Ten days ago tragedy struck the world of exotic pets in a bitter way. In Ohio, USA a deranged man left the gates open of his private zoo, freeing all his collection animals after which he committed suicide. The fate of these animals including tigers, lions and wolves, was doomed as soon as the gates opened, because within 20 hours of their escape, they were silenced by the panicked lawmakers of the state. What surprises the world however is that after so much being said about protection, conservation and the safety of animals, those who planned the animal bloodbath could think of no other way to restrict the movement of the animals, than kill each one of them? What is also a question everyone needs to answer is – Why keep exotic pets in the first place?
On October 18th Terry Thompson, loosed 56 animals on his neighbors including wild cats. Sheriff’s deputies shot and killed 48 of the animals, including 18 rare Bengal tigers, 17 lions, six black bears, two grizzly bears, a baboon, a wolf and three mountain lions. Six of the released animals – three leopards, a bear and two monkeys – were captured and taken to the Columbus Zoo.
Kill on Sight
What the sheriff’s department did in that state of panic was done to prevent human casualties. They reasoned that in the dead of the night if tranquilizer guns were used, some of the animals might loose their consciousness in a well hidden place and might rise again even before they are found. What also was an important point to note was that so many wild animals loose in the urban neighbourhood could turn catastrophic, within seconds.
The reasoning cannot be overlooked, because yes, the sheriff’s department has a responsibility to look at people’s safety first. But what is strange is that even in spite of so many technological advances, man finally resolved to end the matter using a weapon of death and not something that could save the life of the animals without harming those of humans.
There are only 1700 wild tigers left in the world and the loss of 18 in a day cannot be just neglected.
Pets at home, Pests outside
The most impending question however that is being echoed all over is – why keep exotic pets in the first place? The man of the hour, Terry Thompson was known to have his private zoo of wild animals for a long time. He also served a jail term and was charged with numerous animal cruelty charges. Why then was he still given the freedom to have animals in his compound that surely are not used to city life?
There are many from Dubai, US, UK, Australia, France etc. who have wild cats such as lions, leopards, panthers, tigers in their homes. These cats do not purr and sit on their master’s lap but growl and keep their master’s on the seat’s edge whilst they get angry. No matter how long a big cat has been raised in a domestic setting, the fact remains it is a wild animal.
Some of the expert animals trainers from the world spend their entire life with wild animals. They see them right from birth and nurture them as young ones. They recognise their insitinctive habits and changing facial expression. They can tell when the animal’s angry most of the times, but even they are not hundred percent sure if the animal would attack or not. Elephant mahouts are paired with their elephant when they are young boys. They grow with the animal and yet, numerous incidents of the mahout being injured or killed by the elephant are written about.
The point is, wild animals cannot be caged. They can be trained but can never be tamed. Therefore, it is just not right for any millionare or a lover of wildlife to start keeping a pet tiger at home.
The tragic deaths of 48 animals in Ohio is and should be a learning lesson. If not already, exotic pet owners should realise that the loss will be entirely the animals if it is found in a human neighbourhood. Man will never do away with guns, especially not when the question is about human safety, therefore, for the sake of the animal’s longevity, they should be really left in the wild.
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This is very sad.
Indeed Amit. The world sits and watches and does nothing.