7 ‘Emotional Support’ Tigers Seized From Elderly Nevada Man Who Claimed They Were Rescued From Joe Exotic

A 71-year-old Nevada man is facing charges after seven tigers were seized from his property, which he claimed were “emotional support animals” he rescued from incarcerated “Tiger King” star Joseph Maldonado, a.k.a. Joe Exotic.

The Nye County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that it was assisting Code Enforcement and Animal Services in the seizure of seven tigers from a private property in Pahrump, about 65 miles west of Las Vegas, on April 2. 

According to authorities, there had been multiple reports of Karl Mitchell, 71, walking with the tigers both on and off his property, and social media posts showed he allowed people to interact with the tigers, both of which violate the law, Nye County Sheriff Joe McGill told NBC News.

McGill also told the outlet that some of the tigers appeared to be underweight, and algae was found growing in their water. The animals were taken to an unnamed sanctuary.

County officials say Mitchell does not have the proper permits to keep the animals, but he claimed in a 2020 lawsuit that the tigers were already recognized by county officials as his emotional support animals.

Mitchell also claimed he rescued the tigers from Joe Exotic, 61, who has been in prison since 2019 for hiring hitmen to kill rival Carole Baskin, who founded Big Cat Rescue and also starred in the Netflix series “Tiger King.”

Mitchell was arrested and charged with esisting a peace officer and being a felon in possession of a gun. He was released after posting $6,000 bail.