An Ohio task force that’s been looking in to how to regulate exotic animals has a new sense of urgency in light of recent events near Zanesville. 49 exotic tigers, lions, bears, monkeys and wolves were killed after they were released from their pens by the man who owned them. Sheriff’s deputies say they were forced to shoot most of the animals because they posed a threat to public safety. Jack Advent, the head of the Ohio Veterinary Medical Association, says the state needs to move quickly to deal with exotic animals.
"There are certainly a lot of individuals who own dangerous and wild animals -- and that needs to be addressed because we have ticking time bombs basically sitting out there all over the state of Ohio."
Advent says he knows there are a lot of privately owned exotic animals here in Ohio, but he says it’s impossible to know exactly who owns them or how many there are because there isn’t a permitting process or state regulation over these animals.