Owning exotic animals is an odd way to inflate the ego, but it’s a way. The tragic case of Terry Thompson, who owned a virtual zoo in Ohio. And there were no doubt countless opportunities to intervene, before tragedy occurred.
Is alcoholism the best explanation for owning exotic animals, their release into civilization and the suicide of owner Terry Thompson?
Terry Thompson, 62, released 56 wild, exotic animals, including lions, Bengal tigers, leopards, monkeys, bears, mountain lions and at least one wolf from his 73-acre Zanesville, Ohio property before committing suicide. Thompson had previous run-ins with neighbors, who had repeatedly complained about animals escaping, and the local sheriff’s office, which had charged him with animal cruelty and neglect. He had been released from federal prison only a month earlier after serving a year for possessing unregistered firearms (133 of them, including a machine gun and several guns with missing serial numbers). He had recently split up with his wife. He owed ...
