Don't Shoot-to-Kill Escaped Endangered Animals In Ohio
- by: Care2.com
- recipient: Muskingum County Sheriff's Department
Muskingum County police officers are currently under orders to shoot-to-kill 48 endangered animals, including lions, monkeys, tigers, black bears, cheetahs, and wolves. Though citizens of Muskingum County are understandably concerned for their own safety, there is no reason that the animals cannot be tranquilized instead.
As Tom Stalf, Senior Vice President of the Columbus Zoo, told NBC, "These animals will be scared, they're panicking, trying to figure out what is going on. They're looking for a place to settle down."
Shooting these frightened animals with the intent to kill is punishing them for their former owner's mistakes. Staff members from the Columbus Zoo are attempting to tranquilize them; the police should do the same. Tell the Muskingum County Sheriff's Department to protect its citizens humanely, not with assault rifles.
Though the recent news that approximately 48 animals have escaped from the Muskingum Exotic Animal Farm is both frightening and tragic, the revelations that Muskingum County police officers were shooting the animals to kill is perhaps even more disturbing.
The animals have spent their lives in tiny enclosures, being hand-fed by people. They will be panicking and frightened at their new circumstances. To shoot them to kill them is punishing them for their former owner's mistakes.
I urge you to tranquilize the remaining loose exotic animals rather than shooting them to kill them.
