Exotic Pet Incidents

The fact of the matter with exotic pets is that their natural impulses cannot be trained out. A routine isn't quite training- it may create a pattern of behavior, but abandons the illusion of control once expectations are broken or instincts are triggered.

Pine County, MN Tiger Incident

A Pine County woman, Cynthia Gamble, was killed by one of her own tigers in her own backyard in April of 2006. She had owned the tiger that had mauled her for a number of years and had extensive experience with large carnivorous mammals.

Gamble was USDA-certified and kept many big cats on her property, called the The Center for Endangered Cats. The gesturing rings hollow in hindsight, as volunteers reported inadequate food and water for the animals on several occasions, and their website advertised that the cats could perform stunts for movies.

The tigers that were in the custody of Gamble performed routines for the public on leashes, even having been taken to schools and renaissance fairs. Such activities, combined with the advertised performance aspect of the big cats, calls into question the sincerity of the intent to promote conservation.

The tiger that attacked and killed Gamble was subsequently euthanized. The University of Minnesota performed an autopsy on the tiger, and found it to have been experiencing starvation.

Zanesville Zoo Massacre

The Zanesville Zoo Massacre is often regarded as one of the most tragic incidents involving exotic pets in American history. The incident took place in Zanesville, Ohio, on October 18, 2011. The events of that day ultimately resulted in the death of 48 animals.

The "Zanesville Zoo" was in fact, not a zoo, but rather the private collection of a man named Terry Thompson. Thompson's life had been spiraling, as he'd been sent to federal prison due to gun charges and was in crippling dept. Still, he kept over 30 lions and tigers, with other predatory mammals and primates present in the collection. The zoo was repeatedly reported for inadequete enclosures and a failure to provide proper food and water - another case of a keeper of "extreme" exotic animals refusing to put animal welfare above their own wants.

On the day of the incident, Thompson released 50 of the animals in his collection before committing suicide. As the animals spilled into the neighboring city, authorities were forced to take lethal action. There is some speculation to be had that the natural aggression of the animals was exacerbated by their lack of proper care.

(Photo via the Columbus Dispatch)