tonight on "nightline," cops versus lions. they are deadly predators, living on game preserves right here in america. now, with dozens set loose on an exotic animal farm in the midwest -- >> 911? >> yeah, there's a lion on mt. perry road. >> tonight, the harrowing haunt comes to a close. plus, is marriage for white people? with single black we means finding husbands more easily if they just dated and married white men? we meet the man behind the controversial new book who says yes. and we go out with one woman, putting it to the test.

and heavy metal cuisine. he's a disciple of satan. a strict vegan. and the star of a devilishly popular cooking show on the internet. tonight, unmasking the vegan black metal chef. >> announcer: from the global resources of abc news, with terry moran, cynthia mcfadden and bill weir in new york city, this is "nightline," october 19th, 2011. >> good evening, i'm cynthia mcfadden. we begin with big cats on the loose in small town america. late tonight, ohio authorities called off a hunt for the last of dozens of potentially deadly animals, apparently set free yesterday by a preserve owner in a final desperate act before he took his own life. what followed was a tense, bloody and highly surreal s suburban safari, with police officers using 911 reports as a

modern way of tracking their disoriented quarry all over the country. now, they leave the last animal unaccounted for, a monkey, was only missing because he had fallen prey to a now dead tiger. here's abc's david kerley.eport thought in zanesville, ohio, residents would see lions, tigers and bears wandering in the woods after escaping from a nearby property? >> 911. >> yeah, there's a lion on mt. perry road. >> i just saw a wolf. >> i think i just seen one. looked like a jaguar or a wolf or something. >> reporter: it was around 5:00 last night and the sheriff's department was launched on what became an unlikely big game hunt. >> i had to run through a field, it was in a hay field. >> reporter: deputy sheriff jonathan merry was one of the first to respond. >> unfortunately had to fire on the wolf. >> reporter: who, after killing a wolf, stared down a black

bear. >> the bear then did turn in my direction and ran directly towards me. i was able to draw my duty pist pistol, fired one shot, killing the animal instantly. >> reporter: then a lion crawled under a fence and started heading for a neighbor. the deputy put it down, too. it was just the beginning. the images are painful, disturbing. some of the most powerful, majestic creatures on the planet, gunned down, lying dead. >> the events that happened last night were extremely unfortunate. and i feel like me and the other deputies were forced into this situation, due to ohio's lax laws in reference to exotic animals. >> reporter: ohio does have some of the most lenient laws on exotic animals. but when day broke this morning, the concern was not the law, but the fact that some of those animals were roaming in neigh r neighborhoods. jack hanna drove all night to the scene to try to help police. >> i just hope there aren't any

lions and tigers and leopards out there, and a cougar. that might not be a good situation. if they fed them, we're okay. if there are some tigers and cougars out there running around, that might not be a best situation. >> reporter: there was no good count on how many lions, tigers and bears had been killed and how many might be roaming in the hills and woods. so, schools were ordered closed. those animals were released on purpose, by this man, terry thompson. he was just released from prison. his wife, seen here, left him a few months ago. is that why he cut fences, gates and released his 56 animals and then killed himself? authorities were well aware of thompson. >> we've had 35 incidents where we've been there. various types of incidents involved animal cruelty, animals running at large. inhumane treatment. different things like that. >> reporter: thompson had 76 acres here in ohio, horses, up on top of the hill, the buildings where he kept the wild

animals. he was no stranger to people in this area. a lot of them had come to this farm to see the wild animals. >> in ohio, under current law, it's perfectly legal for someone to have a tiger, a lion, a green anaconda, a crocodile. and it because ohio is the wild west when it comes to private ownership of exotics. >> reporter: the animals are being buried. but does that bury what's happened here? >> i don't think it will every bury what's happened here. i think this is one of the largest animal escapes in the history of our country. i know people can't understand why they were put down. my hearts ache with them. we have 18 bengal tigers gone, there's on 1400 left in the world in the wild. this is beyond a tragedy. >> reporter: jack hanna says it is time that his home state, the united states, do something about these magnificent creatures in private hands. >> i'm going to work as hard as i can to make sure this doesn't happen again. >> reporter: when it was all over, 49 animals had been shot and six animals had been saved,

taken by jack hanna to the columbus zoo. even act vilss say they understand. >> law enforcement agents were put in a horrible position. the real fault lies with the policy-making failures that this sort of situation was allowed to exist in the first place. no one should have 50 lions and tigers and leopards at their home in zanesville, ohio. >> reporter: the sheriff says he has no regrets. >> there was not a doubt in my mind that if animals got into our public, we were going to have serious trouble. and to contain 56 animals in a situation the way we did, our guys are to be come menlded on it. >> i'm an animal lover, grew up on a farm, loved animals my whole life. but you know, being a deputy sheriff, i was sworn in to protect citizens of this county and community and i feel that me and the other deputies did that by doing what we unfortunately had to do last night.

>> reporter: in zanesville, ohio, i'm david kerley for "nightline." >> as jack hanna says, let's hope it never happens again. just ahead, is marriage for white people? that's the title of a new book that's winning some praise and stirring up an awful lot of controversy. mary? what are you doing here? it's megan. i'm getting new insurance. marjorie, you've had a policy with us for three years. it's been five years. five years. well, progressive gives megan discounts that you guys didn't. paperless, safe driver, and i get great service. meredith, what's shakin', bacon? they'll figure it out. getting you the discounts you deserve. now, that's progressive. call or click today. [ male announcer ] a simple gesture

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[ man ] come on! >> announcer: "nightline" continues from new york city with cynthia mcfadden. >> the black girl curse? it's a term we've learned from a group of four friends, single women, in atlanta, two years ago. that term, they used to describe their marriage prospects. the fact is, a staggering 70% of black women in america are

unmarried, compared to 45% of white women. the solution, according to the controversial author you're about to meet? for black women to stop waiting around for black men. abc's linsey davis tackles the issue. >> reporter: tomika anderson is a 35-year-old single black female on the hunt for a husband. >> i love black men. there is absolute loyalty that i feel towards black men. >> reporter: perhaps that's why she's still single. she was convinced mr. right would be black. but she's read a controversial new book by ralph richard banks, called, "is marriage for white people?" its message, black women should look outside their race for a husband. so, on this night, she's doing just that, meeting eight men -- >> where are you from? >> reporter: of different races -- >> and your number is? >> i'm number one. >> i like that attitude. >> reporter: in one night of

speed dating. all part of a strategy banks says will help women like tomika find a husband. you have suggests that black women should give up the good fight. is that to suggest, give up on black men? >> black women have fought the good fight. they have engaged in a noble endeavor of trying to lift black men. that strategy hasn't really worked. >> i really enjoyed it. >> reporter: the idea that black women should give up on black men has made people angry. >> there's no other ethnic group anywhere advocates annihilating their own race. >> reporter: blogs ran wild. >> welcome back. >> reporter: and even gayle king, oprah's best friend, was horrified by the idea. >> by the time i was done with your book, i thought, should i slit my wrist or is there still hope? >> reporter: king, after all, is part of the staggers 70% of black women who are unmarried, compared to only 45% of white women. it's a stat that plays like a

broken record of "single ladies." in a high stakes game of musical chairs, black men are the chairmans and black women are often the last ones standing. >> black women, faced with a shortage of black male peers, would do well to expand their options in the same way that people of other races have, and look beyond black men. >> reporter: he's certainly not the first to point out the problem facing black women. >> we have this thing called the black girl curse. >> reporter: in 2009, "nightline" sintroduced you to these four women in atlanta who said the same thing. >> a lot of our white friends are happily married by 25. and we're like what is the deal with the b.g.s? and that's the black girls. >> reporter: now, almost two years later, there's still no ring on their fingers. when "nightline" opened up the discussion in a town hall event, the consensus among the black

men? >> women are looking for men that don't exist. they're looking for this picture perfect, denzel washington to come pulling up to the house in a new may back benz with a trunk full of chocolate and a suitcase full of $100,000 bills and it's not going to happen. >> reporter: sherri, is that what you're looking for? >> no, and none of my friends are. i didn't know denzel had a maybach. >> i didn't, either. >> reporter: expectation s asid, banks says there's a shortage of black men ready for marriage. >> theimprisonment numbers, unemployment numbers, under performance academically. these are crisis not only for african-american, but for the nation. >> reporter: some critics say banks is just capitalizing on the fears of black women convinced they will never tie the knot. in one review, someone said you denigrate men and disspirit women and call you a racial

pimp. >> i think their view is wrong. black men are actually a source of much of the disadvantage that black women encounter. >> reporter: his collusion hinges on just how realistic it is for black women to marry outside their race. banks points out that only 9% of black women do so, compare that to asian and hispanic women. >> i just moved here six months ago. >> very good. from where? >> from frankfurt. >> so, you are -- >> not at all, actually. >> reporter: but tomika just might have some luck. >> kindness and warmth is some of her kwqualities that i felt very strong. >> she's really nice. wonderful smile. >> i love new york. >> reporter: of the eight dates, five of them said they wanted to see her again. >> they were definitely the possibilities, so -- that i was pleased about.

giving myself the opportunity to be broad. >> reporter: for "nightline," i'm linsey davis in new york. >> our thanks to linsey davis for exploring that perplexing problem. next up, the wildest cooking show you're ever like limb to see. and not only because of the altar to satan. i'd race down that hill without a helmet. i took some steep risks in my teens. i'd never ride without one now. and since my doctor prescribed lipitor, i won't go without it for my high cholesterol and my risk of heart attack. why kid myself? diet and exercise weren't lowering my cholesterol enough. now i'm eating healthier, exercising more, taking lipitor. numbers don't lie. my cholesterol's stayed down. lipitor is fda approved to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients who have heart disease or risk factors for heart disease. it's backed by over 19 years of research. [ female announcer ] lipitor is not for everyone, including people with liver problems and women who are nursing, pregnant or may become pregnant. you need simple blood tests to check for liver problems.

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okay, now, what would you

get if you crossed julia child with the rock band kiss? to be honest, the question never even occurred to us until we encountered one of the most unusual video series on the internet. it's a cooking show that adheres to strictly vegan fare. so far, so good. but then there's the black metal soundtrack. perplexed? well, abc's john berman says, you've just got to see it. ♪ >> reporter: it's time for the mask of demons. time for the armor of hell. yes, it's time -- time to make some food. >> so, here's the main altar where we sacrifice all the various individual tabvegetable. >> reporter: this makeup wearing, armor-clad food lover is brian manowitz. though, on the internet, where he's earned well over a million hits, he goes by another name.

he is the vegan black metal chef, which begs the question, out of makeup -- so, what is the vegan black metal chef? >> well, it's my attempt to answer the question what do vegans eat and in as fun a way as i could find possible. >> reporter: vegans don't eat meat or anything that comes from animals. or in his case, even wear anything. all his armor is vinyl instead of leather. what's being a vegan about for you? >> the quick answer that i tell people is, i don't believe in the exploitation of animals. >> reporter: that's the vegan part. the black metal? >> you can't summon the essence of satan into your food without the pentagram. >> reporter: that's just what he does. brian, a freelance sound engineer, is in two bands and has been listening to black metal for years. and in case you're wondering where black metal fits in the overall metal family --

>> one analogy that i use is death metal kind of sounds like cookie monster and black metal sounds like donald duck. >> reporter: on youtube, he hosts a cooking show. >> your knife doesn't even have to -- >> reporter: complete with recipes for noodle stir fry and pad thai. ever feel silly? >> never. >> reporter: never once? wearing this? >> never. >> reporter: so he clearly has and forgive us, a devilish sense of humor. >> crush the poe day taupes with a blade and though she no mercy. >> reporter: he takes his vegan commitment and cooking very seriously. >> just bringing conscious tons your actions. and if everyone did that, the world, and myself included, of course, is always kind of bring consciousness to your actions

and the world would be a much better place. >> reporter: um -- along with satan's fire. >> absolutely. >> reporter: raised as a jewish kid in florida, he doesn't really worship satan or anything. unless you're talking about wheat gleeten spelled s-e-i-t-a-n. your refrigerator looks so fresh and bountiful. >> that's why the food is so damn good. >> reporter: and you look so dangerous. >> maybe the real danger is in what other people are eating. >> reporter: indeed. food for thought. it's loud, it's unusual. but you know what? it's really good. delicious. good enough that there's only one way to celebrate. i'm john berman for "nightline" in orlando. >>