That famous line from the Wizard of Oz came to life recently in a small rural town in Ohio. The owner of the Muskingum Animal Farm in Zanesville, Ohio killed himself late last night, but first he opened all the animals cages and left fences and gates open.  And we're not talking the cute and cuddly types. Lions , tigers, bears, wolves ,leopards and other non cuddly creatures were on the loose earlier today.

Schools closed, parents were warned to keep children and pets indoors and flashing signs along highways told motorists, "Caution exotic animals" and "Stay in vehicle."

To protect citizens and themselves, officers were ordered to shoot to kill. That may sound a little harsh at first, until you think about having the zoo on the loose in your neighborhood.

After an all-night hunt, at least 30 of the 48 escaped animals had been gunned down. As of mid-morning, officers were still hunting for a grizzly bear, mountain lion and monkey.

I'll sleep a little better tonight knowing the scariest thing roaming my neighborhood is a cat. As in a little bitty kitty cat :)

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