Calamity Janes

An Exotic Animal Disaster in Ohio

• Madison & Bailey • Season 2 • Episode 5

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SPEAKER1:

(Transcribed by Sonix.ai - Remove this message by upgrading your Sonix account) You're driving down a rainy highway about 50 pass a large electric road sign flashing the message caution exotic animals, but you're driving down a highway outside of Columbus, Ohio. How exotic could the animals really be? And why do we need to be cautious? Just as you begin to speculate as to who could be hacking into a government road sign and what their motive is, you see a Bengal tiger sauntering down the highway, then several hundred feet later, you spot a lion, then a brown bear, then a wolf. This is the Zanesville massacre of 2011.

SPEAKER2:

I think I know where this is going.

SPEAKER3:

Oh, it's a disaster.

SPEAKER2:

I'm so intrigued.

SPEAKER3:

I just wait, it gets worse.

SPEAKER2:

We are just the masters of disasters, aren't

SPEAKER1:

Calamity Jane's? Hello. Welcome back. Oh, geez. Who's gonna do this?

SPEAKER4:

Hello. Hi. Welcome back to to Calamity Jane's. Who are you?

SPEAKER1:

I'm Madison.

SPEAKER4:

And I'm Bailey. And we're your hostess with

SPEAKER1:

This is our weekly disaster podcast where we disastrous. We really get play fast and loose with the word disaster. But if you want something going wrong, you have come to the right place.

SPEAKER4:

When so many things go wrong in this world,

SPEAKER1:

Yes we do, and this one is unlike anything

SPEAKER4:

You really came out of left field for me, if I was like, okay, Columbus, Ohio, we've had some some action here in the heart of America in the past. Not lions and tigers and bears, though.

SPEAKER1:

No, this is new. Would you like to hear my story?

SPEAKER4:

You know I would.

SPEAKER1:

Okay, here we go. Our story actually begins a while before the tragic day I've just described to you. Vietnam veteran Terry Thompson was a husband, friend and animal lover. Terry began raising exotic animals in 1977, when he purchased his first lion cub as a birthday present for his wife. Can you imagine? Like, truly, can you imagine one making that decision to being the wife that receives a lion cub?

SPEAKER4:

Where does one procure? I don't even know where you'd buy that. I guess on the internet, the dark web. But where would you buy a. That's what I'm saying. Where did where would where does one procure an animal of such an exotic nature? Back then, you had to know a guy and not a pretty I don't know what kind of guy you knew or where you met him. Where'd you meet that guy with the lion?

SPEAKER1:

No, I wasn't around in the 70s, but from what Terry's collection grew substantially over the next several decades, and he occasionally found work as an animal handler on film sets and at photo shoots. He even handled one of his animals on a set with Heidi Klum.

SPEAKER4:

Oh. So wait a minute. This guy parlayed a personal.

SPEAKER1:

One lion cub. Yeah.

SPEAKER4:

Enthusiasm for wild, truly wild life.

SPEAKER1:

Turned it into a passion and a career into a.

SPEAKER4:

Passion and a career. Do you have any notes on any sort of formal training he had in handling these animals, or was it.

SPEAKER1:

Like, I do not believe there was any.

SPEAKER4:

Which brings about my next point, which is You think you're on a set. You think you're on a set with people who have been educated and trained and background checked in? Nah, man. This is my buddy Steve. What's his name? Terry, this is my buddy Terry, who has a lion and an iguana and a tarantula. And probably only one of them will bite you today. Good luck. Good luck. Which one it is?

SPEAKER1:

Well, Terry was never in this for the money. In fact, money was quite an issue. Despite the immense love he had for his animals and willingness to sacrifice his own well-being. Terry struggled to provide for his animals. He would collect roadkill, accept donations of dead livestock from neighbors, and buy chicken parts unfit for human consumption to feed them. Numerous complaints had been filed for the inadequate and unsafe housing for the animals, as well as insufficient water and food. Neighbors had also complained of improper fencing.

SPEAKER4:

This seems like.

SPEAKER1:

Yes, neighbors?

SPEAKER4:

Yeah, that seems like foreshadowing. Oh, but it also reminds me. Did we ever tell you when you were pregnant with Bonnie, your first. And mom and I were driving up to see you because we were in a panini, and we were going through Oklahoma, Dallas to Iowa, and camels. Camels out the car window in Oklahoma. Bizarre, bizarre. And now that we're talking about this story, I'm wondering what was behind those camels, wondering if there were other animals.

SPEAKER1:

Well, I tell you what, I would way rather else I'm going to tell you about. Well, you.

SPEAKER4:

Don't know what else was on the land. It could have been like Jurassic Park. The camels are the, you know, the herbivores. But what if there was a T-Rex also?

SPEAKER1:

How interesting that you are just now later.

SPEAKER4:

Oh well, there was a lot of other things the start of our road trip up. So it was the first time we went up. It just there was a lot going on.

SPEAKER1:

Then there was a lot happening. You know, I get it, I get it, I do. Terry also owned two Harley-Davidson dealerships and a liquor store. He used that money and a stockpile of guns to trade for more exotic animals. This has turned into a problem for Terry. Terry started as a just an animal lover, trying to do his very best. It's gone downhill.

SPEAKER4:

This sounds like a problem for everyone. Terry is making his problem. Everyone's problem right now.

SPEAKER1:

Yes. Yes he is. Yes. This won't come as much of a surprise, but Terry had some issues with the law. He owed nearly $56,000 to the IRS, and had a gun charge for possessing a sawed off shotgun while serving time. Terry and his wife became estranged, and he was facing house arrest afterwards. Upon his release from prison, Terry was struggling. He made the decision to take his own life.

SPEAKER4:

Oh no.

SPEAKER1:

I know, I know, he's a Vietnam vet. He clearly had was having issues providing for these animals, which I no doubt he loved dearly and cared for, but it seems like he encountered what he considered to be an insurmountable obstacle, and it's very sad. However, before he did take his own life, he released all 50 of his exotic animals.

SPEAKER4:

No, no. Oh, yes.

SPEAKER1:

This included. So it was.

SPEAKER4:

18. Sorry to interrupt. Yes. I just putting the pieces together that this wasn't.

SPEAKER1:

They got out. Yes. He set them free.

SPEAKER4:

Oh.

SPEAKER1:

This included 18 endangered Bengal tigers, 17 such as wolves, monkeys and leopards. This is not. This is bad.

SPEAKER4:

Bad like this is. These are more animals than a zoo. Yes.

SPEAKER1:

Yeah, absolutely. And I. When was the last time you were close to a big cat at the zoo?

SPEAKER4:

Well, last time we went to the Dallas Zoo. And. Did you see that picture? They have an exhibit where they have a cafe or, like, a restaurant that literally one of the walls is the wall of a lion. Lion? Oh, that's really cool. Lion. Yes. There were no stripes involved. Lion exhibit.

SPEAKER1:

I get lion and tiger mixed up more than I

SPEAKER4:

I get my big cats confused. Well, don't even ask me about cheetah versus leopard versus. Oh, spot differential. Cougar. Oh, no no, I.

SPEAKER1:

Know, I know. Well, we just went to the really interesting experience. Really, really good exhibits for the visitor. But they all just seemed really small and I found myself face to face with almost no plexiglass at any point with most animals, and also thinking if they wanted to, they could. They could. If they really did.

SPEAKER4:

They could.

SPEAKER1:

Bonnie walked. Yes. And we could hear the electric line, like just under where the visitors were. But we were able to get close enough to the lions that when Bonnie walked right up to the front, because there was almost no one there, it was cold and on a weekday, and Bonnie walked right up to the lion and this male lion, and he walked right up to the edge of the moat. And he was clearly looking at her. She was the only one there. And I found myself being like, Bonnie, will you step back, please?

SPEAKER4:

You're looking a little too delicious right finger. Yeah.

SPEAKER1:

I am sure they comply with all of the all of But I will say I was like, wow, amazing experience being able to see these animals so close. I'm not sure that all of the enclosures were as big as they could have been, but yeah, but all of that to say, being that close to a lion, it's like, wow, that is the scariest thing I've ever seen in my life.

SPEAKER4:

Well, and talking about enclosure size, like don't know how to I think they're relatively big, although it is a zoo, kind of like closer in the city. So they don't have a ton of land, but they have either way. The most lions in that exhibit were like four. And this in Terry had 18 tigers, eight

SPEAKER1:

18 Tigers, 17 lions, see?

SPEAKER4:

And that I mean, I don't know what kind of know, it was kind of like watching Joe Exotic and you're looking at all these lions and you're like, I don't know that I'm no expert, but that looks cramped.

SPEAKER1:

Exactly. I think this was a very similar Maybe not as much of the exploitation to paying visitors, but I think it was a similar, like they had some pretty small pens. There was a lot of them on a relatively small piece of land. I mean, he had a lot of land. But when you consider how many animals. But I don't know.

SPEAKER4:

Outside of Columbus.

SPEAKER1:

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER4:

Columbus, Ohio.

SPEAKER1:

So the first 911 call came from a neighbor as Deputy Jonathan Merry was responding, he encountered a gray wolf running down the road at the direction of his sheriff. He followed the wolf and shot it. Mary returned back to Terry's farm and encountered a black bear that charged him. The black bear met the same fate as did the lioness, a mountain lion, and and a male African lion that Deputy Mary encountered. So very sad for the animals. Obviously very, very sad for the animals. But can you imagine being like the sole responding officer at this point and immediately seeing those animals and then having to engage with them?

SPEAKER4:

No. Or just being the bystander, that's like, would, I would second guess my own sanity, my, my eyes and my ability to judge the situation correctly before I'd be like, I think I'm seeing a lion. I don't know what kind of help I need. You be the judge, but I think I'm seeing a lion in front of me. Yeah, I would.

SPEAKER1:

Absolutely question my own sanity, my own lion in Columbus.

SPEAKER4:

For sure. Followed by a bear and a wolf.

SPEAKER1:

Yes, exactly. So once more deputies arrived, Mary was instructed to prevent any animals from escaping to I-70. While carrying out those orders, he shot a wolf, two male African lions, a Bengal tiger, and a grizzly bear. When all was said and done, police had killed 49 animals, including 18 Bengal tigers, 17 lions, six black bears, three cougars, two grizzly bears, two wolves and a baboon. One monkey was never found and is assumed to have been eaten by a big cat before it was killed.

SPEAKER4:

So this is leads perfectly into my question, have inventory? How do they know how many animals there were out there versus how many they killed?

SPEAKER1:

That's a good question. I, I have to assume he had some sort of inventory, but they also found animals still in their cages, including two monkeys, two spotted leopards, a black leopard and a brown bear. And these animals were all sent to the Columbus Zoo. So thankfully they were able to be spared, but I have to imagine there was some way for them to figure out exactly how many animals there were, maybe even just by speaking to other people who knew him or knew the property.

SPEAKER4:

And this is my next question. How did he get. I mean, are do you not get on some kind of watch list if you are trafficking in large animals?

SPEAKER1:

So it may surprise you to know that at the to own exotic animals.

SPEAKER4:

What?

SPEAKER1:

Yeah, this was 2011, not that long ago, but. Oh, boy, it sure was. After then Governor John Kasich. Kasich, governor, had allowed an executive order regulating exotic animals to lapse. Governor. Governor. Governor. Three days after Terri's death and the massacre, he issued an executive order that restricted wild animal auctions and shut down auctions operating illegally. Less than a year later, in June of 2012, the governor signed a bill that heavily restricted ownership of dangerous animals in the state. Under the new law, Ohioans are prohibited from owning, selling or trading dangerous animal species. Only people that owned animals prior to this law and organizations like zoos were allowed to keep their animals. Now, Ohio serves as a model for other states looking to decrease their chances of housing the next Tiger King. Several of their measures have since been rolled back, but thankfully, the chances of another Zanesville Zanesville happening are remarkably small. Much more oversight.

SPEAKER4:

I just can't believe it happened that had existed for that long. I know, and I'm also like, so it was legal, but was there any means of making sure the people who did have these pets keep them humanely? Because again, I'm just like, how do you know how to keep a tiger?

SPEAKER1:

I, I am sure that there were probably laws against neglect of animals. But I also think he probably kept a lot of this stuff under wraps, and he was engaging the other people who might have known that this was not going well. Probably also didn't want to get in involved with law enforcement. Remember he had a lot of issues with like, guns and money, and I'm sure some of the other people he was engaging with just didn't want to be a part of that. It wasn't.

SPEAKER4:

All maybe above board and or transparent Yes.

SPEAKER1:

And I also want to mention that the deputies devastated by what they had to do. I think it really haunted them. But they figured out pretty early on that tranquilizers weren't an option because they need to be carefully crafted for each animal's size, and they take time to work. And these animals were already acting very aggressive. Yeah. So they didn't really have a choice. But they were very, very upset that all these animals had to lose their lives. But that is the Zanesville massacre.

SPEAKER4:

That is sad and horrifying. And why did you.

SPEAKER1:

Why, if you didn't, I guess.

SPEAKER4:

That's why we're.

SPEAKER1:

Here. Disaster podcast.

SPEAKER4:

That's why we're here. I suppose that's why I know this is tough all around. Poor Terry. I can't imagine, like, as a vet, I.

SPEAKER1:

Know, you know, clearly he had had struggles It's very sad that it ended in so much pain for him and for all of the animals that he, I'm sure cared very much about.

SPEAKER4:

Yeah, well, because I get it. How many Instagram videos of animals I didn't know were legal to own? Do you see in people like loving on people? Oh, you're just snuggling a possum. I saw a guy talking about the possum that was giving him the cutest little hug, and I was like, I'm gonna hug the next possum I see. I'm gonna give it a hug. You know what I mean? So, like, I get it. Having that heart for animals. But. Yeah, but. Oh, but I.

SPEAKER1:

Also think there's a big difference between a foolish, who has, like a tiger, a tiger or something, and someone who has over 60 animals.

SPEAKER4:

Yeah. I think that's where it's like well. And when he made it a career, I'm telling you, I'm just like, I guess I was always assumed that people who handle like like people who work in zoos, who have been trained to care for and you know, ensure the health. Not that he wasn't maybe mindful of that, but how do you know?

SPEAKER5:

Yeah, I know, man, I know. Yeah.

SPEAKER4:

What do you know? What kind of animal? He was on set with Heidi Klum.

SPEAKER1:

Was it like. I'm not sure. I'm sure it's out there somewhere, but I did not pursue it too much. That's it. There you go.

SPEAKER4:

I have nothing more to say. You have stunned me. You have stunned me into silence. Thank you for that. I'm sure everybody else is thankful for that as well.

SPEAKER1:

Well, thank you everyone for listening to But there are now rules in place to prevent it from happening again. And I if you want to see amazing animals, check out your local zoo. Your. What is it? Aza. Approved American zoo. Zoological society. I don't know.

SPEAKER4:

Is it zoo or zoological?

SPEAKER1:

That's a good question. For someone smarter than me, I don't know.

SPEAKER5:

Excuse me. Google.

SPEAKER1:

There are lots of very, very good zoos out well.

SPEAKER4:

Zoological is what Google said. Great zoological.

SPEAKER5:

Thank you.

SPEAKER4:

You're welcome.

SPEAKER5:

Okay.

SPEAKER1:

Well, thank you everyone for tuning in for We appreciated having you here. We love you. Goodbye. Best friends.

SPEAKER4:

Goodbye. (Transcribed by Sonix.ai - Remove this message by upgrading your Sonix account)