With the Coronavirus pandemic affecting the world, many Americans have spent their additional time at home binge watching programs on Netflix. One of the most popular ones during this time has been Tiger King. Storyline aside, the popularity of the show has brought on many questions, one of them being whether it is legal to own a pet tiger.
The Facts
Not surprisingly, many people are in awe at the idea of owning such a powerful and beautiful animal as their pet. Surprisingly, there are more “pet” tigers in the United States — approximately 5,000 — than there are in the wild. While these big cats are graceful and beautiful, they are also dangerous.
The laws on tiger ownership differs in each state. Ownership of a pet tiger is legal or at least unregulated in eight states: Alabama, Delaware, Nevada, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. In 14 other states, a permit is required in order to legally own a tiger. In other words, about half of the states in America allow the legal ownership of pet tigers.
An Expensive Hobby
Captive-born tiger cubs are not as expensive as you would think; they range from $900 to $2,500 each. Because male tigers are often more aggressive, most people purchase female tigers. That being said, maintaining a full-grown tiger is much more expensive. On average, a tiger eats 15 pounds of meat daily. In order to ensure the tiger is not malnourished an owner must buy several supplements and nutrients to add to the food.
Moreover, full-grown tigers need space; a wild male tiger keeps a 40-square mile territory, while a female wild tiger keeps about seven square miles. Because few people own this much land, tigers who are captive tend to become hyper aggressive in their small confines.
Legal versus Wise
While owning a pet tiger may be legal in your state, purchasing and keeping one may not be the wisest thing to do. There have been approximately 21 deaths related to big cat attacks in the past decade. While many animal rights organizations are trying to overturn the legal status of tiger ownership, at least for now it is perfectly legal to own one. Some states, like Nevada, strictly prohibit ownership of specific exotic pets — particularly aggressive ones — while permitting ownership of others. It is important to keep in mind that sometimes local restrictions — those imposed by city, county, or township — can be even stricter than state limits when it comes to owning a wild animal such as a tiger.
The other issue with owning a pet tiger is that if the animal attacks another person, the likelihood of significant injuries or even death is high. This will result in significant liability for the animal owner. To put it bluntly, pet owners who keep wild animals should do so at their own risk. This is because generally owners of wild and exotic pets are subject to strict liability because these animals are potentially uncontrollable and inherently dangerous. Strict liability means that the victim need not prove negligence to win his or her personal injury or wrongful death claim. The mere fact that the animal owned was wild creates automatic liability for the owner under the law.
Your Questions, Answered
Ideally, we would all have an attorney right next to us who would explain important legal issues such as whether or not it is legal to own a pet tiger. Such a scenario would likely save all of us from legal trouble, such as that caused by a pet tiger attacking someone. If you have been hurt in an accident, whether or not a wild animal was involved, contact the skilled Las Vegas personal injury attorneys at Matt Pfau Law Group.
