Houston, Texas, made headlines a few weeks ago as citizens saw a large tiger roaming the streets. Yes, a real, live tiger. Shockingly, an armed deputy came face to face with the wandering tiger before a man loaded the animal up in his Jeep Cherokee and fled the scene.
Sounds like a movie, right? The location of the tiger was a mystery until now.
Victor Hugo Cuevas was the alleged suspect, authorities thinking he owned the tiger and was arrested but release on bond. Michael Elliott, Cueva’s attorney, said to reporters before the tiger was found that he is determined the tiger does not belong to his client and is also worried about the animal’s safety.
Now we know the truth! Hang on tight; this gets interesting…
Thanks to one local celebrity: Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale’s wife, Linda McIngvale, the tiger has been found and transported to BARC Houston.
John Cannon, Houston Police Spokesman, previously confirmed that while his agency was in search of the tiger, “We all love animals, including my client… The public wants to know; we want to know too. We want to find India and we’re going to work hard to do that,” Elliott said.
Luckily that search is over and the truth has been revealed as McIngvale helped facilitate India’s surrender from his handlers and presumed owners at her business, Club Westside-a West Houston fitness center that is also home to a few exotic animals, as reported by the Houston Chronicle.
McIngvale said in a statement that she became acquainted with Victor Hugo Cuevas and his wife, Gia Cuevas, when they visited Club Westside. (Yes, the same Victor that was arrested and released.)
“I was contacted by Jarred Mears, the animal enforcement manager for BARC with the City of Houston, to see if I knew them and could possibly help with the safe return of the tiger,” McIngvale said. “I was able to arrange, through the help of the Cuevas’ for the tiger to be located and anonymously delivered to us where BARC was on stand-by to receive. We are happy that the tiger is now safe and with the sanctuary and appreciate the Cuevas’ help in this matter.”
This story reminds people of a similar incident that happened nearly 20 years ago in a Harlem housing project.
On October 3, 2003, a 400-pound Siberian- Bengal tiger named Ming was found by police living in the Drew-Hamilton Houses. Antoine Yates, the owner of the Siberian-Bengal Tiger, purchased Ming from a wild animal dealer.
Yates has been in the hospital being treated for what he said were bite wounds from a dog, but the doctors thought it had been from a much larger animal.
Wildlife experts went to Yates apartment and Officer Martin Duffy from an emergency service unit tranquilized the tiger with a dart gun, relocating him to Noah’s Lost Ark Animal Sanctuary in Berlin Center, Ohio. Ming, the tiger, lived there until he died in 2019.
Owner Antoine Yates was arrested for reckless endangerment and possession of a wild animal serving 3 ½ months in jail.
Man, what a crazy situation. What would you do if you saw a tiger roaming around your neighborhood?
