Seven tigers have been confiscated from a residence in Pahrump, escalating into the arrest of Karl Mitchell, the man at the center of what could only be described as a menagerie masquerade. FOX5 Vegas reports that Nye County deputies swooped in on Wednesday to carry out the seizure with Mitchell being taken into custody for an altercation with an officer.
Mitchell has been in the local spotlight for his collection of big cats, claiming that six of the tigers were previously owned by the infamous Joe Exotic from the "Tiger King" series. Despite the drama surrounding their care, Mitchell insists they are his emotional support animals, although this hardly sways the clear legal obligations that come with owning exotic wildlife. According to a News 3 interview, Mitchell stated, "I'm a 100 percent disabled veteran with PTSD. The VA and my doctors have approved the tigers to work as support animals."
Authorities, however, paint a different picture. The Nye County Sheriff’s Office acted following a violation of county ordinances and special condition permit issues - citing concerns for both public safety and the well-being of the tigers. Sheriff Joe McGill mentioned, "Our intention was to seize the cats, number one for public safety, number two for the safety of the cats. And then he struggled with the deputy," reflecting the conflicting interests at play during the operation, as per FOX5 Vegas.
A closer examination of Mitchell's property called into question the living conditions provided for the tigers. The sheriff's office noted water dishes with algae and some underfed appearances among the animals. Mitchell, however, countered these welfare concerns, "They have 5-gallon containers for water and they're watered every day. They show up at 6 a.m., I also had a truck full of food to feed them this morning. Didn't get to do that either," he told News 3.
