Terry Thompson (AFP/Getty Images)
ZANESVILLE, Ohio — Autopsy results confirmed that the owner of an exotic wildlife park, who incited panic in a small Ohio town by letting dozens of his animals loose, killed himself — and then was bitten on the head by a big cat, authorities said Thursday.
Muskingum County Sheriff Matt Lutz said that park owner Terry Thompson, 62, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound Tuesday night at his private zoo, after opening his animal enclosures.
“He did have a bite wound to his head area,” Lutz told reporters, which “occurred seconds to a minute after the gunshot wound” and was consistent with the bite of “a larger type cat,” likely one of the 18 Bengal tigers that Thompson set free.
Forty-nine of the 56 animals on the loose were killed by law enforcement officials who stepped up to the strange task of hunting big game in rural Zanesville Tuesday evening into Wednesday, while residents took refuge indoors.
The slain animals included two wolves, six black bears, two grizzly bears, 18 Bengal tigers, three mountain lions and nine male lions, eight female lions and one baboon. All were buried on the 73-acre property of the Zanesville farm, at the request of Thompson’s wife, Marian.
“These animals were like kids to her,” Lutz said of the grieving woman, who lost both her husband and her “pets.”
“She probably spent more time with these animals than some parents do spend with their kids,” Lutz added.
Three leopards, a grizzly bear and two monkeys were taken to the Columbus Zoo, where they were in the care of famed zookeeper Jack Hanna. Lutz said the six survivors were healthy and were “eating, active and being evaluated.”
The last holdout — a monkey believed to be carrying the Herpes B virus — remains officially unaccounted for, but is thought to have been eaten by a fellow escapee, probably a big cat. “There is a possibility that it could be on the loose,” Lutz said, though there have been no reported sightings of the animal.
The sheriff said he received a call from Ohio Gov. John Kasich, pledging his support to officers involved in the dangerous operation.
The governor, according to Lutz, also admitted that changes needed to be made the state’s exotic animal laws in light of the incident and that a task force would hopefully propose new legislation by the end of the year.
Lutz said there have been no reports of human injuries as a result of the mass animal escape — but there were arrests. He said individuals who tried to steal one of the dead animals were taken into custody, and could be facing charges.
In another sign of morbid interest in the exotic creatures, the sheriff said he received many calls about what would happen to the carcasses, including calls from “people that would like to take these animals to taxidermists.”
Lutz would not speculate as to a motive for the tragedy. “We’re not sure what exactly he was thinking that day,” the sheriff said of Thompson.