Today’s news is sad. In Zanesville, Ohio a variety of wild animals, from lions and cheetahs to grizzly bears, were released from their enclosures and having then ventured out into the countryside are now being shot dead by authorities.

Apparently, the owner of an animal preserve near Zanesville set free some 48 wild animals and has been found dead. There is speculation that he may have taken his own life. Here is a news report on the event:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/10/19/exotic-animals-on-loose-in-ohio-after-park-owner-found-dead/

What is sad is that a variety of animals are now dead through no fault of their own.

For years Mobile Ed has offered wild animal centered school assemblies (Animals and the Environment) in order to educate children about animals and how the various environmental issues we face also affect animal populations. However, we have always been careful to keep and show only smaller, non aggressive species. In fact, part of our presentation has always been to present the message that keeping exotic animals as pets in suburban and urban environments is a bad idea both from the perspective of the animal and from that of society in general.

Now, to be fair, there are many animal preserves around the country where regulations are scrupulously observed and the care and safety of the animals is a top concern.

But within the sometimes shady world of exotic animal dealing in this country there exist individuals who care not a whit for the animals as anything other than a commodity to be bought and sold for profit. We abhor such traffickers, and would urge much tighter regulation and control of this “industry”. Apparently the particular owner in this episode had been convicted previously of animal abuse.

The truly sad part of all of this is the fate of the animals themselves. Faced with a perceived menace to the local population the local authorities have taken a “shoot on sight” approach and most of these animals are now dead. With the Columbus Zoo and trained specialists an hour away, it seems a more humane approach might have been taken , allowing specialists to tranquilize the animals and then ship them to proper facilities capable of caring for them. Instead, these poor creatures are now dead.

Animals and the Environment, our natural science school assembly, has toured this nation for years bringing children into contact with many strange species they might never otherwise have a chance to meet. In the process we have diligently worked to educate students about the proper care of animals and the ramifications of housing exotic animals in unsuitable spaces. Apparently, a lot more work needs to be done.

Geoff Beauchamp is the Regional Manager of Mobile Ed Productions where "Education Through Entertainment" has been the guiding principal since 1979. Mobile Ed Productions produces and markets quality educational school assembly programs in the fields of science, history, writing, astronomy, natural science, mathematics, character issues and a variety of other curriculum based areas. In addition, Mr. Beauchamp is a professional actor with 30 years of experience in film, television and on stage. He created and still performs occasionally in Mobile Ed's THE LIVING LINCOLN.