NC Zoo Response to Animal Escape

1
NC Zoo Response to Animal Escape
2
NC Zoo

• Large Land Mass (2000 acres)
• Rural Location
• Heavily Wooded

3
Primary Containment
4
Primary Containment

• Approximately 1500 animals of 225 species
• Several Dangerous Species

5
Secondary Containment

• 8 foot tall perimeter fence

6
14,500 Linear Feet of Perimeter Fence
7
Escaped Animal Recapture Procedure

• Written Document
• Quarterly Drills
• Firearms Training for Key Personnel

8
(No Transcript)
9
Incident Commander

• Oversees all Operations
• Makes Key decisions
• Interfaces with outside agencies
• Coordinates Zoo teams

10
Outside Agencies

• Randolph County Sheriffs Department
• State Highway Patrol
• North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
• North Carolina Forestry Service
• Eastside Volunteer Fire Department

• Notified if Animal Breeches Perimeter Fence or
  Serious Injury or Death

11
Operations Chief (Capture Coordinator)

• Coordinates all aspects of animal recapture
• Weapons Team (Dispatch animal if necessary)
• Veterinary Team (Dart Animal if possible and
  necessary)
• Animal Keepers (gather necessary equipment, man
  gates, assist with capture of non-dangerous
  animals)

12
Park Rangers

• Communications
• Crowd Control
• Traffic Control
• First Responders in case of injury (Rangers are
  EMTs)
• Call 911 to notify outside agencies if necessary

13
ZooCom

• Part of Ranger Section
• Monitors all radio traffic
• Records Radio Traffic During Event
• Documents events as they occur
• Coordinates Communications

14
Media Relations

• Brief State Agencies as Necessary
• Brief News Media as Necessary

15
First Tier Dangerous Animals
16
First Tier Dangerous Animals
17
First Tier Dangerous Animals
18
First Tier Dangerous Animals
19
Second Tier Dangerous Animals
20
Second Tier Dangerous Animals
21
NC Laws Governing Keeping of Exotic Animals
22
No State-wide Legislation

• North Carolina is one of 20 states that has no
  ban or state-established rules on owning exotic
  animals
• The state makes it illegal to own indigenous wild
  animals such as cougars, bobcats, deer, squirrels
  or skunks.

23
Attempted State-wide Legislation

• In 2007, Sen. Ed Jones, D-Halifax, introduced a
  bill that would ban private ownership of wild
  animals after a Wilkes County fourth-grader was
  killed by a tiger kept in his aunt's backyard,
  but the bill was met with instant opposition

24

• After an Ohio man freed dozens of lions, tigers,
  bears and other dangerous animals before killing
  himself, Ohio changed its' law regarding
  keeping exotic animals. This law was based on the
  NC proposed legislation

25
N.C. SESS. LAWS 153A-131 - Possession or
harboring of dangerous animals

• A county may by ordinance regulate, restrict, or
  prohibit the possession or harboring of animals
  which are dangerous to persons or property. No
  such ordinance shall have the effect of
  permitting any activity or condition with respect
  to a wild animal which is prohibited or more
  severely restricted by regulations of the
  Wildlife Resources Commission.

26
NC Counties with Exotic Animal Ordinances

• Lee
• Montgomery
• Orange
• Randolph
• Surrey

• Cabarrus
• Chatham
• Davidson
• Forsyth
• Gaston

27
N.C. SESS. LAWS 160A-187 - Possession or
harboring of dangerous animals

• A city may by ordinance regulate, restrict, or
  prohibit the possession or harboring within the
  city of animals which are dangerous to persons or
  property. No such ordinance shall have the effect
  of permitting any activity or condition with
  respect to a wild animal which is prohibited or
  more severely restricted by regulations of the
  Wildlife Resources Commission

28
NC Cities with Exotic Animal Ordinances

• Charlotte
• Garner
• Havelock
• North Topsail Beach
• Sylva

29
N.C. ADMIN. CODE tit. 2, r. 52B.0212 -
IMPORTATION REQUIREMENTS WILD ANIMALS

• Skunk
• Fox
• Raccoon
• Ringtail
• Bobcat (includes Lynx and other North and South
  American felines as cougars, jaguars, etc.)
• Coyote
• Marten
• Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula)

30
North Carolina Wildlife Resources CommissionNC
ST 113-294

• State law prohibits holding any wild animal or
  bird in captivity without a license from the
  Wildlife Resources Commission. Before the
  Commission can issue a license authorizing a
  person to keep a wild animal or bird in
  captivity, it must determine that the animal or
  bird was acquired lawfully and will not be kept
  merely as a pet. An approved facility must be
  provided.

31
Incidents (Escapes and/or attacks) involving
exotic animals in NC (1990-2012)

• Big Cats 11
• Reptiles 11
• Primates 8

• Wolf/Hyrdid 2
• Emu 2
• Serval 2
• Water Buffalo 1
• Coati 1

32
Locations of Incidences
33
(No Transcript)
34
(No Transcript)