A Mexico City woman has been drawing a lot of attention for walking a pet tiger cub in the wealthy Polanco neighborhood.
Pictures of the woman and her pet — and outrage about her owning it — have been trending on Twitter in Mexico ever since university student and Twitter user Zaira M. retweeted photos of the pair that went viral.
The woman, identified as Mina Ayala, has been seen out and about with the tiger since September 1, and various photos have been posted to social media. The most recent shows her and her pet in Polanco’s Antara Mall.
The owner has fired back on social media, pointing out that the animal is not a Bengal tiger and that owning an exotic species is legal in Mexico if the owner meets with requirements set by environmental officials.
The owner must obtain approval from the Ministry of the Environment and must prove that the animal will be confined under conditions that guarantee the safety of public. The owner must also show dignity and respect to the animal.
The Bengal tiger, one of the biggest wild cats in existence today, is native to the Indian subcontinent and is considered a threatened species in danger of extinction.
Environmental officials seized three exotic animals in February 2019, when they discovered a man was keeping three lions on a Mexico City rooftop terrace without the paperwork to show legal ownership.
Source: Milenio (sp)
