'We Had A Lion Shot Dead In Our Back Yard' Say Neighbors Of The Released Ohio Wild Animals
Oct. 19 2011, Published 11:45 a.m. ET
By Breaking Celebrity News Staff
Locals living near the Zanesville, Ohio ranch where 48 wild animals were set free on Tuesday evening before their owner killed himself have known for years that Terry Thompson owned a home-made zoo, but were shocked to find the exotic creatures loose on their own land, Breaking Celebrity News has exclusively learned.
Neighbors Delores Kopchak and her son Sam live on the next property over from Thompson, who opened the cages and gates of the animals -- including bears, cheetahs, wolves, lions, camels, giraffes and a white Siberian tiger -- prior to giving himself a fatal, self-inflicted gun shot wound, as Breaking Celebrity News previously reported.
"My son saw the lion and the bear first," Delores told Breaking Celebrity News in an exclusive interview, explaining that Sam had gone to put the family's new horse in the barn in the early evening when he noticed that the animal was distraught and rustling.
"He looked up and there was a bear, then he turned around and saw there was a lion,' she said, adding that the two properties are only separated by a wire fence.
"We’ve heard the lions roar at night for years but didn't expect to find one loose.
"I called Terry as I didn’t know he was already dead. We always did that when his horses got out, but this time I couldn't wait so I called 911. The police were there within 12 minutes," she said.
After the Sheriff and his deputies arrived on the scene, officers began shooting the loose animals with assault rifles.
"We heard shooting all evening, 'Bang, bang, bang.'
"We had a lion shot dead in our back yard," Delores revealed. "It wasn’t any fun. I just turned 84 and I don’t need this."
While his horses and cattle have broken out before, along with a pesky pony who can push under the fence, Thompson's elderly neighbor said that Tuesday evening's events was the most dramatic escape yet.
"Nothing like this has happened before, they were set loose on purpose. There was a bear walking up the road one point!