[Smithy]

Lions, tigers and grizzly bears have terrorised a small US town after escaping from a nearby animal park.

The dangerous predators were among almost 50 animals that were reported to be wandering around the rural Ohio town of Zanesville.

They were spotted after the owner of Muskingum County Animal Farm was found dead and the cages unlocked.

"We've got a little bit of a list compiled. Mainly, there were grizzly bears and black bears there. There were cheetahs, there were lions, and there were tigers.


"These were the primary things that we would be concerned with. Any kind of a cat species and any kind of a bear species right now is what we're mainly concerned with," explained Sheriff Matt Lutz.

The police department received panicked calls from people who had spotted the beasts roaming on a nearby highway.

Schools have been ordered to close and residents have been told to stay inside while the hunt continues.

Sheriff Lutz said 25 animals had been killed so far
There have been no reports of any injuries.

Officers shot a number of animals when they arrived at the park where they discovered the owner, 62-year-old Terry Thompson, dead and the fences unsecured and cages open.

Mr Thompson had been released from prison three weeks earlier after serving a one-year term for firearms charges, according to the Columbus Dispatch newspaper.
The 40-acre preserve housed large cats, various bears, wolves, giraffes and camels, as well as orangutans and cheetahs, still in their cages.

All 48 of the large animals on the grounds were thought to have escaped.

Tigers are among the animals that have been roaming the area
"One of the deputies told me they felt they had shot approximately 25 on the way up to the house to check on Mr Thompson," said Sheriff Lutz.

"So, you know, that number could be high or low, depending. You know, when they're shooting animals in all directions, it's hard to keep track."

Kate Riley, 20, whose family owns a nearby cattle farm, said Mr Thompson would come and take their dead cows to feed his lions.

"He'd have claw marks all over him," she told the newspaper. She added that she believed Mr Thompson's wife had recently left him and moved out.

Staff from the Columbus Zoo and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources were called in to help police handle the situation

Scary stuff, sounds to me like a suicide and a big **** you to everyone

[King Gizzard]

We need video

[Jordan.]

oh my

[Smithy]

Originally Posted by Nathan

We need video

http://news.sky.com/home/world-news/article/16092018

I don't think there's any of the animals yet, but there's a picture and a news report

[King Gizzard]

Someone in the comments say it's not terrorizing the town and people are told to just be on the lookout for animals lol

[Iceman]

just saw this on CBS, The poor animals

[lostalex]

What a jerk this guy is, and selfish. He obviously cared about these animals and loved animals to have them to begin with, and to do this to them is disgusting. He should have donated them to a zoo or sanctuary before he killed himself. What an awful person he was. The world is better without him.

Good riddence to this madman, and RIP all the innocent animals that had to be killed.

[Kerry]

:/

[Callum]

That's seriously crazy

[Iceman]

Originally Posted by lostalex

What a jerk this guy is, and selfish. He obviously cared about these animals and loved animals to have them to begin with, and to do this to them is disgusting. He should have donated them to a zoo or sanctuary before he killed himself. What an awful person he was. The world is better without him.

Good riddence to this madman, and RIP all the innocent animals that had to be killed.

I agree, the animals did nothing wrong and they pay the price for what he did, it's sick

[arista]

Originally Posted by Eoin

just saw this on CBS, The poor animals

the Owner was Crazy

"Farm owner Terry Thompson before he shot himself to death on Tuesday."

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz1bIohIBsu