When You Find Out Who This Rescued Tiger Previously Belonged To, You Won't Believe They Abandoned Him
Tigers are gorgeous creatures, and it’s hard to not love them. With their rich orange coloring, offset with brilliant white and deep black, tigers are sure to turn heads whenever spotted. These cats are massive, an adult male easily weighing 500 pounds, so these stunning animals are loved by many people.
Sadly, tigers are often kept as pets by people who do not consider the consequences. A cub can be found for $4,000 with relatively little effort thanks to the internet, and people do not think about what happens when the cub matures into a large adult. A fully grown tiger can cost $10,000 or more to feed each year, that’s not including all of the other bills - veterinary care, enclosure maintenance, toys, and flea and tick control. Veterinary care is extremely expensive - if you can even find a vet willing to care for the cat. When these animals are in private hands, it doesn’t typically end well for the cat.
In 2014, the rapper named Tyga began to flaunt photos of a tiger cub online. Everyone began to speculate about whether or not the cub belonged to him, as it was illegal to own a tiger in California.
When Fish and Game arrived at Tyga’s house, they confiscated the 9 month old cub and delivered him to Lions, Tigers and Bears Rescue in Alpine, California where he has been ever since. The cub, Maverick, was spoiled and given a large enclosure where he still lives to this day. By all accounts, Maverick is living the good life now. Tyga has not visited his former pet or even sent a monetary donation to help pay for his bills since they took Maverick, completely abandoning the animal and seeming to forget that Maverick exists.
One of Maverick’s favorite activities to this day is swimming, and whenever he has the opportunity he will be splashing in the water. According to the rescue where he lives, his favorite food is beef!
I’ve actually had the opportunity to tour their facilities myself and see Maverick with my own eyes. He is an absolutely gorgeous cat with a rambunctious attitude! He seems to be extremely happy at the rescue!
Although Maverick’s life was a bit rough in the first year, he now gets to live an amazing life with everything he could ever wish for. Hopefully, the story of Tyga’s former pet tiger will help raise awareness about exotic animals in private hands.
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