A 71-year-old man arrested with seven tigers on his Nevada property wants to be reunited with the “emotional support” animals seized by authorities last week.
Nye County police knew for several years that Karl Mitchell had tigers at his Pahrump residence, according to Sin City station KSNV.
He was being evicted from the property where the animals resided and allegedly denied access when authorities took him into custody Wednesday. Mitchell was charged with resisting arrest.
Sheriff Joe McGill said the suspect — who runs Big Cats Entertainment — had no permits for the animals.
“We have received information over the years that he has been seen walking the tigers loose around the property, off the property in the desert,” McGill said.
Mitchell, who said he’s a disabled veteran with PTSD, claims his doctors approved of his owning the tigers that have spent the past decade in his care. His girlfriend showed KSNV a letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs recognizing Mitchell’s cats as emotional support animals.
The sheriff’s office reportedly expressed concern over how the animals were being cared for, but Mitchell said his tigers are given water and fed regularly.
He claimed six of the big cats once belonged to animal keeper Joe Exotic, who’s serving a 21-year prison term for a murder-for-hire plot made famous by the 2020 Netflix documentary “Tiger King.”
Mitchell’s tigers will reportedly be housed in a sanctuary outside Nevada while authorities continue their investigation. Further charges may be forthcoming.
“The animals did not deserve to be snatched up, knocked out with drugs shipped across the country,” Mitchell said.
