Breeding Tigers For Cash

The business of breeding and selling exotic animals is a billion-dollar industry. But there’s a dark side to this. Tigers grow up, from cute and cuddly cubs to ferocious, 500-pound predators. And owners are abandoning them at an alarming rate, overwhelming wildlife officials, posing a risk to public safety, and threatening the health of the animals.

In the state of Texas, you can own a pet tiger. There is some regulation in place - Texas passed the Dangerous Wild Animal Act in 2001 - but it's rarely enforced. Melissa del Bosque is the investigative reporter for The Texas Observer. She wrote about what’s happening to the wild creatures that end up in the Lone Star state.

(Photo by play4smee)