A 71-year-old man from Nevada was arrested last week after authorities seized seven tigers, which he claimed were all “emotional support animals,” he kept in his home, according to multiple media reports.
Authorities with the Nye County reportedly raided Karl Mitchell’s home in Pahrump, a town approximately 65 miles west of Las Vegas, on March 2, saying the man did not have the proper permits to keep the animals, NBC News reported.
In an interview, Nye County Sheriff Joe McGill told the outlet that the 71-year-old had been seen walking the wild animals on and off his desert property and that posts on social media showed him allowing others to interact with the tigers, both of which were violations of the law.
For his part, Mitchell allegedly claimed he did not need the special condition animal permits because the tigers, according to a lawsuit he filed against Nye County in 2020, had already been recognized by county officials as his emotional support animals.
The 71-year-old also claimed that the tigers did not pose any threat to the public, The Economic Times reported.
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KEENESBURG, CO – APRIL 05: A pair of the 39 tigers rescued in 2017 from Joe Exotic’s G.W. Exotic Animal Park relax at the Wild Animal Sanctuary on April 5, 2020 in Keenesburg, Colorado. Exotic, star of the wildly successful Netflix docu-series Tiger King, is currently in prison for a murder-for-hire plot and surrendered some of his animals to the Wild Animal Sanctuary. The Sanctuary cares for some 550 animals on two expansive reserves in Colorado. (Photo by Marc Piscotty/Getty Images) -
One of the 39 tigers rescued in 2017 from Joe Exotic’s G.W. Exotic Animal Park yawns at the Wild Animal Sanctuary on April 5, 2020 in Keenesburg, Colorado. (Marc Piscotty/Getty Images) -
FILE – In this Aug. 28, 2013, file photo, Joseph Maldonado-Passage, also known as Joe Exotic, answers a question during an interview at the zoo he runs in Wynnewood, Okla. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)
In another twist, Mitchell said he rescued the tigers from Joe Exotic, born Joseph Maldonado, the Oklahoma zookeeper who was the center of the Netflix series “Tiger King.”
Maldonado, 61, has been imprisoned since 2019 for attempting to hire hitmen to kill his longtime rival in the wildlife rescue space, Carole Baskin. He was also found guilty of killing tigers, selling tiger cubs and falsifying records. He was sentenced to 22 years in prison for the crimes, which was later reduced to 21 years upon appeal.
As for Mitchell, he was arrested and booked for resisting a peace officer and being a felon in possession of a gun during the March 2 raid. He was released the same day after posting $6,000 bail, NBC News reported.
According to Sheriff McGill, some of the big cats appeared to be underweight and algae was found growing in the animals’ water dishes.
The seven tigers were examined by a veterinarian who was at Mitchell’s home when they were removed. The sheriff said the animals were taken to an “undisclosed sanctuary where they will be held until ordered to be released,” NBC News reported.
Mitchell is expected to appear in court on May 15.
