On The Loose: Lions And Tigers Panic US Town

Lions, tigers and grizzly bears have terrorised a small US town after escaping from a nearby animal park.

The dangerous predators were among almost 50 animals that were reported to be wandering around the rural Ohio town of Zanesville.

They were spotted after the owner of Muskingum County Animal Farm was found dead and the cages unlocked.

"We've got a little bit of a list compiled. Mainly, there were grizzly bears and black bears there. There were cheetahs, there were lions, and there were tigers.

"These were the primary things that we would be concerned with. Any kind of a cat species and any kind of a bear species right now is what we're mainly concerned with," explained Sheriff Matt Lutz.

The police department received panicked calls from people who had spotted the beasts roaming on a nearby highway.

Schools have been ordered to close and residents have been told to stay inside while the hunt continues.

Sheriff Lutz said 25 animals had been killed so far

There have been no reports of any injuries. Officers shot a number of animals when they arrived at the park where they discovered the owner, 62-year-old Terry Thompson, dead and the fences unsecured and cages open.

Mr Thompson had been released from prison three weeks earlier after serving a one-year term for firearms charges, according to the Columbus Dispatch newspaper.

The 40-acre preserve housed large cats, various bears, wolves, giraffes and camels, as well as orangutans and cheetahs, still in their cages.

All 48 of the large animals on the grounds were thought to have escaped.

Tigers are among the animals that have been roaming the area

"One of the deputies told me they felt they had shot approximately 25 on the way up to the house to check on Mr Thompson," said Sheriff Lutz.

"So, you know, that number could be high or low, depending. You know, when they're shooting animals in all directions, it's hard to keep track."

Kate Riley, 20, whose family owns a nearby cattle farm, said Mr Thompson would come and take their dead cows to feed his lions.

"He'd have claw marks all over him," she told the newspaper. She added that she believed Mr Thompson's wife had recently left him and moved out.

Staff from the Columbus Zoo and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources were called in to help police handle the situation.