daveb91
12-02-2008, 09:34 PM
The Law Enforcement Section of the state Division of Natural Resources issued the following report Wednesday following the Tuesday incident in Pocahontas County involving a tiger that was later put down by its owner.
The owner of the tiger, Mr. David Cassell, told DNR Conservation Officer Howard Shinaberry that he had fed the cats on his property on Saturday at 3 p.m., and they were all in the cage at that time. He went back later that day and the female cat had escaped through a basketball size hole in the chain link fence where the cats were held. He called neighbors in the area and advised them to watch for the cat because it had gotten out of the cage. One of the neighbors evidently called Snowshoe officials and told them the cat was out and MIGHT be headed in their direction.
Pocahontas County 911 was notified and called CO Shinaberry Sunday night shortly before 11 p.m. and told him about the missing cat. He went to Cassell's residence and from 11 to 1a.m. he and Cassel searched for the animal in the immediate area of Cassell's residence. Cassell had been looking for the cat before Shinaberry’s arrival as he thought the cat was still in the area. Shinaberry’s and Cassell's lights went dead and they gave up the search at about 1a.m.
Monday at about 11 a.m., Pocahontas 911 called Shinaberry and said the cat had been by some Snowshoe snowmakers. However, the cat was on the back side of Snowshoe 6 or 7 miles from the ski slopes. This was as close as the cat came to the slopes. The Snowshoe employees, who were off duty, were in the area on snowmobiles taking pictures. The employees left the area and reported what they had seen.
Shinaberry advised 911 that he was on the way to Snowshoe where he met Larry Holson, Chief of Security and two Snowshoe employees, and then he notified David Cassell where the animal was seen. Shinaberry, Holson and the two employees took one of the trail groomer machines and went to a gate on the property on the road that leads to the old town of Spruce. There they met David Cassell and they followed the trail of the cat down the road. The cat entered the brush and David Cassell got out and began tracking the cat. One of the employees got out and stayed in the road while Shinaberry and Holson continued down the road in case the cat came back into the road and went on toward Spruce. They met Cassel’s brother, who had walked up the other side of the mountain, he got in the vehicle with them and they turned around and went back to where the one employee was left in the road. The employee advised them that Cassell had shot the cat and was dragging it back to the road.
Cassell told them that the snow was hanging on the trees and visibility was only 3 or 4 feet. The cat had been lying under some overhanging trees and jumped up practically in his face. He did not attempt to talk to the cat at that time due to its action.
The cat was loaded into Cassell's truck, covered with a blanket and removed from the scene.
The tiger was killed on Monongahela National Forest property not Snowshoe property.
The owner of the tiger, Mr. David Cassell, told DNR Conservation Officer Howard Shinaberry that he had fed the cats on his property on Saturday at 3 p.m., and they were all in the cage at that time. He went back later that day and the female cat had escaped through a basketball size hole in the chain link fence where the cats were held. He called neighbors in the area and advised them to watch for the cat because it had gotten out of the cage. One of the neighbors evidently called Snowshoe officials and told them the cat was out and MIGHT be headed in their direction.
Pocahontas County 911 was notified and called CO Shinaberry Sunday night shortly before 11 p.m. and told him about the missing cat. He went to Cassell's residence and from 11 to 1a.m. he and Cassel searched for the animal in the immediate area of Cassell's residence. Cassell had been looking for the cat before Shinaberry’s arrival as he thought the cat was still in the area. Shinaberry’s and Cassell's lights went dead and they gave up the search at about 1a.m.
Monday at about 11 a.m., Pocahontas 911 called Shinaberry and said the cat had been by some Snowshoe snowmakers. However, the cat was on the back side of Snowshoe 6 or 7 miles from the ski slopes. This was as close as the cat came to the slopes. The Snowshoe employees, who were off duty, were in the area on snowmobiles taking pictures. The employees left the area and reported what they had seen.
Shinaberry advised 911 that he was on the way to Snowshoe where he met Larry Holson, Chief of Security and two Snowshoe employees, and then he notified David Cassell where the animal was seen. Shinaberry, Holson and the two employees took one of the trail groomer machines and went to a gate on the property on the road that leads to the old town of Spruce. There they met David Cassell and they followed the trail of the cat down the road. The cat entered the brush and David Cassell got out and began tracking the cat. One of the employees got out and stayed in the road while Shinaberry and Holson continued down the road in case the cat came back into the road and went on toward Spruce. They met Cassel’s brother, who had walked up the other side of the mountain, he got in the vehicle with them and they turned around and went back to where the one employee was left in the road. The employee advised them that Cassell had shot the cat and was dragging it back to the road.
Cassell told them that the snow was hanging on the trees and visibility was only 3 or 4 feet. The cat had been lying under some overhanging trees and jumped up practically in his face. He did not attempt to talk to the cat at that time due to its action.
The cat was loaded into Cassell's truck, covered with a blanket and removed from the scene.
The tiger was killed on Monongahela National Forest property not Snowshoe property.