Seven tigers have been seized from the Nevada home of an exotic animal dealer, who has ties to the notorious “Tiger King” Joe Exotic.
Nye County authorities said they were assisting code enforcement and animal services in taking the animals from the property, located in Pahrump – around 63 miles from Las Vegas.
The operation took most of Wednesday due to the need to sedate the tigers and remove them from the property, according to Nye County Sheriff Joe McGill.
Photos shared by the sheriff’s office showed the tigers, including what appeared to be a rare white tiger, in cages. They are due to be taken to a local wildlife sanctuary.
McGill told 8 News Now that the operation began around 7 a.m. after deputies searched the property owned by Karl Mitchell.
Mitchell, who has reportedly been in possession of the tigers for the past seven years, has been involved in numerous legal battles over the animals, the outlet reported.
He has also been cited multiple times for violating basic animal care standards and once had his license for owning exotic animals revoked by the federal government.
In 2001, Mitchell’s license for the animals was revoked and he went to prison three years later for stealing from Nye County after the county hired him as its animal control officer, according to 8 News Now.
After leaving prison, the outlet reported, he acquired more big cats, including some purchased from the Oklahoma operation run by Joe Exotic - whose real name is Joseph Allen Maldonado. Maldonado was thrust into fame in a Netflix series “The Tiger King.” He was later convicted of animal abuse counts and was sentenced to more than 20 years in prison.
“I’m always appalled whenever Karl Mitchell has anything with a heartbeat,” Linda Faso told 8 News in 2020, “because of his history of neglect and abuse.”
