Jack Hanna defends killing of loose and wild animals

“"It's like Noah's Ark . . . wrecking right here in Zanesville, Ohio," said Jack Hanna, TV personality and former director of the Columbus Zoo.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/....html#ixzz1bK3Ynd50”

“Sheriff Says All Exotic Animals Located; Hanna Defends Killings

By Dave NethersFox 8 News Reporter

11:13 p.m. EDT, October 19, 2011

ZANESVILLE, Ohio— 

Muskingum County authorities said on Wednesday that 49 of about 56 exotic animals were killed by deputies after their owner opened the animals cages before committing suicide.

Muskingum County Sheriff Matt Lutz told WBNS-TV that the only remaining animal on the loose, a monkey, was believed dead -- possibly from one of the big cats consuming it.

Only six animals were captured alive and taken to the Columbus Zoo.

Officers spent the night hunting escaped wild animals that included lions, tigers, cheetahs, wolves, giraffes, camels and bears.

Sheriff Lutz says his department has been told to shoot and kill the monkey on sight because the animal could very well be carrying Herpes-B. Lutz says the animal presents a threat to whomever it comes in contact.

18 Bengal tigers, 17 lions, eight bears and a wolf were among the animals that had to be put down, according to Sheriff Lutz.

Wildlife expert Jack Hanna, of the Columbus Zoo, who has been assisting authorities with the capture of the animals spoke after Sheriff Lutz at the press conference, calling the death of the animals, and particularly the Bengal tigers, a tragedy.

According to Hanna, it is estimated that fewer than 2,000 Bengal tigers exist in the wild and he said watching 18 die in a single day is heartbreaking.

While the loss is tragic, Hanna said "it had to be done."

He explained that merely tranquilizing the animals was not an option because it is not immediately effective and the animals can still present a danger to humans.

"You pop 'em, they run, they react in different ways, they go in the bushes, go to sleep," Hanna said, describing the unknowns associated with tranquilizing animals. "That's a death sentence on someone to tranquilize these animals in the dark."

"No people have lost their lives now," Hanna added. "This could have been a major, major disaster."

Schools in Zanesville remained closed on Wednesday and residents were being advised to stay indoors as the last of the animals were being hunted.

Lutz said it appears the animals' gates were intentionally left open, and in some cases, their pens were even cut open so that they would get out.

The Humane Society of the United States on Wednesday morning issued a news release insisting Ohio Gov.John Kasich enact an emergency rule to crack down on keeping dangerous exotics until the Ohio Department of Natural Resources or the state Legislature can adopt a permanent legal solution.

The Humane Society said that the property owner, identified by authorities as Terry Thompson, had been convicted of animal cruelty in 2005 and would almost certainly have had his animals removed by May 1, 2011, if an emergency order enacted by previous Gov. Ted Strickland had not been allowed to expire.

Tuesday night, more than 50 law enforcement officials -- sheriff's deputies, highway patrol officers, local police officers and officers from the state Division of Wildlife -- patrolled the 40-acre farm and surrounding areas in cars and trucks.

The deputies, who saw many other animals standing outside their cages and even more that had escaped past the fence surrounding the property, began shooting on sight. Lutz said his first priority was public safety. He was specifically concerned about big cats and bears hiding in the dark and in trees.

Thompson had permits to keep four black bears, said Laura Jones, a spokesperson for the ODNR. The department licenses only native species, she added.

A press conference will take place at the command post on West Pike in Zanesville at 10 a.m. Thursday.

Fox 8 News and FOX8.com will continue to follow this story. Stick with us for the latest information.”