One of the strangest news stories I have ever heard occurred in Zanesville, Ohio, today. Around 56 exotic wild animals were released from a private reserve by one of the owners, (who then committed suicide). There are certain types of insurance that relate to this truly unique situation.
Ohio is one of eight states that do not have statewide regulations in place regarding the private ownership of exotic animals. There aren’t any federal laws that cover the possession of certain types of animals by private people, (though there are some laws that relate to circuses and zoos).
People who own horses, or farm animals, have to comply with certain laws. However, there aren’t any federal laws that regulate the ownership lions, tigers, or bears. Perhaps there will be some new laws made, after what happened today.
I spent most of today traveling from one airport to another, as I made my way home from the vacation I took so I could attend my sister’s wedding. Bouncing through different time zones, and falling asleep on airplanes, can make one’s day feel surreal. This could be why I didn’t quite believe the news from Zanesville, Ohio, when I first heard about this situation.
There was a private preserve located somewhere nearby Zanesville. The reserve was owned by Terry Thompson. I’m not entirely certain if his wife also owned the reserve. News reports describe the couple as “estranged”. There were about 60 exotic animals located on this private reserve. This included: lions, monkeys, tigers, and grizzly bears.
Sometime this morning, Mr. Thompson apparently released many of the animals. He opened up the cages, or cut open the wire cages. After this, he fatally shot himself. So far, it is unknown why he decided to do this.
Life insurance is something that people purchase so that their family will have some financial protection after the insured person dies. I have no idea whether or not Mr. Thompson had a life insurance policy. If he did, then his suicide negated the death benefit that would be received by whomever he had designated as his beneficiary.
What happened next involved school closings, and roadway signs that read: “Caution Exotic Animals”. The local authorities spent the day hunting down the animals, and either killing or capturing them. As I am writing this blog, I am reading news articles that say that all of the animals have now been accounted for.
I do not know if Mr. Thompson had insurance on his exotic animals. Technically, it would be possible for him to have it. Some insurers will sell speciality policies on exotic animals. The cost would be based on the types of animals, and on the insurer’s perception of how well Mr. Thompson would be able to handle the animals. The insurer might be expected to cover the cost the hunt and capture of the released animals.
Image by S Baker on Flickr