitat loss, public fear and poaching. They view themselves as conservationists.
"Of the overall amount of people who actually have snakes as pets, who actually have chimpanzees as pets, these incidents are a very small percentage," said Cindy Huntsman, whose Stump Hill Farm near Massillon houses 250 wild animals.
According to a database of publicized exotic-pet escapes and attacks since 1990 kept by the animal rights group Born Free USA, Ohio ranks fifth in the number of episodes that hurt or killed a human - 14. The leader, Florida, has had 43, followed by Texas with 19, New York with 18 and California with 16. Alabama ties Ohio with 14.
The Ohio bear attack occurred Aug. 19 when caretaker Brent Kandra, 24, took the animal out of its cage for feeding at Mazzola's menagerie. Mazzola's federal license to exhibit the bear was revoked after animal rights activists complained about his practice of taking money to let people wrestle Ceasar, another bear he owned. But he was still free to keep the animals.
Most people who work regularly with exotic beasts know and accept the risks, Huntsman said, comparing it to being a farmer or working with killer whales at SeaWorld.
Mazzola reflected that attitude in comments to reporters the day after the fatal attack, showing off a facial scar he got from an encounter with a bear and saying he had a total of 2,000 stitches from his time working with animals.
"These are the things that happen when you deal and love these type of animals," he said.
Tom Burrington, 68, a retiree who lives two doors from Mazzola, recalled after the attack that one of the man's bears once rolled over a neighbor, who had to go to the hospital.
"It was a big joke," Burrington said. "They said the bear sat on a guy, but it was not funny to the safety forces. There wasn't anything funny about it."
A federal judge on Friday ordered mental health treatment for Mazzola as new terms of his probation sentence after pleading guilty in 2009 to transporting a bear to Toledo and selling a skunk without a license. Mazzola's attorney didn't return a message Monday seeking comment.
Animal rights groups have used attacks like the one that killed Kandra to push for tougher regulations elsewhere.
After a friend's 200-pound pet chimpanzee mauled and blinded a Connecticut woman in 2009, state lawmakers voted to ban ownership of large primates and other potentially dangerous animals, such as bears, leopards and wolves.
Since the Florida girl was suffocated by her family's Burmese python last year, it has become illegal for individuals there to own them and six other large, exotic reptile species.
Born Free USA considers it inhumane to keep large, wild animals in captivity even if they don't hurt anyone, Executive Vice President Adam Roberts said.
Exotic pet ownership also includes the risk of infectious disease, damage to the environment when pets are set free or escape, and a growing financial burden on animal rescue groups that run sanctuaries for animals that are abandoned, he said.
The Association of Zoos & Aquariums recommends against exotic pet ownership in part because of the lethal diseases wild animals can carry: distemper and rabies in carnivores; herpes in monkeys; and salmonella in reptiles. Vaccines used on domestic animals often don't work on their wild cousins, the group notes.
"People see wild animals and they see them as cute, as something they want to have, want to hold, want to covet," Roberts said. "Then they get bigger and more dangerous and the owner is in over their head."
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Mountain lion believed sighted near Georgetown
MISTY MAYNARD, Staff Writer
Thursday, May 27, 2010
GEORGETOWN, Ohio -- The Brown County Sheriff's Office has received two reports in two days of a mountain lion sighting near Georgetown, Ohio.
Police believe the animal may have escaped from a resident on Western Run Avenue in Mount Orab, Ohio who had purchased it at a flea market in Lucasville, Ohio. Sheriff Dwayne Wenninger said the owner indicated the animal had become aggressive and they planned to dispose of it. However, it escaped approximately a month ago and was never located.
Wenninger said it is unknown if the recent sightings could be the same animal but stressed the importance of obtaining proper wildlife permits and having the proper facilities to keep wild animals if a person is going to purchase the animals from flea markets.
"You may think it is neat to own an animal such as this and it is cute when it is little, but you have to remember that it is a wild animal and not a house pet," Wenninger said.
The mountain lion was reported sighted on Sunshine Road near Georgetown on Wednesday around 8:30 a.m. When deputies arrived at the scene, they were unable to locate the animal.
The person who reported the animal said she observed it through binoculars and was positive it was a mountain lion. She said it was in her open field and was the size of a small calf, according to the sheriff's office.
On Thursday, the sheriff's office received a report of a loud growling noise on Barnes Road near the Rumpke landfill. The call was placed at about 8:30 a.m., and the subject thought it may have been the mountain lion. Deputies were again unable to locate the animal on arrival, Wenninger said.
Wenninger said the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Division was notified Wednesday of the possible mountain lion sighting.
Anyone who comes into contact with the animal and is threatened by it has permission to dispose of it, if it can be done safely, Wenninger said.
If the animals is seen in a residential area, Wenninger asks the Brown County Communications Center be called at 937-378-4155.
http://www.maysville-online.com/news/local/article_eaaa2e50-6a00-11df-bef9-001cc4c03286.html
(Submitted by Chad Arment)
Thursday, May 27, 2010
GEORGETOWN, Ohio -- The Brown County Sheriff's Office has received two reports in two days of a mountain lion sighting near Georgetown, Ohio.
Police believe the animal may have escaped from a resident on Western Run Avenue in Mount Orab, Ohio who had purchased it at a flea market in Lucasville, Ohio. Sheriff Dwayne Wenninger said the owner indicated the animal had become aggressive and they planned to dispose of it. However, it escaped approximately a month ago and was never located.
Wenninger said it is unknown if the recent sightings could be the same animal but stressed the importance of obtaining proper wildlife permits and having the proper facilities to keep wild animals if a person is going to purchase the animals from flea markets.
"You may think it is neat to own an animal such as this and it is cute when it is little, but you have to remember that it is a wild animal and not a house pet," Wenninger said.
The mountain lion was reported sighted on Sunshine Road near Georgetown on Wednesday around 8:30 a.m. When deputies arrived at the scene, they were unable to locate the animal.
The person who reported the animal said she observed it through binoculars and was positive it was a mountain lion. She said it was in her open field and was the size of a small calf, according to the sheriff's office.
On Thursday, the sheriff's office received a report of a loud growling noise on Barnes Road near the Rumpke landfill. The call was placed at about 8:30 a.m., and the subject thought it may have been the mountain lion. Deputies were again unable to locate the animal on arrival, Wenninger said.
Wenninger said the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Division was notified Wednesday of the possible mountain lion sighting.
Anyone who comes into contact with the animal and is threatened by it has permission to dispose of it, if it can be done safely, Wenninger said.
If the animals is seen in a residential area, Wenninger asks the Brown County Communications Center be called at 937-378-4155.
http://www.maysville-online.com/news/local/article_eaaa2e50-6a00-11df-bef9-001cc4c03286.html
(Submitted by Chad Arment)
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Gibsonburg family spots possible mountain lion
NEWS
Gibsonburg family spots possible mountain lion
By MATT MANNING
472 words
11 May 2010
The News-Messenger, Fremont
English
(c) Copyright 2010, The News-Messenger, Fremont. All Rights Reserved.
GIBSONBURG -- The Rogers family just finished eating their Sunday dinner when their 10-year-old son went to the window to look outside and spotted something he's never seen in his backyard. The child alerted his parents, Brenda and David Rogers, who also took a peek at the creature roaming around their backyard.
Using binoculars that were usually used for deer observation, they examined the animal from about 200 feet away, trying to identify what it was.
They determined it was a mountain lion.
"You just can't wrap your head around something like that," Brenda Rogers said. Brenda said it was not a fox and had to be a large cat of some sort. "Just the way it was walking, it was definitely a cat," she said. The cat-like animal got as close as 150 to 200 feet from the residence. They called the Sandusky County Sheriff's Office and then brought in their two dogs for the night. They also snapped a few pictures with their camera.
According to Sandusky County sheriff reports, the animal resembling a mountain lion was seen around 8:30 p.m. cutting in and out of the tree line of the Rogers property. The report said the animal is described as tan or brown with a white patch on its tail. The animal was patrolling a field south of the property about 300 feet from the residence.
However, there was one other sighting by a neighbor Monday, David Rogers said, adding they concluded with the same thing -- a mountain lion. "It wasn't a coyote," he said. "It sure looked like it." The lack of sightings is leading Brenda to believe it is hiding in the woods. There also are no reports of an exotic animal missing.
Pictures were taken and sent to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to be identified.
Wildlife Officer Brian Bury visited the area Monday to find the animal's tracks, but was unsuccessful.
"I can't say for sure what the thing is," Bury said. "There's no evidence to tell what it was." Based on the photographs taken, Bury said he could not determine the size of the animal. He said if this happens again, using video instead of photographs can help officers with identification. "We have reports of this stuff," Bury said. "But very rarely is something confirmed." Recently the only confirmed sighting of an exotic animal was a wolf in Bellevue that was shot and killed. It turned out to be someone's pet.
Bury said he hasn't ruled out that it could have easily been a fat house cat, adding house cats can get up to 20 pounds.
The Division of Wildlife has not received any other sighting reports.
Gibsonburg family spots possible mountain lion
By MATT MANNING
472 words
11 May 2010
The News-Messenger, Fremont
English
(c) Copyright 2010, The News-Messenger, Fremont. All Rights Reserved.
GIBSONBURG -- The Rogers family just finished eating their Sunday dinner when their 10-year-old son went to the window to look outside and spotted something he's never seen in his backyard. The child alerted his parents, Brenda and David Rogers, who also took a peek at the creature roaming around their backyard.
Using binoculars that were usually used for deer observation, they examined the animal from about 200 feet away, trying to identify what it was.
They determined it was a mountain lion.
"You just can't wrap your head around something like that," Brenda Rogers said. Brenda said it was not a fox and had to be a large cat of some sort. "Just the way it was walking, it was definitely a cat," she said. The cat-like animal got as close as 150 to 200 feet from the residence. They called the Sandusky County Sheriff's Office and then brought in their two dogs for the night. They also snapped a few pictures with their camera.
According to Sandusky County sheriff reports, the animal resembling a mountain lion was seen around 8:30 p.m. cutting in and out of the tree line of the Rogers property. The report said the animal is described as tan or brown with a white patch on its tail. The animal was patrolling a field south of the property about 300 feet from the residence.
However, there was one other sighting by a neighbor Monday, David Rogers said, adding they concluded with the same thing -- a mountain lion. "It wasn't a coyote," he said. "It sure looked like it." The lack of sightings is leading Brenda to believe it is hiding in the woods. There also are no reports of an exotic animal missing.
Pictures were taken and sent to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to be identified.
Wildlife Officer Brian Bury visited the area Monday to find the animal's tracks, but was unsuccessful.
"I can't say for sure what the thing is," Bury said. "There's no evidence to tell what it was." Based on the photographs taken, Bury said he could not determine the size of the animal. He said if this happens again, using video instead of photographs can help officers with identification. "We have reports of this stuff," Bury said. "But very rarely is something confirmed." Recently the only confirmed sighting of an exotic animal was a wolf in Bellevue that was shot and killed. It turned out to be someone's pet.
Bury said he hasn't ruled out that it could have easily been a fat house cat, adding house cats can get up to 20 pounds.
The Division of Wildlife has not received any other sighting reports.
WOMAN REPORTS SEEING A COUGAR, OHIO (Via Paul Cropper)
WOMAN REPORTS SEEING A COUGAR; SIGHTING ON STATE ROUTE 303 EAST OF PENINSULA LEAVES OHIO WILDLIFE OFFICIAL WITH SOME DOUBTS
12 May 2010
Akron Beacon Journal (OH)
An Akron motorist claims that she saw a large cat cross a highway in northern Summit County over the weekend.
''It looked like something that belonged in the zoo or in a circus,'' said 62-year-old Nan Bartlett. ''It was huge. That's what got my attention. . . . It was not something I expected to see in the Cuyahoga Valley.''
She was traveling east on state Route 303 east of Peninsula and about a quarter-mile west of the Happy Days Lodge in Boston Heights when the gray-colored cat bounded across the highway about 4:45 p.m. Saturday.
The cat was four to five cars lengths away and moved quickly across the road in just two leaps, said Bartlett, who said she was traveling about 40 miles per hour.
The cat's most distinctive feature was a long tail that was nearly as long as its body, Bartlett said.
She described the cat as being 2 to 3 feet high with a thick, muscular body. It was significantly bigger than a German shepherd and weighed more than such a dog, she said.
At first, Bartlett said she was unsure what she had seen. She went home, got on her computer and started an Internet search. Her conclusion: a mountain lion, also known as a cougar. It is a large, reclusive, nocturnal predator.
She reported her sighting to officials in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Proving that such a cat is in fact roaming the Akron area is ''just so tough,'' said Lisa Petit, chief of resource management for the national park. Park officials had not yet spoken to Bartlett and might check the area to see if there is any additional evidence, she said. The Cuyahoga Valley park has gotten three similar reports of a large cat in the Cuyahoga Valley area over the last four years, including two from along state Route 303 in Peninsula and Boston Heights, she said.
There were also reports of mountain lions in August 2008 in the Sharon Township-Copley Township area and two months later in Richfield Township. There are no mountain lions in this part of the United States, said Damon Greer of the Ohio Division of Wildlife.
People who claim to see a mountain lion don't know what they are really seeing, he said. If such a cat was really spotted, it is highly likely that it is an escaped pet or an animal that escaped from captivity, he said.
Bartlett, however, remains convinced that she saw a mountain lion.''It was pretty cool,'' she said.
Bob Downing can be reached at 330-996-3745 or bdowning@thebeaconjournal.com
12 May 2010
Akron Beacon Journal (OH)
An Akron motorist claims that she saw a large cat cross a highway in northern Summit County over the weekend.
''It looked like something that belonged in the zoo or in a circus,'' said 62-year-old Nan Bartlett. ''It was huge. That's what got my attention. . . . It was not something I expected to see in the Cuyahoga Valley.''
She was traveling east on state Route 303 east of Peninsula and about a quarter-mile west of the Happy Days Lodge in Boston Heights when the gray-colored cat bounded across the highway about 4:45 p.m. Saturday.
The cat was four to five cars lengths away and moved quickly across the road in just two leaps, said Bartlett, who said she was traveling about 40 miles per hour.
The cat's most distinctive feature was a long tail that was nearly as long as its body, Bartlett said.
She described the cat as being 2 to 3 feet high with a thick, muscular body. It was significantly bigger than a German shepherd and weighed more than such a dog, she said.
At first, Bartlett said she was unsure what she had seen. She went home, got on her computer and started an Internet search. Her conclusion: a mountain lion, also known as a cougar. It is a large, reclusive, nocturnal predator.
She reported her sighting to officials in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Proving that such a cat is in fact roaming the Akron area is ''just so tough,'' said Lisa Petit, chief of resource management for the national park. Park officials had not yet spoken to Bartlett and might check the area to see if there is any additional evidence, she said. The Cuyahoga Valley park has gotten three similar reports of a large cat in the Cuyahoga Valley area over the last four years, including two from along state Route 303 in Peninsula and Boston Heights, she said.
There were also reports of mountain lions in August 2008 in the Sharon Township-Copley Township area and two months later in Richfield Township. There are no mountain lions in this part of the United States, said Damon Greer of the Ohio Division of Wildlife.
People who claim to see a mountain lion don't know what they are really seeing, he said. If such a cat was really spotted, it is highly likely that it is an escaped pet or an animal that escaped from captivity, he said.
Bartlett, however, remains convinced that she saw a mountain lion.''It was pretty cool,'' she said.
Bob Downing can be reached at 330-996-3745 or bdowning@thebeaconjournal.com
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