Workers place the carcass of a dead animal into a bucket loader for burial near Zanesville, Ohio, Oct. 19, 2011. Credit: Courtesy of TNS

While lions, tigers and bears might be expected in the Land of Oz, they were once unlikely residents of Zanesville, Ohio.

As “Tiger King” — the eight-part docuseries chronicling the misadventures of Oklahoma private zoo owner Joseph Maldonado-Passage, better known as Joe Exotic — enters its third week atop Netflix’s top 10 rankings, Ohio viewers might have noticed a segment that hits a bit closer to home. 

Thirty-three minutes into the first episode, the series cuts to Zanesville, Ohio, a small town 50 miles east of Columbus, Ohio. On the evening of Oct. 18, 2011, a resident named Terry Thompson released 50 of his 56 exotic animals from their cages on his property, the Muskingum County Animal Farm. Thompson’s collection included 18 Bengal tigers, 17 African lions, eight bears, three cougars, two wolves and two monkeys. Thompson then died by suicide. What followed caused Ohio to implement some of the strictest legislation around exotic animal control in the country.

The incident

“The call came in from a neighbor that there was a couple animals loose on the Thompson property. And that’s how everything kind of got kicked off,” Matt Lutz, Muskingum County sheriff, said.

Lutz said he was two years into his first term as sheriff at the time and was aware of Thompson’s animals. Law enforcement had been to the farm before for reports of animal cruelty and a raid by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that put Thompson in prison for about a year on federal gun charges.

 Shortly after he finished his sentence, Thompson released the animals. Lutz said the sheriff’s office didn’t realize the scale of the incident until officers arrived at the scene and saw the number of animals Thompson housed on the property.

Traffic signs warn drivers to stay in their cars because of exotic animals on the loose near Zanesville, Ohio, Oct. 19, 2011. Credit: Courtesy of TNS

The sheriff’s office likely lacked awareness because of loose regulation around exotic animal ownership at the time, Tom Stalf, president and CEO of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, said. Aside from a federal U.S. Department of Agriculture license, the laws controlling ownership and care of large wild animals were left to individual states.

“[Ohio] did not have laws at all. So it’s not that they had poor laws. It had zero laws,” Stalf said. “So if you wanted to own a tiger, you just went on eBay or on Craigslist and found a tiger, or went to an animal auction and bought a tiger or lion, and you could have that in your backyard. You could have it living in your apartment.” 

Stalf was the zoo’s chief operating officer when it got the call about Thompson’s farm. A team including Stalf, Director Emeritus Jack Hanna, veterinarians and staff was assembled and immediately dispatched to Zanesville with tranquilizers and cages to help the police capture the animals. However, the capture did not go as planned. 

“Because it was dark, there was nothing we could do,” Stalf said. “In order to sedate an animal, you have to have a clear shot. You have to have about 15-20 minutes worth of calm surroundings so the drug will take effect — and this was in a wooded area and there was no way that we were able to secure or sedate the animals in the dark.” 

Once the volume of Thompson’s menagerie was ascertained from a caretaker working there, and the animals were able to get further away, Lutz said they made the decision to shoot the animals on sight.

Of the 50 animals released, 48 were killed by Muskingum County deputies and SWAT, and two monkeys were presumed eaten by the big cats.

Lutz said no humans were hurt, and he credits a neighbor’s timely phone call and his officers’ quick response time as the reason for the successful containment.

Thompson’s history

Lutz said Thompson’s life was in shambles after he left prison in 2011. His wife had left him, his farm was in poor shape and he had no money to feed the animals.

“It is obvious that Terry was distraught when he got out of prison. The rumor was he could not even find a ride home. The rumor was he bought a bicycle and rode it from Columbus,” Lutz said. “The evidence at the crime scene was clearly a suicide.” 

As for why Thompson let his animals out of their cages before he took his own life, Lutz said there were several possible explanations.

“We had been involved with coming out and handling complaints. Obviously he was agitated about that,” Lutz said. “He did not like people on his property. So, did he let the animals out to get back at people? Or did he have so much love for the animals that he did not want to see them locked up, and so he freed them? Did he do it to get back at his wife?”

Stalf said one of the zoo’s veterinarians identified markings on Thompson’s body left by some of his animals.

“He had put chicken, pieces of chicken, around in a circle. And it looked like he was wanting the animals to eat him,” Stalf said.

“Tiger King”

The Zanesville incident only takes up two minutes of airtime in “Tiger King” and serves as an example of the potential danger of private zoos.

“I did watch ‘Tiger King,’ and I can tell you that the storyline for me wasn’t about animal care. It was really about these characters: Joe Exotic and Doc Antle, Carole Baskin. And their lives and their feuding. It wasn’t about — I didn’t believe the story really focused on husbandry, safety and care,” Stalf said.

Lutz, who appeared on screen briefly during the Zanesville segment, has a more personal connection to the exotic world of “Tiger King.”

He said he went to Tampa, Florida, in October 2019 to visit Big Cat Rescue, Baskin’s sanctuary, and was given a tour and told about the difficulty Baskin was having with Exotic.

Big Cat Rescue was trying to get the Big Cat Public Safety Act passed federally, and Lutz said Baskin was using the Zanesville incident as an example of the consequences of poor regulation to lobby legislators. The act revises regulations on big cat ownership and exhibition, specifically restricting contact between big cats and the public. It has been introduced in the House of Representatives.

Although the documentary doesn’t spend much time talking about Zanesville, Exotic dedicated an episode of his web series to the subject, along with a country music video tribute to the late Thompson. The episode and song pose conspiracy theories accusing police of murdering Thompson and setting his animals free.

Aftermath

The bodies of the 48 animals were buried on the farm, where Lutz said they still remain.

The Ohio Dangerous Wild Animal Act was signed into law by Gov. John Kasich June 5, 2012. It imposed stringent regulations on the owning, selling and trading of dangerous wild animals, and set standards for their containment, identification and treatment. Stalf said the act was drawn up with the help of Columbus Zoo officials.

“There still might be some exotic animals in Ohio, but they are following strict standards of care. And public safety is their top priority. So, it really solved a major issue,” Stalf said.

Although Stalf said there is a safe and proper way to own a tiger, he does not recommend it because of the dangers and expenses.

“This is a prison sentence to you. This animal will live for 25 years. So for 25 years, you have to stay at your house every single day,” Stalf said. “This animal will never be back out into the wild, and it’s not participating in a breeding program for conservation like zoos do. So what purpose are you providing by owning a large carnivore?”