Exotic in every way

A little exotic animal print in your home will not necessitate one of these warning signs.

Falling under the bizarre but true file is yesterday's little incident in Zanesville, Ohio.  Residents were warned to stay indoors due to an outbreak of exotic animals.  That's pretty exotic stuff for a Wednesday I'd say. 


Among the 56 animals corraled, and sadly, put down were 18 extremely rare Bengal tigers, 17 lions, six black bears and one baboon.  I can confirm from a first-hand and frightening encounter with a baboon (true, but long story), these monkeys are vicious.  The owner, and collecter, of this wild but good-looking brood apparently let them all loose.

True story:  I once was faced by jaws similar to these.  It wasn't pretty.

Just my two-cents here, but if you are so inclined to collect exotic animals, there are much safer ways to go about it.  For instance, why not consider a little exotic animal print on a chair, or a little faux-zebra rug?  *(many zebra rugs are in fact printed on cow hides). 

Leopard print on a chair.  It won't eat you if you sit on it, and it still looks gorgeous.
Image via La Dolce Vita blog.

A Tiger Print ottoman in Designer Melisa Rufty's New Orleans home via House Beautiful.
It won't bite.

A zebra cow-hide rug.  No zebras were hurt to make my living room look prettier.

A nice leopard print pillow on a beautiful emerald green couch.
(Don't know the source...have had this image saved forever)

An antelope inspired rug adds elegrance to this soft room via Elle Decor. 

Antique benches covered in leaopard in the home of San Francisco designer Steven Volpe via
San Francisco Style by Diane Dorrans Saeks

Zebra print chair via  Melissa Rufty 

A little understated exotic animal print goes a long way.  Plus,no one gets hurt, not even the animals (as long as you're not using real fur/hide.)