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California Teen arrested for smuggling Tiger Cub purchased in Mexico for $300

Angry Grimace

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
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$300 for a tiger cub? What a deal!

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/loc...ng-CBP-Inspection-in-Otay-Mesa-441656843.html

The discovery of a Bengal tiger cub stashed in the back of a car led to an American teenager's arrest at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry Thursday.

Luis Eudoro Valencia of Perris, California, faces federal charges for trying to sneak the exotic animal into the U.S. The 18-year-old told investigators he had arranged to pay $300 for the cub from a man he saw walking a full-sized tiger on a leash in Tijuana.
Around 1:30 a.m., Valencia arrived at the Otay Mesa port of entry, according to CBP. Officers conducted an inspection and then referred the vehicle for a secondary inspection. When they searched Valencia's car, they found a tiger cub lying on the floor of the front passenger side.

When asked if it was a tiger, the passenger claimed it was just a cat.

Agents from U.S Fish & Wildlife Service have the tiger cub in their care, according to CBP. They are working with San Diego Zoo Global to ensure its well-being. The tiger cub appeared to be in good health and is currently at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in Escondido.

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UPDATE: Tiger at the SD Zoo's Safari Park:

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Video of Tiger cub at the Zoo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yis-DIbos-g
 

Angry Grimace

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
If I had to guess the officers estimated the street value of the fuzzy little guy at $3,000,000.

(That was the only way I could describe it without baby talk.)
 

Seesaw15

Member
I was going to ask what the kid's plan was when it was an adult but apparently you can just walk full grown tigers. Lol.
 

televator

Member
Tigers are impressive as fuck animals. I hope it can find a good range to live on. Even better if it can somehow be rerelease in the wild.
 

Angry Grimace

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
Tigers are impressive as fuck animals. I hope it can find a good range to live on. Even better if it can somehow be rerelease in the wild.
The San Diego Zoo is called "world famous" largely because it actually is world famous so he probably smuggled it to the right place for its well being.

There are other tigers at both the Zoo and the open range Safari Park in San Diego.
 

Psxphile

Member
I wonder if they're (well, not Border Patrol) going to do anything about the Tijuana native with a full-grown tiger who is either apparently breeding them or has connections to the smuggling operation that cub came from.
 

Angry Grimace

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
You could probably squeeze $300 out of me to just give me 20 minutes to hug and pet the cub. Selling it for $300 is worrying as hell. Where do you even get one?
 
The San Diego Zoo is called "world famous" largely because it actually is world famous so he probably smuggled it to the right place for its well being.

There are other tigers at both the Zoo and the open range Safari Park in San Diego.

Sort of off topic but holy shit the SD Zoo is incredible. Easily the best Zoo i've ever been too, and I couldn't even see the whole thing .
 

Lotto

Member
He denied having any photos of the tiger on his phone. But when officers searched his phone, numerous photos of several tiger cubs were discovered, including the cub he attempted to smuggle and an adult tiger.

rookie mistake
 

TAJ

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
The San Diego Zoo is called "world famous" largely because it actually is world famous so he probably smuggled it to the right place for its well being.

There are other tigers at both the Zoo and the open range Safari Park in San Diego.

Being at the Safari Park doesn't mean anything. All exotic animals that are imported from Mexico into San Diego pass through there.
 

Ninja Dom

Member
The San Diego Zoo is called "world famous" largely because it actually is world famous so he probably smuggled it to the right place for its well being.

There are other tigers at both the Zoo and the open range Safari Park in San Diego.

Will other tigers in the zoo happily adopt this baby tiger?
 

nekkid

It doesn't matter who we are, what matters is our plan.
- Awful that this cub was taken from their mother so young
- Completely irresponsible from an ecological point of view, given their endangerment
- Did he not think about what would happen when it grew up? Has he ever seen a tiger before?
- Why is it called a 'cub', like bears, and not a kitten? 🤔
- It's too painfully cute
 

Angry Grimace

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
If you had a tiger from birth would it be fully domesticated and calm / gentle as an adult?
No it's a wild animal. Domestication takes hundreds of years naturally.

The Soviets managed to figure out how to do it in a shorter time but it still took them like 50 years to fully domesticate wild foxes. Then they got bored and got rid of all the cute domesticated foxes.

Being at the Safari Park doesn't mean anything. All exotic animals that are imported from Mexico into San Diego pass through there.
I didn't say it would live there long term. Its good in the short term and for its placement.
 

Flo_Evans

Member
If you had a tiger from birth would it be fully domesticated and calm / gentle as an adult?

You can't even fully domesticate regular cats.

From what I have heard they can be pretty chill but cats like to play, it can rip your face off pretty easily even if it's not trying to kill you. And you can never be 100% sure it's not just going to decide to kill you one day.
 

Lanrutcon

Member
Yeah. Let's raise a goddamn tiger in a suburban area. Let's see how that goes. I've owned enough adult cats to know I would not want one that could ragdoll me in a playful moment.
 

TAJ

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
You can't even fully domesticate regular cats.

From what I have heard they can be pretty chill but cats like to play, it can rip your face off pretty easily even if it's not trying to kill you. And you can never be 100% sure it's not just going to decide to kill you one day.

This guy got scalped with a single paw swipe from this leopard.

Speaking of scalping, Jan DeBont was scalped during the production of Roar.
 

shira

Member
That thing would cost a small fortune to feed.

Was he gonna sell it for profit?

Fucking dumbass
 
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