This was on the American TV news a lot when it happened. And Massad Ayoob, a US gun writer, described it in, "Guns", detailing the circumstances.


The theory is that the owner of this zoo opened the cages, then committed suicide. But someone in this topic said that the locks were cut. Why would he cut the tough metal locks, as he had the keys?


So some think his death was murder.


But if he was murdered, why wouldn't a killer have just taken the keys off of his body and used them?


And a killer would probably be afraid of the animals as they got out.


A real mystery...Maybe some animal protectionist nut did it, to protest the animals being caged. They may have thought they'd all escape and live happily after. Many of these people have mental problems, I think, and are not very realistic. Are there people like that in France?

What a shame that such beautiful animals had to be killed. I am a hunter but this was just a useless slaughter. Too bad they could not have been captured and relocated. I understand the need to get them quickly before some poor citizen got hurt but still a shame.

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James Redfield
LM #497

"Open Savannahs?"

The cheetahs are in Southeast Georgia!

I resemble that remark.

Bekeart

I'd like it better with Spotted Cow.

Just guessing here, but it is just possible that those animals might be better off as they now are than facing their circumstances in the care of that fellow! If he was right in his head and cared about them at all, it's likely he could have found a good home for them before he stopped his own clock. Doesn't sound much like he was a very good neighbor either.

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So long ... Ken

Is this a joke about Savannah being a city in GA?


My point was that if the escaped cheetahs behaved as normal wild ones do, they would seek open plains/savannas to live on.


As this was in Ohio, I don't know what local terrain they'd find resembling those grasslands. But that's what they'd probably seek, and that would make them more vulnerable to hunters.


Generally, this also applies to lions. And to servals, if any were in that zoo.

Yes that was my thought first..why cut the lock, when you get the keys ??
There are some people owning exotic animals (lions, tiger..) in France, with a special licence....harder to get comparing to a gun licence !

Why bother searching through a ring of keys, when suicide is planned? Bolt cutters will pop a padlock faster than using a key.

I didn't realize this was old thread! Thought it happened again.
Guy was a con and mental case. Law was going to take animals.
He turned them loose for spite, I forget how he died. Sheriffs
had no problem killing them. Several were shot with service
weapons.

Yeah, they were shot with service weapons, but from what I read, some died hard.


US troops sometimes shot tigers in Vietnam, too, but I bet they used more than one shot. The M-16 is no real tiger gun.

Shot elephants, too, as the VC used them for transport. Usually shot them from Hueys with M 60 or minigun.

I know it's old but perhaps he cut the locks so no one could lock the cages back incase an animal was still inside?