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A Nevada man was arrested after authorities seized seven tigers from his Pahrump home on Wednesday (April 2). Karl Mitchell, 71, claimed the tigers were his emotional support animals, but he lacked the required Special Conditions Animal Permit from Nye County. Mitchell was charged with resisting arrest and unlawful possession of a firearm, as he is a convicted felon. He was released on $6,000 bail the same day.
The tigers were reportedly obtained from Joe Exotic, the former Oklahoma zookeeper featured in Netflix's Tiger King. However, Exotic denied these claims from prison, stating, "None of these tigers came from me."
The Nye County Sheriff's Office is investigating potential animal welfare violations, as some tigers appeared underweight. The tigers have been relocated to an undisclosed sanctuary while the investigation continues, as reported by KSNV.
Mitchell's history with the county includes previous legal disputes over his animals. In 2019, he was granted a special animal permit, but it is unclear if it was still valid. Mitchell claimed a Veterans Affairs psychiatrist prescribed the tigers as emotional support animals due to his PTSD.
Mitchell is expected to appear in court on May 15. Further charges may be filed as the investigation progresses.