HomeMum Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 Sometimes I feel like my house is a zoo. It's weirdly comforting to know I'm nothing close to it: Mom Arrested After Cops Find 4 Tigers, Cougar, Fox and Skunk Roaming Free in Her Home Homeschooling Mom Took "Hands-On Learning" Too Far. Tigers Aren't The Only Exotic Animal On Camera. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgiana Daniels Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 Oh. My. Crapness. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 Reminds me of Melanie Griffith's childhood lion. of course it's a terrible idea to do this, but it is funny how times change and/or people get away with things because they are celebrities. Not only were Melanie's parents not arrested, I think there were magazine articles about it. The photos she has from that time are crazy. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El... Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 Dang it, not another homeschooler-makes-the-headlines-for-being-crazy! 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 Dang it, not another homeschooler-makes-the-headlines-for-being-crazy! We don't make headlines for producing educated, normal, well rounded kids. Nobody does. Salacious sells even in public schoolers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowbeltmom Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 We don't make headlines for producing educated, normal, well rounded kids. Nobody does. Salacious sells even in public schoolers! True, but had the child been enrolled in public school, I don't think the headline would have been "public school mom lets tigers roam around her house." It usually isn't a good sign when the word homeschool is used by the media as an adjective. :) 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 LOL What else can I do but laugh. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 True, but had the child been enrolled in public school, I don't think the headline would have been "public school mom lets tigers roam around her house." It usually isn't a good sign when the word homeschool is used by the media as an adjective. :) True. Not sure that is going to change any time soon, sadly. And I guess reporters would find a normal homeschool day pretty non-interesting. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercyA Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 (edited) Reminds me of Melanie Griffith's childhood lion. of course it's a terrible idea to do this, but it is funny how times change and/or people get away with things because they are celebrities. Not only were Melanie's parents not arrested, I think there were magazine articles about it. The photos she has from that time are crazy. I have to admit that even though I vehemently disagree with keeping wild animals as pets, I love those pictures. The maid stepping over the lion in the kitchen--oh, my! Melanie's mom Tippi Hendren (of The Birds fame) has been involved in animal rights activism for many years now and runs Shambala Preserve for big cats. She said in an interview, "I cringe when I see those pictures now. I have to tell you we were stupid beyond belief. We should never have taken those risks. These animals are so fast, and if they decide to go after you, nothing but a bullet to the brain will stop them." Edited November 17, 2016 by MercyA 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ailaena Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 Psh, if the tigers were that dangerous, they would have eaten the skunk or the fox, right? And, I mean, OF COURSE the girl was petting them - how could a human with a heart ignore a cuddly tiger cub?? (I jest, but I avoid zoos and circuses, so...) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawthorne44 Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 I have to admit that even though I vehemently disagree with keeping wild animals as pets, I love those pictures. The maid stepping over the lion in the kitchen--oh, my! Melanie's mom Tippi Hendren (of The Birds fame) has been involved in animal rights activism for many years now and runs Shambala Preserve for big cats. She said in an interview, "I cringe when I see those pictures now. I have to tell you we were stupid beyond belief. We should never have taken those risks. These animals are so fast, and if they decide to go after you, nothing but a bullet to the brain will stop them." The maid one attracted my attention. But, then the crappy TV tray stands distracted me. So, even people with maids had those. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 I don't understand why they confiscated them? The fox and the skunk, yes bc she wasn't licensed for those, but why the others? She kept them contained? Granted it was in house, not a cage, but better contained than my neighbors bleeping dogs. But I was raised in a zoo. So my POV is skewed. My only complaint is how the heck is her house still cleaner than mine? Very confused and disgruntled about that for reasons that have bothering to do with the article. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 I'm generally opposed to keeping most wild animals as pets too. But my point was it didn't appear as though property or animals were damaged or uncared for. I suspect the license required specific type of enclosure and that's why they were taken. That or any violation in other areas causes loss of permits. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 They are all very lucky those big cats were very well fed and entertained. That could have so easily gone horribly wrong. And I wonder if that woman from the OP was involved in animal smuggling. 8 monkeys? That many tiger cubs? She must have been spending a fortune on food for them. She must have been bringing in quite a lot of money from somewhere. And did she ever get them medical care and vaccinations? I am guessing no, or at least not on the books. FIL is a vet and he has mentioned that monkeys have some very specific medical needs. I can imagine the same goes for big cats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne in CA Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 I wish people wouldn't keep pets like this. My dad had a girlfriend who had one exotic pet after another for years. It never worked out. All of them died horrible untimely deaths. It sickens me to remember some of the pets she had and how they died. She simply never should have been allowed to keep pets like that. At all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 They are all very lucky those big cats were very well fed and entertained. That could have so easily gone horribly wrong. And I wonder if that woman from the OP was involved in animal smuggling. 8 monkeys? That many tiger cubs? She must have been spending a fortune on food for them. She must have been bringing in quite a lot of money from somewhere. And did she ever get them medical care and vaccinations? I am guessing no, or at least not on the books. FIL is a vet and he has mentioned that monkeys have some very specific medical needs. I can imagine the same goes for big cats. The only animals she wasn't permitted for were the skunk and fox. Most permitting requires proof of vet care like vax. And documentation of origin and sales. I think permitting of wild animals should require visual inspection of their holdings too. I *think* it usually does... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petrichor Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 I don't understand why they confiscated them? The fox and the skunk, yes bc she wasn't licensed for those, but why the others? She kept them contained? Granted it was in house, not a cage, but better contained than my neighbors bleeping dogs. But I was raised in a zoo. So my POV is skewed. My only complaint is how the heck is her house still cleaner than mine? Very confused and disgruntled about that for reasons that have bothering to do with the article. Yes to the bolded! Before clicking the links, I imagined that the tigers were kept right outside the schoolroom to encourage the kids to stay in their seats and get their work done! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 Well, that makes me feel better about DD's corn snake and ball python!! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeMum Posted November 17, 2016 Author Share Posted November 17, 2016 Well, that makes me feel better about DD's corn snake and ball python!! This is exactly what I'm doing -- using this to justify my household :001_rolleyes: :D 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoJosMom Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 All I want to know is whether having the tiger around motivated the DC to get his/her/their work done. If yes, does anyone know whether one can order a tiger on Amazon? 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 Wow, that woman has had a ton of work done on her face. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 Wow, that woman has had a ton of work done on her face. I didn't even notice there was a woman in the pictures! LOL 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mimm Posted November 18, 2016 Share Posted November 18, 2016 We don't make headlines for producing educated, normal, well rounded kids. Nobody does. Salacious sells even in public schoolers! "Homeschooling family lives totally normal lives" doesn't sound like a very good read. ;) I don't understand why they confiscated them? The fox and the skunk, yes bc she wasn't licensed for those, but why the others? She kept them contained? Granted it was in house, not a cage, but better contained than my neighbors bleeping dogs. But I was raised in a zoo. So my POV is skewed. My only complaint is how the heck is her house still cleaner than mine? Very confused and disgruntled about that for reasons that have bothering to do with the article. Well, there was a cougar and eight monkeys as well... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted November 18, 2016 Share Posted November 18, 2016 True, but had the child been enrolled in public school, I don't think the headline would have been "public school mom lets tigers roam around her house." It usually isn't a good sign when the word homeschool is used by the media as an adjective. :) To be fair, the media company site didn't have homeschool mom in the headline. That headline was on a blog/website about and by homeschoolers. Of course they are going to mention homeschooling first and often. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted November 18, 2016 Share Posted November 18, 2016 I have to admit that even though I vehemently disagree with keeping wild animals as pets, I love those pictures. The maid stepping over the lion in the kitchen--oh, my! Melanie's mom Tippi Hendren (of The Birds fame) has been involved in animal rights activism for many years now and runs Shambala Preserve for big cats. She said in an interview, "I cringe when I see those pictures now. I have to tell you we were stupid beyond belief. We should never have taken those risks. These animals are so fast, and if they decide to go after you, nothing but a bullet to the brain will stop them." Stepping over a cat is very relatable!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitten18 Posted November 18, 2016 Share Posted November 18, 2016 How was that a cougar? They aren't black.Yeah, I thought that was a jaguar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted November 18, 2016 Share Posted November 18, 2016 I don't get how anyone is allowed to own a tiger (or a monkey or a cougar) but I know your laws are different to ours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heatherwith4 Posted November 18, 2016 Share Posted November 18, 2016 I know I shouldn't feel this way, but those pictures are really cool. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted November 18, 2016 Share Posted November 18, 2016 Is it weird that the skunk freaks me out way more than the predators? True story- My step dad's brother has a pet tiger when he was a kid. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted November 18, 2016 Share Posted November 18, 2016 My 1st thought was "someone read about being a tiger mom and got it very, very wrong" My 2nd thought is, this ought to be illegal (& is in my jurisdiction. We brought in some pretty decent exotic animal laws. Wild animals belong in the wild.) 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellifera33 Posted November 18, 2016 Share Posted November 18, 2016 How can you live in a house with giant predators? How could you ever relax, knowing that if big kitty wanted a snack, you might be it? I cannot imagine. It's nightmare fuel. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted November 18, 2016 Share Posted November 18, 2016 My 1st thought was "someone read about being a tiger mom and got it very, very wrong" :lol: :lol: :lol: :smilielol5: :smilielol5: :smilielol5: YUP! I mean wow, just wow the lack of judgment. Those things are man eating killers. I think back to the tiger that killed that magician who had owned it for years and years, performed with it for many years. Then bam smack, it tried to kill its owner. Some animals are never going to be truly tamed, and big cats are among those species. I knew a guy who insisted his six foot boa constrictor was harmless. Well, until it strangled and ate their terrier, then went after their child. No...sorry...some beasts simply do not emotionally bond to the level at which they are truly safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted November 20, 2016 Share Posted November 20, 2016 Is it weird that the skunk freaks me out way more than the predators? True story- My step dad's brother has a pet tiger when he was a kid. I had a pet skunk for years when I was in early elementary. Better than a cat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeMum Posted November 20, 2016 Author Share Posted November 20, 2016 I had a pet skunk for years when I was in early elementary. Better than a cat. One of my best friends used to talk incessantly about how badly he wanted a skunk... He kept claiming that if the scent glands were removed they were supposed to be 'better' than dogs or cats. I think it would still creep me out tbh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 20, 2016 Share Posted November 20, 2016 I had a friend who had a pet skunk. It did have its glands removed and it did still smell horrendous and it was extremely terrified and aggressive all. The. Time. They also had pet racoon's and squirrels that....let's just say they didn't grasp the social needs of... We also used to live behind an asshat with a lion, a bear and some tigers. He had permits for them. The lion escaped several times. The bear ate the hired hand AND the owner. To death. To be clear...the bear ate the hired hand....the owner was permitted to keep keeping him, and then the selfsame bear killed and ate the owner. These animals are not pets. Not ever. And not for sane people. If you live in a forest and a Jaguar comes and sits on your porch and you throw it kibble... whatever fine. You live within a half a mile of ANYONE ELSE (because large animals need large space)? No. Asshat. No. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne in CA Posted November 20, 2016 Share Posted November 20, 2016 Although, it can go both ways. The poor animal out of it's habitat can be prey to the smallest things. My dad's girlfriend's lynx (that was always trying to figure out how to eat my ds when he was two) was killed by a barn cat because it had been declawed to be in the house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 20, 2016 Share Posted November 20, 2016 Although, it can go both ways. The poor animal out of it's habitat can be prey to the smallest things. My dad's girlfriend's lynx (that was always trying to figure out how to eat my ds when he was two) was killed by a barn cat because it had been declawed to be in the house. Cats gonna cat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted November 20, 2016 Share Posted November 20, 2016 I had a friend who had a pet skunk. It did have its glands removed and it did still smell horrendous and it was extremely terrified and aggressive all. The. Time. They also had pet racoon's and squirrels that....let's just say they didn't grasp the social needs of... We also used to live behind an asshat with a lion, a bear and some tigers. He had permits for them. The lion escaped several times. The bear ate the hired hand AND the owner. To death. To be clear...the bear ate the hired hand....the owner was permitted to keep keeping him, and then the selfsame bear killed and ate the owner. These animals are not pets. Not ever. And not for sane people. If you live in a forest and a Jaguar comes and sits on your porch and you throw it kibble... whatever fine. You live within a half a mile of ANYONE ELSE (because large animals need large space)? No. Asshat. No. I'm just gonna quote this, sit back, and re-read it until it doesn't say what I think it says. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 20, 2016 Share Posted November 20, 2016 I'm just gonna quote this, sit back, and re-read it until it doesn't say what I think it says. I don't understand what you mean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted November 20, 2016 Share Posted November 20, 2016 I don't understand what you mean. I'm just stunned that this is a real thing that happened. You'd THINK that you'd take the bear seriously after he eats the first person. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 20, 2016 Share Posted November 20, 2016 I'm just stunned that this is a real thing that happened. You'd THINK that you'd take the bear seriously after he eats the first person. Dude. We could hear the lion roar at night. In the Midwest. It was crazy. The first guys family did some kind of something to help keep the bear alive after he was killed. And in case it sounds like I'm making a leap in judgement about these people... While evidently THAT specific bear wasn't used in fights, the owner had previously had bears for wrestling. WRESTLING. And bear baiting, which is, absurdly, still legal eagle in some states. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted November 20, 2016 Share Posted November 20, 2016 I've also heard of many skunks kept as pets. But I am pretty sure they need to be brought into contact with humans as babies. I did have a professor that had a skunk come into his house through the cat door with the cat and eat the cat's food, like he owned the place. I had a pet racoon as a child. They aren't like skunks, even if you bring them up in the house, they don't stay really tame as adults, they go off and live in the woods eventually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2scouts Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 Dude. We could hear the lion roar at night. In the Midwest. It was crazy. The first guys family did some kind of something to help keep the bear alive after he was killed. And in case it sounds like I'm making a leap in judgement about these people... While evidently THAT specific bear wasn't used in fights, the owner had previously had bears for wrestling. WRESTLING. And bear baiting, which is, absurdly, still legal eagle in some states. When I was in high school, our wrestling team had bear wrestling come to the school as a fundraiser. Yes, we sat in our high school gym and watched a guy wrestle a bear! I can't imagine any school allowing someone to walk a bear into a gym full of students now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 it was really popular among the elite counter culture in the 60's. (and earlier) melanie griffith grew up with that. LIONS *IN* her house freely roaming. now - tippie hedron - her mother- has expressed regret at allowing that many big cats in her house around her children, and acknowledges how lucky they were nothing bad ever happened. she still loves big cats -but has appropriate fences and locations. two of the twins in the original star trek episode I, Mudd - were found walking their *ocelot* down rodeo drive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luuknam Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 When I was in high school, our wrestling team had bear wrestling come to the school as a fundraiser. Yes, we sat in our high school gym and watched a guy wrestle a bear! I can't imagine any school allowing someone to walk a bear into a gym full of students now. No animals involved, but in my highschool invited an inspirational speaker or something (we actually had to go to a different venue to see him though), and we were encouraged to walk over hot coals. I didn't do it, but some of the kids that did got burnt (relatively minor burns for the most part, but, um, I don't want to burn the bottoms of the feet I use to walk with). There was some talk of suing the speaker and/or the school - not sure if anyone actually did, but people in NL don't sue very often, so just the talk alone was unusual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 This is amazing to me. There are pets that are legal to keep that I would never keep because of potential dangers. I don't want to piss off our resident herpetologist, but when my kid was a baby, a local family lost their 2-year old in the night because the bermese python strangled her. I realize that is a rare incident, but still not a risk I would ever take for a "cool" pet. Same with Pit Bulls. I know there are plenty of wonderful Pit Bulls but I have heard enough stories about maulings by Pit Bulls that there's just no point to me in having a dog that was bred to attack other dogs. One of my friends has a scar on her face where her teen boyfriend's Pit Bull unexpectedly leaped at her face and bit her. So that's my IRL reference, but also the story that was in the news where a couple's child was mauled to death by the babysitter's Pit Bull seals it for me. This little boy was unrecognizeable in the face because of what the dog did. Prior to that, the daycare provider had been a defender of Pit Bulls. IMO, that is simply not a risk worth taking; there are plenty of other dogs who were not bred to attack and kill small creatures. #soapbox 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 Moms can't win. People moan if someone is a tiger mom, now they moan because mom lets tigers roam around the house. :laugh: 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angie in VA Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 Gives new meaning to the term "Tiger Mom"! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 This is amazing to me. There are pets that are legal to keep that I would never keep because of potential dangers. I don't want to piss off our resident herpetologist, but when my kid was a baby, a local family lost their 2-year old in the night because the bermese python strangled her. I realize that is a rare incident, but still not a risk I would ever take for a "cool" pet. Same with Pit Bulls. I know there are plenty of wonderful Pit Bulls but I have heard enough stories about maulings by Pit Bulls that there's just no point to me in having a dog that was bred to attack other dogs. One of my friends has a scar on her face where her teen boyfriend's Pit Bull unexpectedly leaped at her face and bit her. So that's my IRL reference, but also the story that was in the news where a couple's child was mauled to death by the babysitter's Pit Bull seals it for me. This little boy was unrecognizeable in the face because of what the dog did. Prior to that, the daycare provider had been a defender of Pit Bulls. IMO, that is simply not a risk worth taking; there are plenty of other dogs who were not bred to attack and kill small creatures. #soapbox Meanwhile, in lots of towns, you can't even keep a few hens in your own backyard. :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 Meanwhile, in lots of towns, you can't even keep a few hens in your own backyard. :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: Yep. They specifically don't allow it here! Although I can sort of see why. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.