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[Koomaster]

I want one but then I also want to die by a tiger eating me as nature intended. Not sure i could care for it in the interim though so I will have to go on visualizing my own tiger pet in my head.

 

[witchedwiz]

can own an assault rifle but can't own an animal?
get your shit together america

Technically your assault rifle won't try to claw you on its own, but I digress..
If it was to me, people wouldn't be allowed to have an assault rifle either

 

[numble]

What about my point of it furthering spreading the misconception that tigers can make cute pets?

Helping to discourage smuggling is the best type of conservation. Showing the cuteness of a tiger cub in the hands of man does not discourage the desire for people to acquire exotic pets.

The Giant Panda was taken off the endangered species list because zoos like the San Diego Zoo could spend money on conservation efforts after people visited and donated due in part because pandas were shown as cute and cuddly. People didn't get the idea that they should try to get a panda on the black market after seeing them in zoos, they might buy a stuffed animal or donate to conservation efforts after seeing it.

Tigers aren't endangered because people are trying to acquire them as pets, by the way.

 

[Lovely Salsa]

The only big cat I wouldnt be scared of is cheetah

Sure, they might injure you but they rarely kill humans

 

[accx]

Cats are never 100% domesticated, whether it is a tiger or a normal cat.

Thats the beauty of them, thats what cat owners admire about them. Their instincts remain largely unchanged even after thousands of years of human interaction. That is the "exotic" thing about this species. They are independent animals that if you let them roam free, are fully capable of supporting themselves. And they know that. The know they do not need you to survive, unlike dogs, who are completely dependent on either being fed or scavenging trash. Cats will hunt their food and deal with their personal hygiene themselves.

That doesnt mean that cats dont show affection, on the contrary they are very affectionate. But they will always do so, knowing that they are simply sharing space with you sort of like awesome roommates, never as your "property".

That's why there is a saying that goes: "a human chooses his dog, but a cat chooses its human"

So the answer is no.

A cat will never be fully domesticated., much less a huge Tiger which is capable of even killing you by trying to play with you or trying to show you affection.

I seem to recall reading that the reason your cat are bringing you mice and birds is because it thinks you suck at hunting and are helping you. Which says a lot about their (fantastic) behavior.

 

[Mivey]

I seem to recall reading that the reason your cat are bringing you mice and birds is because it thinks you suck at hunting and are helping you. Which says a lot about their (fantastic) behavior.

Maybe it is bragging how good a hunter it is. Like "Look puny human, I can even afford to spare this much"

 

[FTF]

Pretty crazy that it's cheaper to buy a Tiger from a scalper than an SNES mini.

 

[Trojita]

OMG that video that was added in the update :3 :3: :3 :3

 

[StoneFox]

can own an assault rifle but can't own an animal?
get your shit together america

He would have been in trouble either way crossing the border with an animal. My dog was from Mexico and we had to hide her as we crossed the border because I didn't want to run the risk of the border patrol denying her

And no, she wasn't a stray, she was from a friend of the family. But she had no papers or documentation so technically she's an illegal immigrant.

 

[InfiniteBento]

That video update omgggg 😍😍😍

 

[-tetsuo-]

Because they're benefiting from an exploited tiger?

Also by showcasing the "cuteness" of the baby tiger in these videos, they're actually just encouraging more misguided people to purchase/smuggle exotic pets.

What was the first thought in your head when you saw the vet stroking the baby tiger's belly, hand feeding it milk, and the baby cub licking/gnawing her hand? Did you think how cute the baby cub was and wish you had one? Or did you think how traumatized this cub must be being ripped away from its mother and how it was probably raised in a black market tiger mill. I'm guessing most people who saw the video initially had thoughts of the former.

The video just promotes baby cub "cuteness" and the San Diego Zoo. It doesn't responsibly explain the gravity of the situation or make any efforts to discourage smuggling. Like I said, boy smuggles baby cub for $300, Zoo gets a free tiger and promotional tool. I could have done without the cuteness video which just further adds to the misconception of a baby tiger being a domesticated pet.

You need to relax

 

[NeonBlack]

At least dye the tiger. Show some effort.

 

[snake fish]

I want one but then I also want to die by a tiger eating me as nature intended. Not sure i could care for it in the interim though so I will have to go on visualizing my own tiger pet in my head.

 

[Sorcerer Supreme]

the san diego zoo just got a free tiger. lucky

 

[Bigboss242]

https://youtu.be/wgS0KgT5APc Yea exotic animals are not a joke.

 

[Angry Grimace]

Kid smuggles in a $300 tiger cub.

San Diego Zoo benefits.

Not sure how I feel about the San Diego Zoo using this smuggled tiger to promote their park; as cute as the videos are.

I think you are confusing how this transaction went down.

the san diego zoo just got a free tiger. lucky

They're almost assuredly not keeping it (and have said as much). The San Diego Zoo isn't hard up for animals in the least because they have so many breeding programs they're sending out more animals than they're taking in. Consider that the SD Zoo has two locations - the zoo itself and the Safari Park. They have several tigers at both locations.

 

[televator]

OMG that video that was added in the update :3 :3: :3 :3

Daaaaaaawwwwwwwwww

He just a widdle fuzz ball.

 

[unknownstranger]

I seem to recall reading that the reason your cat are bringing you mice and birds is because it thinks you suck at hunting and are helping you. Which says a lot about their (fantastic) behavior.

I had a cat that if I ever left it outside for too long it would bring a mouse to the door like it was saying it's sorry. By far the most efficient mouse hunting cat we've ever had. Was sad when he disappeared.

 

[andythinkpad]

Right but we're talking about cats here

Thoses modern "wild cats" you are talking about already intermix with domesticed cats in the wild and have a lot of domestic cat genes in them.

You have no way to know how many generations it took the original wolves and wild proto cats to become domesticated dogs and cats when domestication took place for the first time in this planet 10? thousand years ago.

 

[Nokterian]

OMG that video that was added in the update :3 :3: :3 :3

OMG so sweet! Also humans are garbage, it happens a lot with exotic animals and this baby was taken away from his momma it hurts me when seeing stuff like this happen.

 

[Hot Coldman]

damn that's a bargain

 

[JettDash]

I'm going to Mexico to buy a tiger now.

I will be more careful than this guy.

 

[Angry Grimace]

damn that's a bargain

The reality is that he was probably lying about buying it for $300 off the street - his phone was filled with pictures of the cub and they traced it being shipped in from Mexico City.