A herd of horses remains unharmed after their owner, a private zoo operator, released dozens of exotic animals from their cages before taking his own life last week.

In an interview videotaped on Oct. 19, Muskingum County Sheriff Matt Lutz said that in the evening hours of Oct. 18 sheriff’s department personnel responded to reports of wild animals roaming at large near a private zoo operated by Terry Thompson near Zanesville, Ohio. Deputies discovered dozens of exotic animals including African lions, Bengal tigers, grizzly bears, mountain lions, cheetahs, monkeys, and wolves had been released from their cages. Sheriff’s Deputies also discovered Thompson dead of a self-inflicted wound, Lutz said. As many as 51 exotic animals resided on Thompson’s property, Lutz said, and a herd of between 50 and 60 horses was also located on the property.

While all but six of the exotic animals were shot and killed in the days following their release, Larry Hostetler, director of the Animal Shelter Society Inc., in Zanesville, said Oct. 21 that the horses were unharmed during the incident.

Hostetler was uncertain how Thompson acquired the animals–including the horses–or how he was able to provide for them financially