Ohio Exotic Animal Farm Owner Found Dead and Dozens of Wild Animals on the Loose (ContributorNetwork)

Residents of Zanesville, Ohio, are were shuttered inside their homes Tuesday night as armed emergency responders and animal experts searched the area near Kopchak Road for lions, tigers and bears.

Muskingum County Sheriff Matt Lutz was alerted to problems at an exotic animal farm owned by Terry Thompson. Upon arrival just before nightfall, law enforcement officers discovered dozens of wild animals on the loose and Thompson's dead body. Numerous complaints of animal cruelty preceded a recently ended one-year prison sentence for Thompson.

Although the hunt for the remaining animals and investigation into Thompson's death area ongoing, local law enforcement officers believe the man released the animals from their cages and then shot himself.

* Sheriff Lutz discovered approximately 25 wild animals roaming the property as he and deputies worked their way to the home to check on the owners. The animals were put down quickly so officers could make their way safely to the home to check on the residents. Thompson's body was found outside near the home, but there was no sign of his wife, who was eventually located elsewhere. Inside the home deputies found an orangutan and multiple chimpanzees still alive in small pens. Area schools announced closures as multiple agencies and animal experts were called in to track the animals overnight.

* A thermal imaging camera was used to located a mountain lion, wolf and mature black bear in a field adjacent Interstate 70 just outside Zanesville. Hunters unaware of the ongoing incident were safely escorted out of the field as the animals were shot and killed. Commuters along the highway were alerted to potential danger with flashing messages on overhead roadway signs. The exact number of animals housed in cages throughout the property is unknown. A caretaker at the exotic animal farm is working with law enforcement to give the most accurate estimate possible. Lutz told the media during press conferences that a minimum of 48 wild creatures including black bears, grizzly bears, leopard, mountain lions and wolves were held in captivity by Thompson.

* Thompson was a former gun dealer who regained his freedom early this month. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives searched his home in 2008, seizing a large cache of ammunition and 133 weapons. Thompson failed to renew his dealer's license and possessed multiple fully automatic weapons. The gun related conviction was not Thompson's first brush with law enforcement. Earlier in 2008 the Muskingum County Humane Society and representatives from the Columbus Zoo fielded complaints regarding the treatment of both exotic and domestic animals on the property. Animal Expert Jack Hanna is assisting with the search in Zanesville today, hoping to be able to tranquilize the remaining animals and relocate them to a zoo or refuge.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/pets/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20111019/us_ac/10241189_ohio_exotic_animal_farm_owner_found_dead_and_dozens_of_wild_animals_on_the_loose

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