You Can Own A Tiger In Texas

Countless tigers like India live in roadside zoos, circuses, and private homes across the country. No one knows exactly how many captive tigers there are in America, as no federal agency keeps track of these animals. The vast majority of these tigers spend their lives in cruel conditions where they cannot express their natural behaviors. Although private owners and roadside zoos may claim their captive tigers help conservation efforts, these animals are usually habituated to humans and unlikely to survive if ever released into the wild. Many tigers are crossbred between subspecies who would not interbreed in the wild.

• Depending on the source, the price of a baby tiger can range anywhere from $1,500 to $10,000.
• Four states (Alabama, Nevada, North Carolina, and Wisconsin) have zero laws regulating big cat ownership.
• You will have to have a stainless steel squeeze cage that is capable of holding your cat at its max weight.
• The small-town police force wasn’t equipped to deal with escaped wild jungle animals and had to resort to killing all of them.

Last year, India, a 9-month-old tiger, was loose for nearly a week after it was first seen roaming the streets of a Houston neighborhood. After a pursuit led to the arrest of the owner — a man free on bond on a murder charge — India was found and taken to a ranch in East Texas. The registration agency’s staff or a licensed veterinarian must have access to the animal and its enclosure for routine inspection. Authorities went into a Red Bird home Wednesday looking to execute an arrest warrant. Tigers, although beautiful and exotic, are best left in the wild.

Tiger Adoption Kit

Failure to do so may result in the tiger developing medical depression. It should retain the tiger’s freedom of running inside the enclosure for a few seconds without hindrance. The housing should also facilitate other basic behavioral movements like jumping, climbing, and playing. Assuming you have met all the above criteria, is owning a tiger the best choice for you?

If the same number of humans had been killed in proportion to their global population, the death toll would have been more than 50 million. Tigers are accustomed to having thousands of acres to roam and hunt in the wild. In the wild, it is not uncommon for a male tiger to have a territory that exceeds 40 miles.

Is it Possible to Afford a Baby Tiger?

Fourteen more states have also banned the keeping of tigers, but there are varying requirements and exemptions in place. Another major expense to consider when owning a baby tiger is the cost of housing. Building or purchasing an appropriate enclosure can cost thousands of dollars.

Because few people own this much land, tigers who are captive tend to become hyper aggressive in their small confines. But, these opportunistic carnivores will eat just about any animal they can catch. Tigers need many acres of a highly secured landscape; they can and do jump, climb, and swim their way out of many enclosures constructed to be tiger-proof. Tigers have been known to escape from zoos and private properties and have killed people they come across.

America’s tiger problem

Breeding (mating) generally happens when the females are about 4 years of age. A female will give off a strong scent which attracts a male to her while in estrus. The mating Season of tigers is normally around November all the way to April (tropical climates) and during the winter in temperate regions. Tigers have a gestation period of 103 days and with the ability to litter 3 to 4 cubs. Tigers are a large, strong, and very dangerous cat with the ability of taking down a 500 lb antelope.

Check the laws in your area before attempting to acquire a tiger or any other big cat; The Big Cat Public Safety Act is pending federal legislation aimed at prohibiting private citizens from owning big cats. The small-town police force wasn’t equipped to deal with escaped wild jungle animals and had to resort to killing all of them. This horrific incident served as a tiger wakeup call to Ohio, which has since banned the trade and breeding of exotic animals. Caring for a baby tiger can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to break the bank. If the law is promulgated, the purchase and reproduction of non-domestic animals in travelling circuses will be forbidden. Moreover, this law would give circus owners five years to stop using these animals in their shows and create a different future for them.

thoughts on “Can you believe it’s legal…? Pet Tigers.”

You and I would never want to be kept in a cage and neither do these animals. When I say you can legally own a tiger in Texas, it’s not as easy as just buying one. According to attorney Brian White, you can own a tiger with a permit. If you provide an email address for the gift recipient, they will also receive a printable, personalized adoption certificate for the species adopted.

• These tigers’ diet is supplemented with “enrichment items,” such as knucklebones, cow femurs, and rabbit carcasses.
• It’s important to provide a balanced diet that meets the nutritional needs of the animal.
• A police source compared the trafficking of big cats to the market for stolen works of art.
• The plot should also include trees, shelter, barriers, and different levels of elevation.

A baby tiger’s diet will consist mainly of raw meat, which can be quite costly. In addition, other supplies such as toys and bedding must be purchased. Depending on the size of the enclosure, these items can add up quickly. India, Elsa and Loki were all rescued without incident, but that doesn’t always happen. A scared tiger can injure or kill someone or end up being shot by responders.

Tigers rescued from the pet trade often suffer health issues such as malnourishment and metabolic bone disease, say sanctuary staff. Owners generally buy food that is inexpensive and easily accessible—such as meat from chickens or domestic cat food—but lacks essential nutrients. At the sanctuary, the How to buy a tiger young tigers—India and Elsa—are fed twice daily to help them grow. When they reach adulthood, they will eat almost 3,000 pounds of food a year on a schedule modeled after wild tigers’ dietary behaviors. Several lawmakers who backed the new legislation cited public safety as a reason for doing so.

Therefore, captive tigers must be vaccinated against these diseases, just like domestic cats. Most states have restrictions on owning many exotic pets including big cats, especially around heavily populated communities. Specifically, 35 states have bans on keeping big cats, while 21 states ban all dangerous exotic pets.

However, if you are curious to learn how life could be if you had a tiger for a pet, read on. When you choose a symbolic animal adoption, you generously support WWF’s global conservation efforts. Every donation helps save endangered wildlife, protect fragile ecosystems, and build a future where people live in harmony with nature. As pets, tigers are crammed into homes, forced to engage in unnatural behaviors such as cuddling with humans and walking on a leash.