Herd of Horses Survives Ohio Exotic Animal Disaster

50 to 60 horses and at least one mule owned by Terry W. Thompson, the Ohio man who released 56 of his exotic animals from their cages before committing suicide in his driveway, survived being chased by lions and bears on the property. The horses' fate is unknown. It also unknown as how Thompson had acquired them, why he acquired them and how he ever afforded to feed them.

Horses Alerted Neighbors

Neighbor Monica S. Jones saw ten horses and one mule on her property that morning. Thompson arrived and removed the horses with a four-wheel drive and several dogs. It is unknown what happened to these dogs.

Later, others saw horses being chased by large carnivores and called 911, which lead to the Ohio State police swarming to the farm and shooting on sight 48 of the 56 animals. One animal was reportedly killed by being struck by a car while another is thought to have been eaten by one or more carnivores. The horses were never set free, as were the 51 caged animals found in the Thompson home.

The horses and are now legally owned by Thompson's estranged widow, Marian, who tried but failed to get the remaining exotic animals back. Marian had recently separated from her husband. He was under house arrest after being caught owning more than 100 guns in April, 2010.

Horse Meat Herd?

Larry Hosteleter, director of the Zanesville, Ohio-based Animal Shelter Society, Inc., volunteered to check on the horses and was shocked to find so many. Police, neighbors and animal welfare workers already knew about the dozens of wild animals owned by the Thompsons. But they weren't expecting to see so many horses.

Retired veterinarian Adelbert G. Kempf, Jr. was called on by Thompson to check the horse herd. Kempf did, on what would be Terry Thompson's last morning on earth. He stated that Thompson told him that all of the horses were part of his new horse rescue, Kempf told The Columbia Dispatch. But Kempf also told the dispatch that Thompson was a "collector" (i.e. - animal hoarder.)

The horses were most likely abandoned horses, but Thompson was not running an equine rescue. Horses were most likely fed to the exotic carnivores, speculated Hosteleter. A photo of Thompson and a pair of Percheron heavy draft horses, taken in 2008, has circled the Internet, but it is unknown if any of the horses in the abandoned herd were Percherons.

The Future

Marian Thompson has until the end of November to voluntarily relinquish all of the animals, including the horses. Terry had been convicted of animal cruelty charges to cattle and bison in 2005, when Marion was living on the property.

With all of the publicity surrounding the exotic animals such as monkeys and apes, none is being paid attention to the horses.

References

The Horse.com. "Horses Unharmed after Ohio Exotic Animal Release Incident." Pat Raia. October 24, 2011. http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=19015

The Columbus Dispatch. "Sheriff: 56 exotic animals escaped from farm near Zanesville…" Josh Jarman, et al. October 19, 2011. http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2011/10/18/Wild-animals-loose-in-Muskingum-County.html

Ohio Muskingum Sherrif.com http://www.ohiomuskingumsheriff.org/Documents/thompson/THOMPSON%202004-2005.pdf