COLUMBUS, Ohio – Franklin County has a plan for dealing with an exotic animal crisis like the one that led to the killing of dozens of lions, tigers, bears and other wild animals released by a suicidal man near Zanesville.
The county’s Dangerous Wild Animal Emergency Response Team Plan was unanimously approved by the State Dangerous Wild Animal Emergency Response Commission, Emergency Management and Homeland Security director Michael Pannell said.
The plan, submitted in November, was called for under a 2013 law creating stricter regulations for exotic animal owners and requiring that all 88 Ohio counties form a Dangerous Wild Animal Response Team and adopt a plan for responding to a wild animal released or escape.
The bill is in response to the 2011 incident in Muskingum County in which over 50 animals were released before their owner committed suicide. Nearly all the animals were shot by deputies and other authorities.
The plan outlines the roles of law enforcement, fire departments, emergency medical services and local health department in a wild animal emergency, defined any situation which “may pose a threat to the public safety of the county’s citizens” and may be caused through “human acts, inaction or negligence, by equipment malfunction or by natural disasters.”
Counties must submit and have a plan approved by Feb. 28 and in effect by July 1.