Pictured: The Texan diver, 32, killed by great white shark off Australian coast

-George Thomas Wainwright sustained 'horrific' injuries while diving off Rottnest Island, a few miles from Perth
-The Houston man was in Austrlia on a work visa, and had been living there for six months
-Wainwright is third person to die from great white attack in southwest of country in two months
-Authorities today using controversial baiting tactics in bid to lure shark and kill it

By Laurie Whitwell

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Catch: George Wainwright, the 32-year-old Texan who was killed by a great white shark in Australia, is pictured displaying red snapper from a fishing trip in the country

The first pictures of the 32-year-old American diver who was yesterday killed off the coast of Western Australia by a great white shark show a keen fisherman posing with his catches.

With a red snapper in each hand, George Thomas Wainwright proudly displays his haul in photographs taken during the Texan's stay in Perth, Australia.

Wainwright, who is in Australia on a work visa, became the latest victim of a shark attack in the country when he sustained 'horrific' injuries as he scuba dived near tourist haven Rottnest Island, which lies a few miles off the coast.

Big haul: Wainwright, from Houston, had been in Perth on a work visa for six months before the attack yesterday

Diving boat: Wainwright, pictured nearest the camera, had gone scuba diving with two friends in a 25-foot vessel when the shark struck

The state government today set tuna-baited hooks off the island in a bid to catch the shark and kill it.

Officials said Wainwright and two friends were diving from a 25-foot vessel, 500 yards north west of an area known as Little Armstrong Bay, when the 10-foot great white shark attacked.

They did not realise he was missing until bubbles emerged from the water and a short time later the man's body rose to the surface with what were said by a local fisherman to be 'shocking injuries'.

Wainwright's friends pulled him out of the water and police helped get him to shore, but he did not survive.

Wainwright, a recreational diver, was from Houston, but had been living in a beachside suburb of Perth for the last six months or so. He had set his Facebook page to name the city as his location.

The shark struck just 11 miles from a popular Perth city mainland beach where a 64-year-old Australian swimmer is believed to have been taken by a great white on October 10.

That death came six weeks after a bodyboarder was killed by a shark and this latest death is the fourth from a great white shark in Australia's southwest corner in little over a year. Sharks kill fewer than one swimmer a year in Australia on average.

Great white: Government officials are now hunting the shark using bait after three fatal attacks in the area in two months

Close proximity: A great white shark killed the American just 11 miles from another fatal shark attack off Western Australia state only 13 days ago

Idyllic location: Wainwright was killed off the coast of Rottnest Island during a solo dive

Despite fears of a rogue killer shark, experts say different ones are most likely responsible for the attacks.

Western Australia Premier Colin Barnett, the leader of the state government, said this shark will be hunted and killed if possible.

Fisheries officers today set tuna-baited hooks off the island, the first time authorities have used an emergency legal exemption from the state protection of great whites as an endangered species in the interests of protecting the public.

Mr Barnett also said his government would consider shark culls, responding to locals' complaints that shark numbers are increasing off bustling beaches in one of Australia's fastest growing population areas.

Referring to the three recent deadly attacks, Western Australia state Fisheries Minister Norman Moore said today: 'This is a unique set of circumstances, and I'm desperately praying this is not the beginning of a new trend and we're going to have these on a regular basis.'

Water Police Senior Sergeant Greg Trew said Wainwright had surfaced in 'a flurry of bubbles' with 'horrific' injuries.

Hunt begins: Western Australia Premier Colin Barnett, left, said bait would be used to lure the shark and kill it, while Water Police Senior Sergeant Greg Trew, right, described Wainwright's injuries as 'horrific'

Expat: Wainwright is believed to be the third person killed by a great white in the state in two months and the fourth in just over a year. Sharks kill fewer than one swimmer a year in Australia on average


Another death: This coastline by Perth is where the 64-year-old swimmer was killed by a shark on October 10

He was believed to be dead when hauled aboard by his two companions. Mr Trew said the shark was seen by Wainwright's friends as they were leaving the area after retrieving his body.

'It's traumatic for everyone involved, it's a tragic situation,' he added.

Police were trying to contact the man's family and have closed off the beaches on the popular resort island. They are today interviewing witnesses so a report can be prepared for the coroner.

Authorities cannot say whether he was killed by the same shark that is believed to have taken Bryn Martin as he made his regular morning swim from Perth's premier Cottesloe Beach toward a buoy about 380 yards offshore.

But an analysis of Martin's torn swimming trunks recovered from the seabed near the buoy pointed to a great white shark being the culprit. No other trace of Martin has been found.

'It's a cloudy old day today which is the same as we had the other day with Cottesloe, and they're the conditions that sharks love,' Western Australia Police Sergeant Gerry Cassidy.

The unnamed American is the fourth person to be killed by a shark off the Western Australian coast in 14 months.

Last month, 21-year-old Kyle Burden was taken by a great white shark south of Perth and his lower torso was torn away.

In August last year surfer Nicholas Edwards, 31, killed was he was attacked by a great white at a popular surf break near Gracetown.

Great whites can grow to more than 20 feet in length and 5,000 pounds in weight. They are protected in Australia, a primary location for the species.

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will attend the opening of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth on Friday October 28.

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Meet the blind Great Dane in need of a home (but you'll need to make space for HER huge guide dog)

-'Maddison will lead and Lily will walk nearly touching her so she knows where to go. It’s lovely to watch. Maddison is always looking out for her'


By Nadia Gilani


Homeless: Blind Great Dane Lily and her kind-hearted canine carer Maddison

When illness forced vets to remove Great Dane Lily’s eyes, the prospects of a fulfilling life didn’t look good.

But then no one had reckoned on her pal Maddison stepping in to turn guide dog.

The pair have been inseparable for years but now find themselves looking for a new home because their owner could no longer cope.

The catch for anyone interested is that the Great Danes come as a package. They have been waiting at the Dogs Trust re-homing centre in Shrewsbury since July.

Forever friends: Lily, left, being guided while walking with Maddison right. The pair have been inseparable since Lily lost her sight

Manager Louise Campbell said: ‘Maddison is Lily’s guide dog. If they are out and about, for the majority of the time Maddison will lead and Lily will walk nearly touching her so she knows where to go. It’s lovely to watch. Maddison is always looking out for her.’

Lily, six, was barely a puppy when she was struck down by a condition that caused her eyelashes to grown into her eyeballs, damaging them beyond repair.

It was after this traumatic event that her relationship with seven-year-old Maddison developed as she took her under her wing.

The best buddies lived together until their owners decided they couldn't look after them any more.

Miss Campbell said: 'With her lack of sight, Lily's other senses have heightened so although we don't split them up often she can tell if Maddison is nearby.

'They curl up together to go to sleep and they are very vocal with each other.
'We haven't analysed their different barks but if Lily wants to go forward and Maddison is in her way, the bark will have a different pitch.

'They are very close to one another and enjoy each other's company'.

Playful: Lily's lack of sight has heightened her other senses so she can often tell if Maddison is nearby without the pair touching

Miss Campbell said that Lily does all the things normal dogs do and if you saw her from a distance you wouldn't realise she had anything wrong with her eyes.

She added: 'They are really happy with life, the glass is always half full with these two.

'They have been with us for a considerable amount of time but they are quite happy and go about their daily routine - they are very affectionate.'

She believes the dogs' size and advancing years, as well as the fact they have to come in a pair, may have put off potential owners and she warned that anyone contemplating taking the dogs in should look at their lifestyle and think of the responsibility involved.

'They are not gigantic when you see them outside. These are two lovely big girls who deserve to live out the rest of their lives together in comfort', she said.

Dogs Trust cares for around 16,000 stray and abandoned dogs every year through a network of 17 re-homing centres.


The Great Dane is seeking an owner who would be willing to give both her and best friend Maddison a new home


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The ones that got away: Sad survivors of exotic animal bloodbath after 'time bomb' private zoo owner opened the cages and shot himself

-Residents permitted to go outdoors after 48 beasts spotted roaming the highways killed
-Owner Terry Thompson freed the animals before shooting himself
-He was dragged by the head by a tiger biting him after his death
-He was separated from his wife and had recently been in jail on weapons charges and had a record for animal cruelty
-Estranged wife distraught over loss of her 'kids'


By Daily Mail Reporter


A surviving grizzly bear peers out from a cage at the Columbus Zoo after being captured by authorities


Caged and alone, the sad survivors of the exotic animal bloodbath are now in the care of the Columbus Zoo.

Six animals - three leopards, a grizzly bear and two monkeys - were captured and taken to the Zoo after they were freed by their owner before he killed himself.

'We are happy to report they all seem to be doing very well," zoo spokeswoman Patti Peters said in a statement Thursday.

This leopard is one of three that was saved after the bloodbath. Sheriff's deputies shot and killed 48 of the animals

Meanwhile the man who released the 'Noah's Ark' of deadly animals into his Ohio town before killing himself has been described by neighbours as a gun-crazed animal lover who was having a tough year.

Vietnam veteran Terry Thompson had reportedly separated from his wife, who was not at the ranch when he released the animals.

The sheriff said he spoke with Thompson's wife and that she was distraught over the loss of her husband and the animals.

'You have to understand these animals were like kids to her,' Lutz said.

'She probably spent more time with these animals than some parents do spend with their kids.'

He was released from prison on September 30 after serving a year in jail on charges stemming from an arsenal of weapons he had in his home - which included machine guns and a sniper rifle.

Mr Thompson was also convicted of animal cruelty in 2005 after three animals at his farm died.

Thompson died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound and also had a bite wound on the head that appeared to have come from a large cat, such as a Bengal tiger, county Sheriff Matt Lutz said Thursday morning.

It appeared the bite occurred quickly after Thompson shot himself and that his body had been dragged a short distance, Lutz said.

Neighbours described Thompson as having a passion for exotic creatures, which led to tension in the area.

Mr Thompson, 62, had had repeated run-ins with the law and his neighbours. Lutz said that the sheriff's office had received numerous complaints since 2004 about animals escaping onto neighbours' property.

One of two macaques that were captured by authorities in the Ohio tragedy. Macaques are short tailed monkeys found in Asia and Africa

Orphaned but alive: One of three leopards captured, a black leopard, was one of Terry Thompson's 'babies', as the dozens of exotic animals were known

John Ellenberger, a neighbor, speculated that Thompson freed the animals to get back at neighbours and police. 'Nobody much cared for him,' Mr Ellenberger said.

Fred Polk, who lived near Thompson's ranch, told the Great Falls Tribune that his neighbour's assortment of wildlife was a 'time bomb waiting to happen.'

Angie McElfresh, who lives in an apartment near the farm and hunkered down with her family in fear, said 'it could have been an "f-you" to everybody around him.'

Sheriff's deputies shot nearly 50 wild animals - including 18 rare Bengal tigers and 17 lions - in a big-game hunt across the state's countryside on Wednesday after the owner of an exotic-animal park threw their cages open and committed suicide in what may have been one last act of spite against his neighbours and police.

Tragic: Sheriff's deputies shot nearly 50 wild animals - including 18 rare Bengal tigers and 17 lions - across the state's countryside on Wednesday

Dead: Owner of the animals Terry Thompson was found dead by police at the Muskingum County Animal Farm. he had previous gun charges and was separated from his wife

As homeowners nervously hid indoors, officers armed with high-powered rifles and shoot-to-kill orders fanned out through fields and woods to hunt down 56 animals that had been turned loose from the Muskingum County Animal Farm by Mr Thompson before he shot himself to death on Tuesday.

After an all-night hunt that extended into yesterday afternoon, 48 animals were killed. Six others - three leopards, a grizzly bear and two monkeys - were captured and taken to the Columbus Zoo. A wolf was later found dead.

Another monkey that was carrying the dangerous Herpes B virus, is believed to be dead after being eaten by one of the other animals.

Those destroyed included six black bears, two grizzlies, a wolf, a baboon and three mountain lions. Dead animals were being buried on Thompson's farm, officials said.


Stench of death: Numerous carcasses lie on the ground at the barn of Muskingum County Animal Farm after dozens of exotic beasts were freed

Jack Hanna, renowned wildlife expert and director emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, told the Columbus Dispatch: 'It’s like Noah wrecking his ark right here in Zanesville, Ohio.'

Mr Hanna defended the sheriff's decision to kill the animals but said the deaths of the Bengal tigers were especially tragic.

There are only about 1,400 of the endangered cats left in the world, he said.

'When I heard 18, I was still in disbelief,' he said. 'The most magnificent creature in the entire world, the tiger is.'

As the hunt dragged on outside of Zanesville, population 25,000, schools closed in the mostly rural area of farms and widely spaced homes 55 miles east of Columbus. Parents were warned to keep children and pets indoors. And flashing signs along highways told motorists, 'Caution exotic animals' and 'Stay in vehicle.'

Officers were ordered to kill the animals instead of trying to bring them down with tranquillizers for fear that those hit with darts would escape in the darkness before they dropped and would later regain consciousness.

'These animals were on the move, they were showing aggressive behaviour,' Sheriff Matt Lutz said. 'Once the nightfall hit, our biggest concern was having these animals roaming.'

The sheriff would not speculate why Thompson killed himself and why he left open the cages and fences at his 73-acre preserve, dooming the animals he seemed to love so much.

Thompson had rescued some of the animals at his preserve and purchased many others, said Columbus Zoo spokeswoman Patty Peters.

Muskingum County Sheriff Matt Lutz was joined by Columbus Zoo director emeritus and wildlife expert Jack Hanna as he announced the animal round up

Carcass: The body of a lion, thought to have been shot dead by police, lies in the undergrowth close to the reserve

It was not immediately clear how Mr Thompson managed to support the preserve and for what purpose it was operated, since it was not open to the public.

But Thompson had appeared on the Rachael Ray Show in 2008 as an animal handler for a zoologist guest, said show spokeswoman Lauren Nowell.

Larry Hostetler, the executive director of the Animal Shelter Society of Muskingum County, told CNN Thompson had also once supplied a lion cub for a photo shoot with supermodel Heidi Klum.

Temporary graveyard: The bodies of various dead animals were seen on Terry Thompson's property in Zanesville, Ohio

Dead: Authorities are still trying to capture or kill all the animals that escaped

'I wrote a letter to Heidi Klum's people. I strongly voiced my opinion that if they're going to hire animals for entertainment, they might want to check handlers' backgrounds - that Terry Thompson had been convicted of animal cruelty. Of course, I never heard anything back,' he said.

The sheriff's office started getting calls on Tuesday evening that wild animals were loose just west of Zanesville. Deputies went to the animal preserve and found Thompson dead and all the cages open. Several aggressive animals were near his body and had to be shot, the sheriff said.

Sheriff's Deputy Jonathan Merry was among the first to respond on Tuesday. He said he shot a number of animals, including a gray wolf and a black bear. He said the bear charged him and he fired his pistol, killing it with one shot when it was about seven feet away.

Warning: A sign posted on Interstate 70 warns drivers of animals on the loose in the area around Zanesville, Ohio

A bear is pictured on the loose shortly after its escape


'All these animals have the ability to take a human out in the length of a second,' said Merry, who called himself an animal lover but said he knew he was protecting the community.

'What a tragedy,' said Barb Wolfe, a veterinarian with The Wilds, a nearby zoo-sponsored wild animal preserve. She said she managed to hit a tiger with a tranquilizer dart, but the animal charged toward her and then turned and began to flee before the drug could take effect, and deputies shot the big cat.

'It was like a war zone with all the shooting and so forth with the animals,' said Sam Kopchak, who was outside on Tuesday afternoon when he saw Mr Thompson's horses acting up. Kopchak said he turned and saw a male lion lying down on the other side of a fence.

'The fence is not going to be a fence that's going to hold an African lion,' Mr Kopchak said.

Danielle Berkheimer said she was nervous as she drove home on Tuesday night and afraid to let her two dogs out in the yard.

'When it's 300-pound cats, that's scary,' she said. She said it had been odd on Tuesday night to see no one out around town, and the signs warning drivers to stay in their cars were 'surreal'.

Some townspeople were saddened by the deaths. At a nearby Moose Lodge, Bill Weiser said: 'It's breaking my heart, them shooting those animals.'

Ohio has some of the nation's weakest restrictions on exotic pets and among the highest number of injuries and deaths caused by them. At least nine people have been injured since 2005 and one person was killed, according to Born Free USA, an animal advocacy group.

Terry Thompson's property, where dozens of large exotic animals including tigers, lions and bears were released when he opened their cages

The state requires permits for bears but doesn't regulate the ownership of animals like lions and tigers.

Last summer, an animal caretaker was killed by a bear at a property in Cleveland. The caretaker had opened the bear's cage on keeper Sam Mazzola's property for a routine feeding.

Although animal rights activists had wanted the keeper Mazzola charged with reckless homicide, the caretaker's death was ruled a workplace accident. The bear was later destroyed.

This summer, Mazzola was found dead on a water bed at his home in Columbia Township, 15 miles south-west of Cleveland. He was wearing a mask and with his arms and legs had been restrained when he was discovered,

It was never revealed how many animals were on the property when Mazzola died, but he had said in a bankruptcy filing in May 2010 that he owned four tigers, a lion, eight bears and 12 wolves.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture had revoked his licence to exhibit animals after activists campaigned against him letting people wrestle with one bear.

Mazzola had permits for nine bears last year, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

On Wednesday, the Humane Society of the United States criticized Governor John Kasich for allowing a statewide ban on the buying and selling of exotic pets to expire in April. The organisation urged the state to immediately issue emergency restrictions.

'How many incidents must we catalog before the state takes action to crack down on private ownership of dangerous exotic animals?' Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO, asked in a statement.

Mr Kasich said on Wednesday during a meeting of Dix Communications editors: 'Clearly, we need tougher laws. We haven't had them in this state. Nobody's dealt with this, and we will. And we'll deal with it in a comprehensive way.'

Barney Long, an expert at the World Wildlife Fund, noted that tigers in general are endangered. He said there appear to be fewer of them living in the wild than there are in captivity in the U.S. alone. Over the last century, the worldwide population has plunged from about 100,000 in the wild to as few as 3,200, he said.

More than half are Bengal tigers, which live in isolated pockets across Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, India and Bangladesh, he said in a telephone interview.

'The tragic shooting of 18 tigers in Ohio really highlights what is happening on a daily basis to tigers in the wild throughout Asia,' Mr Long added in an email. 'Their numbers are being decimated by poaching and habitat loss, and that is the real travesty here.'

An official put out flares to warn residents during the hunt for the animals

Hunt: Muskingum County Sheriff Matt Lutz speaks to the media after the escape of the exotic animals


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'A monkey was eaten by a lion... then a tiger was chasing a horse': Bizarre hunt for zoo animals running wild in Ohio after reserve owner set them fre

-Police round up last of 'mature, aggressive wild animals'
-Residents urged to stay indoors and schools closed after beasts were spotted roaming the highways
-Owner freed animals before shooting himself
-He had recently been in jail on weapons charges and had a record for animal cruelty


By Rachel Quigley


Dead: Owner of the animals Terry Thompson was found dead by police at the Muskingum County Animal Farm in Zanesville, but cause of death has not been determined


Police were today hunting down the last of the remaining wild animals that terrorised a small Ohio community after their owner freed more than 50 of the wild beasts before killing himself.

Terry Thompson was found dead by authorities at the Muskingum County Animal Farm in Zanesville, Ohio, and his body was surrounded by a number of aggressive animals.

All of the animals have now been accounted for except a monkey and a wolf.
Authorities were issued with a 'shoot-to-kill' order after they received a 911 call telling them the animals were running loose last night.

Stench of death: Numerous carcasses lie on the ground at the barn of Muskingum County Animal Farm after dozens of exotic beasts were freed last night

Temporary graveyard: The bodies of various dead animals were seen on Terry Thompson's property in Zanesville, Ohio on Wednesday

Dead: Authorities are still trying to capture or kill the exotic animals that escaped and have accounted for around 43 of them

Carcass: The body of a lion, thought to have been shot dead by police, lies in the undergrowth close to the reserve

A number were shot last night and throughout the day - including Bengal tigers, grizzly bears, leopards, camels, wolves and giraffes - and police warned residents to stay in their homes and motorists to stay in their cars until the animals were rounded up. Local schools were also closed.

Most of the animals were put down.

Muskingham County sheriff Matt Lutz said the animals were already out of their pens when deputies arrived.

He said: 'We feel that Mr Thompson died from a self-inflicted wound. We also feel he had released these animals at some point. Not only were the gates open but some of the pins were open.'

Sheriff Matt Lutz said they are still waiting on the results of the preliminary autopsy to establish Mr Thompson's cause of death but did confirm it was a suicide.

He called the killing of the animals 'senseless' because they were not in a proper environment

Mr Thompson, who lived on the property, had chimps in cages in his home but these were still locked up.

Columbus Zoo and Aquarium director emeritus Jack Hanna said he 'can see this happening', based on his knowledge about the animal world.

'The guy was depressed and he loved the animals that much, maybe,' he said.

Sam Kopchak, Thompson's neighbour, said he saw lions and bears running free on Tuesday evening. A tiger was chasing horses, he told CNN.

His mother then called police and told them it was like a 'war zone'.

Mr Kopchak described Thompson as being an aloof lover of animals. He said saw him driving one time with a baby black bear on his chest.

Lutz said authorities found primates inside the house.

Throughout the day, police urged nearby residents to stay indoors as animals were spotted wandering up and down highways in the area.

Mr Thompson, 62, was released from prison three weeks ago after serving a one-year term for weapons offences.

In 2005, he was convicted of cruelty to animals and placed under house arrest for six months, according to the New York Post.

A local veterinarian who inspected some of Thompson's animals described him as 'an animal collector', although Thompson claimed he was operating an animal shelter.

He was also said to be involved in fashion photography, and once provided lion cubs for use in a photo shoot with model Heidi Klum in 2007, The Dispatch reported.

Today: Terry Thompson's property, where dozens of large exotic animals including tigers, lions and bears were hunted down and shot after their owner opened their cages at his Ohio farm

Warning: A sign posted on Interstate 70 warns drivers of animals loose in the area around Zanesville, Ohio, until all are accounted for


Grizzly: A bear is pictured on the loose shortly after its escape

Hunt: Authorities are still scouring the area for any of the 'aggressive' animals who remain at large

Search: At least 35 of the 48 wild animals are believed to have been accounted for

According to ABC, sheriff Lutz said his deputies had to kill animals at close range with their sidearms.

He said: 'These are 300-pound Bengal tigers that we had to put down. They are very aggressive.'

He also said that though they tried to shoot animals with tranquilisers, sometime that was not enough.

A vet shot a tiger with a tranquilizer from 15 yards away and Lutz said it 'just went crazy', and started to run, so officers were forced to shoot it with lethal ammunition.

One of the animals was hit by a car, a monkey was eaten by one of the escaped lions.

Sheriff Matt Lutz said: 'These are wild animals that you would see on TV in Africa.'

He described the escaped animals as 'mature, very big, aggressive' but a keeper at the park had told them the reserve's 50 animals had been fed on Monday.

He added that his officers were patrolling the 40-acre farm and the surrounding areas in cars, not on foot, and had been concerned about big cats and bears hiding in woodland.

Authorities: Sheriff Lutz said there are not ruling out any possibility at the moment that Thompson killed himself, or was killed at the hands of another man or the animals

Locator: Map showing where the farm the animals escaped from is located

There have so far been no reports of injuries from residents.

Sheriff Lutz added: 'This is a bad situation. It's been a situation for a long time.'

Increasing numbers of phone calls have been made by members of the public reporting sightings of wild animals on local roads.

Caretakers from Columbus Zoo in the state were at the scene in the hope of tranquillising and capturing the rest of the animals so no more have to be killed.

Sheriff Lutz said his main concern was protecting the public.

He said: 'Any kind of cat species or bear species is what we are concerned about. We don't know how much of a head start these animals have on us.'

A spokesman for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, which usually deals with native wildlife like deer, said wildlife officers were helping the sheriff's office to cope.

Laura Jones said: 'This is, I would say, unique.'


Hunt: Muskingum County Sheriff Matt Lutz speaks to the media after dozens of exotic animals escaped an enclosure in Zanesville, Ohio


Neighbour Danielle White, whose father's property is next door to the animal reserve, said she didn't see loose animals this time but did in 2006, when a lion escaped.

'It's always been a fear of mine knowing (Thompson) had all those animals,' she said.

'I have kids. I've heard a male lion roar all night.'

White added Thompson had been in legal trouble, and police said he had been released from jail recently.

He lived on the property and had orangutans and chimps in his home, but those were still in their cages, Lutz said.

The deputies, who saw many other animals standing outside their cages and others that had escaped past the fencing surrounding the property, began shooting them on sight.

At a nearby Moose Lodge, Bill Weiser remembered Thompson as an interesting character who flew planes, raced boats and owned a custom motorcycle shop that also sold guns.

'He was pretty unique,' Weiser said. 'He had a different slant on things. I never knew him to hurt anybody, and he took good care of the animals.'

The state of Ohio has some of the nation's weakest restrictions on exotic pets and among the highest number of injuries and deaths caused by them.

The state requires permits for bears but doesn't regulate the ownership of animals like lions and tigers.

Last summer, an animal caretaker was killed by a bear at a property in Cleveland. The caretaker had opened the bear's cage on keeper Sam Mazzola's property for a routine feeding.

Although animal rights activists had wanted the keeper Mazzola charged with reckless homicide, the caretaker's death was ruled a workplace accident. The bear was later destroyed.

This summer, Mazzola was found dead on a water bed at his home in Columbia Township, 15 miles south-west of Cleveland. He was wearing a mask and with his arms and legs had been restrained when he was discovered,

It was never revealed how many animals were on the property when Mazzola died, but he had said in a bankruptcy filing in May 2010 that he owned four tigers, a lion, eight bears and 12 wolves.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture had revoked his licence to exhibit animals after activists campaigned against him letting people wrestle with one bear.

Mazzola had permits for nine bears last year, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

Ohio has some of the nation's weakest restrictions on exotic pets and among the highest number of injuries and deaths caused by them.


source:dailymail

Time for talkies: Mishka, the dog who can say 'I love you'

By Graham Smith


Like many celebrities, she has her own Facebook page as well as tribute profiles set up by fans around the world.

Only Mishka is somewhat different to your average star - not only is she a dog, but she can talk.

The Siberian Husky specialises in saying 'I love you', 'hello', 'I'm hungry' and responding 'no' when asked if she is stupid.

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Media star: Mishka the talking Siberian Husky is proving an Internet sensation and has her own Facebook page and YouTube Channel - one video alone has attracted 59million views

She may not quite be at the stage of holding a conversation, but as far as mimicry goes, watching Mishka 'speak' is extremely eerie.

The nine-year-old canine, who lives with her proud owner Matt Gardea in the U.S., is proving an Internet sensation.

A YouTube video of Mishka talking - on her own YouTube channel, of course - has attracted 59million viewings since it was first posted in May last year.

She has also recorded her own song, Mishka's Ballad, albeit with the help of auto-tune.

The talking dog is so popular that has even been hired by advertisers to promote their wares.

Clever canine: The nine-year-old specialises in saying 'I love you', 'hello', 'I'm hungry' and responding 'no' when asked if she is stupid.

Deep in talk: Mishka is so popular that has even been hired by advertisers to promote their wares.

Her latest assignment is a U.S. TV commercial for a probiotic supplement from Purina Veterinary Diets.

During the making of the ad, Mishka has to say 'I love you' into a microphone. Ever the professional, she endured multiple takes until she got her delivery just right.

The commercial will debut on the NBC network on Thanksgiving on November 24 during The National Dog Show.

Mishka isn't the first dog to talk.


Professional: Mishka records her part in a U.S. TV commercial for a probiotic supplement from Purina Veterinary Diets

As far back as during the Second World War, Nazi scientists taught a Great Dane to respond to the question 'Who is Adolf Hitler?' with the answer 'Mein Fuhrer'.

It formed part of an experimental programme at the Tiersprachschule - animal language school - set up at a secret location in Germany in the 1940s.

Its bizarre mission was to produce a battalion of talking dogs whose ability to communicate with their human masters would make them a devastating back-up force during military operations.






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