Lion on the loose in Ohio

[redneck]

What gun for an unidentified exotic animal?

Just had a news blurb across the top fo the screen for on channel 4.

"Gahanna and Columbus police ask that Gahanna residents stay indoors and call 911 immediately if they see any large animals around Gahanna (some metro park forget exact name) and state of Ohio animal preserve. An exotic animal has gotten loose."

Nice of them to tell what to look for isn't it? I don't know what kind of animals are being kept in the area. Could be a lazy old buffalo,or maybe an ornery old lion? I know.....killer Emu...think hoboken chicken only uglier
I live in hilliard so I'm not too close, but I'm not that far either. Especially if they get a bunch of goofy SWAT guys chasing it like the bull that got loose at the county fair rodeo a few years ago
If I hear any critters in the yard tonight I think I'll be taking my .54 plains rifle and requesting back up instead of the .22 and a mag light


Anyone else heard anything about this? Maybe something more specific, than "you need to panic but we won't tell you why"

 

[redneck]

Nope on the killer Emu theory. 10:00 news says its a lion. Witnessed heading into the woods by a police officer who described it as "exotic" . I don't know whether that means its wearing stilletos and a feather boa or what, but it sounds pretty spooky
Hopefully no one gets mauled or harmed in anyway, but the amount of this stuff happening lately and the attitudes towards it just makes me laugh. Maybe a month ago there were a couple buffalo loose, I even think it was the same area and people were in a panic.

 

[Atticus]

http://www.nbc4columbus.com/news/3265460/detail.html
Large Lion Reportedly Spotted In Area
2 Sightings Occur Monday Night

"POSTED: 9:53 pm EDT May 3, 2004
UPDATED: 11:25 pm EDT May 3, 2004
GAHANNA, Ohio -- Residents in a section of Gahanna have been asked to stay in their homes after authorities received reports Monday night of a large wild animal running in the area, NewsChannel 4 reported.

Gahanna Woods residents and others in the state nature preserve area near Taylor Station and Taylor roads are being asked to call 911 if they see what reportedly is a lion that could weigh up to 400 pounds.

A Columbus police officer reported possibly seeing a lion at about 8 p.m. in the Taylor Road area. A truck driver also reportedly spotted the animal at about 9:45 p.m. in the 1200 block of Technology Drive, which is just south of the original sighting.

The driver, Jack Dingiss, said he pulled into a parking lot and he noticed the animal crouching under a tractor-trailer. Dingiss said the animal looked into the lights of his truck and then took off into the woods.

"I couldn't believe it," Dingiss said. "I thought I was losing my mind."

Authorities used a helicopter and an infrared camera to search the nearby woods, but couldn't find the animal. Gahanna police said they would continue the search in the morning by foot.

Authorities said they did not know how the apparent lion got in the area, but said a nearby dump would be attractive to a hungry animal.

Stay with NewsChannel 4 and nbc4columbus.com for more information."



Finally- I might be able to use this as an excuse to get that .375 H&H I always wanted. But I guess my 12 gauge or 45/70 will have to do for now.

It's kinda ironic that the Gahanna High School mascot is ....you guessed it...a lion. Check out the bottom of the page at this link.

http://66.0.6.15/

 

[Atticus]

Sorry, I didn't notice your thread until after I posted another one. This is about 5 miles from my house. I hope it turns out well and no one gets hurt...including the cat (if at all possible).

 

[redneck]

Take care out there Dave
The lion itself doesn't worry me near as much as the all the near paniced people looking for it with heavy rifles. There was a cop last night on the news who was standing next to a cruiser with all the lights running clutching a scoped bolt gun. He said something to effect of "They wouldn't give me anything automatic so I'm planning on runnning."
If the lion will attack you at night while your next to a cruiser with all the lights flashing, running probably isn't going to do you a lot of good, and neither would spray and pray with an automatic
As far as the cat, I haven't heard anything definitive on where its from. So I would guess that if its really a lion, then it was being held somewhere illegally. In that case I'd rather see it shot than have a lot of folks take a chance on trying to handle it and get hurt.

 

[Atticus]

Some of my working and hunting buds make fun of me for owning large caliber rifles 45/70, 30.06, .308, etc. - and my desire to own a .375 or .416 (because we can't hunt deer with them in Ohio). I used to jokingly reply, "you never know when an elephant might escpape from the circus and run down your street". Who woulda thunk it? This'll shut em up.

Even my wife is growing more sympathetic to my guns (and CCW). First we have the I270 shooter- then Zane Wilson get's murdered in his shop- a few weeks ago, a local girl get's kidnapped and burned alive in her car- last week, a local vegetable vendor was murdered at his stand (about 100 yards from the Gahanna Police station)- now, a lion is on the loose. Oh...and of course we've got OSU football players attacking and robbing folks!!! JHC!!! Even non- gun people are starting to question the belief that "suburban people don't need guns".

 

[redneck]

Yeah and with all that going on with the murders robberies and home invasions its a stupid cat on the loose that gets peoples attention and makes them think. I can predict what a lion will do, it wants to eat and it wants left alone. Its the drug crazed lunatics trying to steal my stuff to buy another hit that worry me!

 

[sturmruger]

I think I would be scared to death of walking in the woods. A big cat has to eat sooner or later. If I was a farmer I would keep an eye on my cows!!

 

[redneck]

The news has been surprisingly quiet about the whole thing since this morning with the initial reports. There has been no mention of a lion missing from anywhere to confirm that there really is a lion loose either. I'm beginning to wonder if this wasn't a big hoax.

 

[Atticus]

"I think I would be scared to death of walking in the woods. A big cat has to eat sooner or later. If I was a farmer I would keep an eye on my cows!!"

Unfortunately, there aren't many cows in the area....but there are many schools and businesses. There are some horse farms a few miles northeast of where he's been seen...and there's a slew of deer everywhere. If it is a lion, I think something will be eaten soon.

I hope that it is not a lion...but yeseterday, 4-5 people claimed (in seperate inccidents) to have clearly seen it. I'm betting it is a cougar. I know (and trust) a couple of folks who have seen cougars about 40 miles south of here- in spite of claims to the contrary by the ODNR.

 

[redneck]

Sounds like all they've found so far is a large coyote

 

[mete]

If it's an african lion it might weigh 400 lbs, but if it's a mountain lion it would only be 200 MAX. If a mountain lion then the reported weight was weight + hysteria factor !!!. In NY and PA they just say there are no maountain lions in the state no matter how many people see them .

 

[kudu]

I caught CNN at noon and they said an African lion was on the loose, but they hadn't identified how it got loose and from whom.

 

[Atticus]

I talked to a friend today...who talked to a friend of a friend of a friend....who
heard that a female African lion "might " be missing from a low- budget circus company. Also today, a guy called 911 and calmly reported that a female African lion was running down the interstate. It's getting interesting.

 

[bratch]

Any updates? Simba still causing problems?

 

[sm]

Lion is probably smart and hiding in a Kroger Store.

I mean , you can't have guns in Kroger [ can't be shot] and plenty of munchies...makes sense to me. What are they gonna do " here kitty kitty"?

 

[FThorn]

Bison

A nearby farm had bison escape and they came through our neighborhood about 9 years ago. They shot them.

 

[redneck]

We had bison loose awhile back, they caught them without any trouble. The bull that got loose from the county fair rodeo had to be shot, it was unusually aggressive and charged anything that moved and the police thought it would be a good idea to send a guy into a corn field after it....on foot....with a lariat. He wound up in the hospital, and the bull got shot.


As for the lion, they haven't said a damn thing about it in a few days. They supposedly found footprints that might be from a lion a while back. Most people slowly came around to saying it was more likely to be a couger than an african lion. Then they quit talking about it altogether

 

[stevelyn]

I know (and trust a couple of folks who've seen cougers about 40 mi. south of here-inspite of claims to the contrary by ODNR

In NY and PA they say there are no mountain lions in the state no matter how many people see them.

Well..... I'm glad to know that the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game isn't the only state F&G agency to lie to the public (especially those paying the bills i.e. licensed hunters and fishermen) about what species are (not) expanding into new areas and ranges.
Sitka blacktails on the Salcha River. Musk ox going up the Koyukuk Valley. Increased cougar sightings in SE bordering Canada........

 

[Atticus]

never mind

 

[BJPARKER]

Hey Maw, bring me a pack a hot dogs an the guide gun...there's a kitty in the garden.

 

[standingbear]

seems that I remember hearing rumors of a lion loose in northern central ohio counties 3 years ago..wonder if its the same one.I think it was found to be a large stray dog but it just quiety stopped becoming news.I cant begin to imagine a soccer moms reaction to a huge lion drinking from her birdbath.brooms and umbrellas swinging everywhere.

Lion is probably smart and hiding in a Kroger Store.

in the baked goods no doubt..LMAO.

 

[Atticus]

Hopefully, it will chase Columbus Mayor Mike Coleman through one of those city parks that he's trying to prevent concealed carry in. My faith in God would be completely restored if that happened. Let us bow our heads and pray.