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April 17, 1994: Raja, a Bengal tiger, scratches the back of Jimmy Duffy who was leading a tour through the sanctuary. (Unknown / Staff Photographer)

The Netflix documentary series “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness” has caused a surge of interest in exotic animals — especially big cats. Over the past few decades, Texas has been home to an astounding number of tigers, not to mention other exotic animals. In 2004, The News reported that the estimated number of tigers in Texas — about 3,500 — was equivalent to the total number of tigers in all of India.

The high volume of animals can be attributed to the absence of a statewide law prohibiting the ownership of exotic animals, the abundance of large tracts of land, and the prevalence of classifieds in local newspapers advertising the sale of these animals. One of the characters in “Tiger King" even claimed he purchased a cub from a classified ad in The Dallas Morning News.

Exotic animals advertised

It was a common occurrence to come across advertisements for various exotic animals in the classified section of The Dallas Morning News. Some advertised wolf cubs, raccoons, cougars and bobcats for sale, while others were seeking to buy exotic animals. In one ad, an 18-foot python that weighed approximately 300 pounds was up for sale. The same seller also had a six-month-old black bear at the going rate of $500.

Classified ads from The Dallas Morning News, 1977 and 1978. (The Dallas Morning News)

According to the City Council, the prevalence of these advertisements contributed to the urge for Dallas to adopt an exotic animal ordinance that went into effect Sept. 29, 1978. This ordinance prohibited Dallas residents from possessing pets that were deemed “wild," unless they applied for a special permit — which was limited to zoos, research institutions and other similar organizations.

Exotic animals running rampant

Article by Henry Tatum published in The Dallas Morning News on Sept. 29, 1978. (The Dallas Morning News)

Another reason behind the ban was the numerous incidents that occurred, with people being hurt or killed by wild animals that were being kept as pets, as well as the many sightings of exotic animals that got loose or were dumped.

One such incident took place in November of 1977. A woman was attacked by her roommate’s ocelot, Tigra. This was the third time the ocelot attacked someone, and the city had to consider either killing the animal or sending it somewhere that it could be housed permanently, like a zoo or farm.

On another occasion, a tiger got loose from its cage in De Soto and was spotted along the highway eating a goat. Luckily, the goat was the only casualty and the tiger was lured back to its cage.

After the ban, animals still running rampant

Black and white photo with silhouette of a gibbon climbing on ropes in a zoo. (CamiloTorres / Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Even after the ordinance passed, exotic pet sightings still happened. In November of 1978, a monkey got loose and was found roaming around Garland. Apparently the monkey was owned by someone who lived at a nearby apartment complex.

As the monkey was cornered, it scampered up a tree. Animal control officers, using a ladder from the fire department and pickles from a resident of the apartments, tried to lure the monkey. But he had other ideas. He leapt from the tree and scampered across Garland Road and into a nearby shopping center where he simply jumped into the arms of a bystander.

A few years later in 1983, a leopard cub was found outside an apartment complex in Dallas. The 17-week-old leopard, Sharma, had been reported missing to the police the previous day. The owners of the leopard had apparently brought it into Dallas for a vet appointment, but they had failed to get the proper paperwork, so once the animal was recovered by police, they had 24 hours to get it out of Dallas to abide by the city’s exotic animal ordinance.

Recently, in 2019, a wallaby was found wandering around a neighborhood in Dallas. Wallabies are native to Australia and New Guinea. This particular wallaby, named Muggsy, was just visiting the city and permanently lives on a ranch out of town.

Sanctuaries for exotic animals in North Texas

In 1988, the International Exotic Animal Sanctuary, previously the International Exotic Feline Foundation, opened in Boyd, Texas in Wise County. The sanctuary is a non-profit organization with the stated purpose, “to provide a permanent sanctuary for exotic animals that have been abused, abandoned, neglected, confiscated, or previously owned by people unwilling or unable to provide for these magnificent beings."

Many exotic animals that were abandoned by North Texas residents found their home at IEAS over the years. In 2001, The News reported on the past lives of some of the animals at the sanctuary. One of the tigers at IEAS was a Christmas present from a teenage boy to his girlfriend. However, their relationship ended shortly after and the tiger was “no longer wanted.”

Another tiger and a panther were found by police, starving and abandoned at an apartment in North Richland Hills.

IEAS was the first sanctuary to be accredited by the American Zoo and Aquatics Association in the United States. The accreditation allowed the organization more access to funding and grants. And it was much-needed, as taking in new animals is quite expensive.

May 17, 1994 - A baby tiger wanders across the floor of the 'cat kitchen' while Robert and Gene Reitnauer prepare dinner for the 50 cats who live at the sanctuary. (Unknown / Staff Photographer)

Other sanctuaries for big cats and exotic animals in North Texas include the In-Sync Exotics Wildlife Rescue & Educational Center opened in Wylie in 2000, and the Center for Animal Research and Education (CARE) opened in Bridgeport in 2003.

Exotic animal laws today

The state of Texas still has lax laws regarding the possession of exotic and wild animals. The question of legality is mainly left up to the discretion of local city and county governments. Most animals, like tigers, require a permit for private ownership, unless banned by local government. However, it is illegal in the state to take, possess or sell nongame wildlife.

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