TOO LITTLE TOO LATE

Ohio Gov. Doesn't Ban Wild-Animal Ownership

After 48 escaped from private zoo.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich signed an executive order Friday that requires officers to use existing legal authority when dealing with wild animals. The order does not ban the ownership or sale of wild animals, which he says would require changes in the state law. "Governors can't just invent laws," he told The Columbus Dispatch. He did, however, ask the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to impose restrictions on wild-animal auctions and shut down all unauthorized auctions. Wild animals have been on the forefront of Ohio residents' minds since Terry Thompson, a private zoo owner, released nearly 50 of them—including lions, bears, and wolves—and subsequently shot himself. Thirty had to be shot dead under terms of the law, though six were taken safely to the Columbus Zoo.