Seven tigers seized from Nevada man who claims they are his ‘emotional support’ animals
Most of the rescued animals are believed to have been formerly owned by Tiger King’s Joe Exotic.
Seven tigers owned by a man who refers to them as his “emotional support animals” have been seized in Nevada.
The seizure came after officers from the Nye County Sheriff’s Office conducted a search warrant on the residence of Karl Mitchell, owner of Big Cats Entertainment.
During the inspection, authorities found seven tigers on the premises, which authorities allege are being kept illegally as Mitchell reportedly does not have permits to keep the animals.
"We have known for several years he has had big cats on his property, and for the last two years, this has been in violation because he had no permits for those cats," Nye County Sheriff Joe McGill told local news station KSNV-TV.
The sheriff said that an investigation into Mitchell and his ownership of the cats started several months ago.
Community members had previously reported to authorities that they had seen Mitchell walking the tigers loose around the property, and letting the animals roam off the property in the desert.
The tigers are also reported to have been used in wildlife interactions filmed for social media.
"There have been social media posts from [Mitchell] with people interacting with the cats, which is also in violation", added Sheriff McGill.
Mitchell, 71, was arrested at the scene for resisting arrest and unlawful possession of a firearm. He was jailed, and later released.
In an interview with News 3 after his arrest, Mitchell said the seven tigers are his emotional support animals that help him cope as a disabled veteran with PTSD. He claims that he has government and medical approval for the captive tigers to work as support animals.
Mitchell also stated that six of the seven tigers were from Joe Exotic, the infamous figure from Netflix’s popular Tiger King documentary.
While the latest investigation continues, the seized tigers have been sent to an undisclosed sanctuary out of state.
The incident is not Mitchell’s first time being apprehended by authorities over his handling of exotic animals. In 2010, Mitchell and his business venture Big Cat Encounters was fined over $68,000 for several violations of the Animal Welfare Act, including exhibiting tigers without a valid license and refusing animal welfare inspectors to examine his animals.
In the US, following the passing of the Big Cat Public Safety Act in 2022, it is illegal to privately own tigers, lions, leopards, and other big cats as “pets”. However, those that already owned big cats prior to the bill’s passing could keep their existing animals if they registered them with the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
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