Exotic animals will go to owner’s widow

Five exotic animals – the survivors of dozens freed by their owner, who then killed himself – will be returned to his widow, Ohio officials announced Monday.

The animals – two leopards, two primates and a bear – have been lodged at the Columbus Zoo under a quarantine order, state officials confirmed by telephone. At a hearing last week, Ohio officials testified that preliminary results showed that the animals were free of dangerous infectious diseases and could be returned.

Still to be worked out is when the animals will be returned to Marian Thompson, of Zanesville, Ohio.

Thompson is the widow of Terry Thompson, who on Oct. 18 released 56 animals he was keeping at his Zanesville farm, then committed suicide. The animals, a collection of exotics, roamed the area until officials hunted them down and killed 48. One leopard was later euthanized.

The five surviving animals were placed in the care of the zoo but have been at the center of a custody battle between Thompson and the state.

On Monday, the state gave up its fight, conceding, in effect, that it had reached the end of its legal powers to hold the animals.

Ohio officials had issued the quarantine order because of questions about how the animals were kept in Zanesville and whether they were possibly diseased or had rabies. The state also wanted assurance that the surviving animals would be properly kept.

The Thompson family has insisted it had the resources and the facilities to care for the animals. State officials said they were still worried but could do little given the laws.