Choice quotes from the Ohio private zoo escape

[Sir T]

Theres a slideshow of pictures around the incident, including a lot of the bodies of the animals piled up and some of the animals when they were in their cages

http://www.dispatch.com/content/slideshows/2011/10/wild-animals.html

[Khaldun]

Well, the owner was a douche, do we all agree about that? After that I figure everyone is at best a very secondary douchebag, because he has everyone very clearly eclipsed.

[01101010]

Yes... he in fact is the source of all this. Had he just off'd himself without the stupid fucking 12 Monkeys scenario then this would have turned out much better all around.

[Sir T]

Seems the guy was deep in debt and had been having problems for a long time. Really, since he came back from Vietnam he just preferred animals to people. His wife sounds the same as he was.

http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/SE/20111020/NEWS/111029949

[WayAbvPar]

It is actually one of those philosophical puzzles about moral and ethical avenues to pursue under these conditions. Attempt to actually capture/contain these beasts with the possibility a person could be harmed, or commit to killing said beasts. Damned either way.

And that pic of the lion laying dead in the field by the fence was heart wrenching given the lion has been my family's symbol for generations.

Lannister scum.

[Der Helm]

It is actually one of those philosophical puzzles about moral and ethical avenues to pursue under these conditions. Attempt to actually capture/contain these beasts with the possibility a person could be harmed, or commit to killing said beasts. Damned either way.

And that pic of the lion laying dead in the field by the fence was heart wrenching given the lion has been my family's symbol for generations.

Lannister scum.

At least they always pay their debts.

[Soln]

1. how big an emergency was it? In other words, were humans immediately at risk?  And if not, at what time would they become harmed?
2. how long to contact zoos and animal shelters within X travel time?
3. how long to have people and tranquilizers flown in?  Presumably at the shared expense of a relief agency?

Does anyone think those questions were asked in conference?  Or was this a matter of panic and expediency (and hopefully not gun nut desire)?

One data point: if no one wanted to consider medevac or special transportation (e.g. organ transplants), they could have tried even something online.  If Amazon can deliver within 24 hours an order from Reno to Seattle, I'd like to think someone could have helped law enforcement similarly.

[Hawkbit]

1.  It was immediate.  Some of the 911 calls went like:  'There's a tiger in my alleyway.'.  That's enough risk for me.
2.  Columbus Zoo was an hour, maybe 1.5 hours away.  You average Ohio animal shelter isn't prepared to take in a tiger, ape, lion or wolf.  They're mostly supported by volunteers, often minimally trained in handling housepets.
3.  I'd guess at least six hours to get appropriate tranqs and application devices flown in.  Too long, in the middle of the night.

He released them an hour or two before sunset.  The animals were also hungry.  He wasn't feeding them as much as he should have been (hence the money issues that started this chain of events). 

That's two of the reasons the sheriffs took action right away.  They have said that if it were a situation where the animals had been released at 9am, they would have been able to take more precautions in letting the public know about the threat and been able to trap more.  But by the time 911 started getting calls of animal sightings in populated areas, it was near/at dusk.

That all said, I've heard some rumors that there was much big-game hunt gladhanding in the sheriff's office going on, too. 

Basically it comes down to the fact that every effort should have been made to preserve the life of the animals, but not at the chance of any human injury or death.  Under the circumstances, I think they made the right calls. 

[Merusk]

Read the stories.  The tigers were on other folks properties already and going after horses because they were hungry.  It was a tragic outcome but the decision was sound. 

[Sand]

I cant believe no video of tigers chasing horses or cows through fields didnt make it to youtube. 
That would have been cool.

[Sir T]

I think farmers would have been more worried about getting the bloody Tiger away from the livestock they depend on to survive than getting the perfect shot for Youtube.

[Jimbo]

A Mountain Lion escaped from this Exotic Feline Rescue Center that is in Center Point Indiana a couple of years ago, it ended up being shot by another farmer near the center.  You have to remember, these are wild animals, hungry, and scared, so the potential for damage and death is very high.  Hell, I've got into a fight with a pit bull that charged into my garage, luckly I grabbed a broom and beat the hell out of it to scare it off, but fido can do so much damage and they are only 100 lbs!  Take a bear or tiger that weighs 1200 lbs and has an even bigger mouth and the risk of injury is great.  The private ownership of exotic animals is a big ass problem!  Just look at the damn pythons and that god damn carp (that is in my fucking river now!!!! God damn lazy ass southern cat fish farmer!!!!! he should fucking die!!!!), or the zebra mussel and see all the damage that happens from invasive animals brought in by idiots to keep.