Preserve Owner Was Bitten by Big Cat, Authorities Say

Terry Thompson, owner of the wildlife preserve in Zanesville, Ohio, was found dead Thursday on his driveway with a large bite mark on his head.

It appears that Thompson, 62, fatally shot himself after releasing 56 exotic creatures of his from their cages. One of the large cats tried to eat Thompson's dead body, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Forty-eight of the 56 creatures that fled were killed by police officers, six were tranquilized and are being treated at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, and last two have not been found.

The killings erupted a global outrage due to the fact that 18 of the animals were endangered species, the New York Times reported.

What is to be done with the animals that were not killed is still in question.