Zoo: Help us care for surviving exotic animals

ZANESVILLE, Ohio?? The zoo that has taken in survivors from the Ohio exotic animal shootings is appealing for donations to help look after them.

1. Only on msnbc.com

   1. Ohio escape renews call for exotic-animal crackdown
   2. Dirty equipment blamed for deadly outbreak in cantaloupe
   3. First Read: Perry previews his flat tax plan
   4. Power couple: Michelle Obama joins president on tour
   5. Bank earnings don't bode well for the economy
   6. Fight night fallout begins
   7. China moves from tea to 'black gold'

Just six animals ? three leopards, a grizzly bear and two monkeys ? were captured alive while 49 others were shot dead by the authorities, with the owner of the private Muskingum County Animal Farm near Zanesville thought to have released them and then apparently killed himself Tuesday.

The last animal, a monkey infected with herpes B virus, was found to have been eaten by one of the large cats, Sheriff Matt Lutz told NBC station WCMH.

Karen Minton, Ohio state director for the The Humane Society of the United States, told msnbc.com that the sheriff's deputies who shot the animals had had a difficult call to make, but added, "We think they did their job."

The survivors were taken to Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.

On its website, the zoo thanked people for their concern about the animals.

"Your donation will assist in defraying costs for the relocation, care and rehabilitation of the released animals in our care," the statement said.

Video: Sheriff defends shooting loose animals in Ohio (on this page)

WBNS-TV, citing zoo officials, reported that it had received call of support from across the country.

The animals were to be evaluated by veterinarian staff, the station said.

'Tragedy'
The dead animals included 18 rare Bengal tigers and 17 lions. Six black bears, two grizzlies, a baboon, a wolf and three mountain lions were also killed. Authorities said the slain animals would be buried on Thompson's farm.

"What a tragedy," said veterinarian Barb Wolfe, of The Wilds animal preserve sponsored by the Columbus Zoo.

"We knew that ... there were so many dangerous animals at this place that eventually something bad would happen, but I don't think anybody really knew it would be this bad," he added.

Video: Hanna: 'A wild animal is like a loaded gun' (on this page)

Photos showing the remains of tigers, bears and lions lined up and scattered in a field went viral provoking visceral reactions among viewers, some of whom expressed their anger and sadness on social networking sites.

Will Travers, chief executive of the California-based Born Free USA animal welfare and wildlife conservation organization, said police had no choice but to take the action they did.

"It's a tragedy for these particular animals, for no fault of their own they've been shot, and I can see how difficult that decision was for the police," he said.

Officers were ordered to kill the animals instead of trying to bring them down with tranquilizers for fear that those hit with darts would escape in the darkness before they dropped and would later regain consciousness.

Sheriff Lutz said at about 8 p.m. Wednesday that they were confident all the escaped animals had been accounted for, NBC4i.com reported.

"We're convinced that we do not have any animals running at large. [The monkey] was in an area where one of the cats actually killed one of the monkeys and we feel he could have been eaten by one of the cats," he said, according to the station.

NBC4i.com said that Columbus zoo had reached out to other zoos for possible placement. It reported the animals would be held in quarantine before being brought into the zoo itself.

Dead owner's wife owns animals
However, it said the animals still belong to the wife of owner Terry Thompson, who took his own life.

Lutz said they're not trying to take away the animals from Thompson's wife, NBC4i.com said. She was part of the decision and she would work with the zoo on visiting the rescued animals.

NBC4i.com said the zoo had called in extra security after reports of death threats from people who are pro-animal rights.

Story: Ohio escape renews call for exotic-animal crackdown

The Humane Society of the United States criticized Gov. John Kasich for allowing a statewide ban on the buying and selling of exotic pets to expire in April and called for an emergency rule to crack down on exotic animals until the state comes up with a permanent legal solution.

"Every month brings a new, bizarre, almost surreal incident involving privately-held, dangerous wild animals," Wayne Pacelle, president and chief executive of the Humane Society, said in a statement. "In recent years, Ohioans have died and suffered injuries. ... Owners of large, exotic animals are a menace to society, and it's time for the delaying on the rulemaking to end."

Activist group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals also called for emergency regulations and pointed the finger at Gov. John Kasich, saying the incident should serve as his "wake-up call."

"Surely, after this latest incident, enough blood has been shed for the state to take action," the group said in a statement.

Ohio has some of the nation's weakest restrictions on exotic pets and among the highest number of injuries and deaths caused by them.

This article contains reporting from The Associated Press, NBC News and msnbc.com staff.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44970708/ns/us_news-life/

orlando brown benjamin netanyahu prospect park no child left behind no child left behind vince young vince young