# Bengal tiger cub.



## crazy about reptiles (Jul 5, 2008)

Hi guys I have posted about these beautifull animals before.I am not a dreamer I will own one in the future and im starting my research now.Im looking to find out how much I wud expect to pay for a cub and whats availability like on these guys.If theres any breeders/dealers out their please send me a Pm.Thanks.


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## JustJack (Apr 19, 2010)

Are you serious? As lovely as they are....The costs and licenses to own one would be mahoosive would they not?


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## MP reptiles (Dec 30, 2010)

Trootle said:


> Are you serious? As lovely as they are....The costs and licenses to own one would be mahoosive would they not?


 ye i know that a hippo is around $100 000


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## JustJack (Apr 19, 2010)

MP reptiles said:


> ye i know that a hippo is around $100 000


I want a hippo ! LOL But you would need a zoo license for a Tiger in the UK..


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## crazy about reptiles (Jul 5, 2008)

Yes mate I am serious about obtaining one in the future.Regarding licensing theres currently none in the ROI AND feeding costs would be costly as when adult they can eat 7kg of meat a day.


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## JustJack (Apr 19, 2010)

Are you from the UK?


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## crazy about reptiles (Jul 5, 2008)

No I am not from the uk im from RoI.


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## JustJack (Apr 19, 2010)

I dont know what RoI is?!?!


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## Mujician (Mar 7, 2007)

Trootle said:


> I dont know what RoI is?!?!


Republic of Ireland.


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## Ssthisto (Aug 31, 2006)

Trootle said:


> I want a hippo ! LOL But you would need a zoo license for a Tiger in the UK..


Nah, just a DWAL.... though you'd have to be able to prove you can correctly house a large cat like that, and I'd have thought you'd need planning permission to build a large enough enclosure, not to mention LOTS of land.


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## abadi (Jul 25, 2010)

I didn't know these extreme wild animals could be kept as pets, is it legal?

my dream was always to have a bengal tiger cub :flrt: they are so cute.
don't get one, that is not a warning, it's a threat because you would regret the money you paid for it when it gets stolen : victory:


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## MaMExotics (Dec 4, 2010)

if you want a more exotic cat get a Bengal cat they are so cool i own 2


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

As far as I know, you don't even need a DWAL in RoI as they don't have an equivalent.

Your problem isn't the cost of the tiger (they are avialable now and again as they are relatively easy to breed in captivity but almost impossible to release into the wild so tiger cubs do come up from time to time).

Your main issue is the cost of the land, enclosure and food.

7kgs of meat a day = 50kgs a week. Even cheap meat is expensive. Can you source that much meat easily?

Then we come to the enclosure. I reckon a decent tiger enclosure (with fully kitted out catches/sleeping quarters/quarentine/heating/sercurity) would set you back around £150-200K.


Then there's the space...and the cost of that space! 



Anyway, I suppose that you could keep it in your house and have it like a dog :2thumb: (p.s. if you even think for half a second that this is actually an option then you have 110% proven the bit at the start of 'I'm not a dreamer' was in fact a blatent lie!)







abadi said:


> I didn't know these extreme wild animals could be kept as pets, is it legal?
> 
> my dream was always to have a bengal tiger cub :flrt: they are so cute.
> don't get one, that is not a warning, it's a threat because you would regret the money you paid for it when it gets stolen : victory:


 
That's the point! You CAN'T have a 'bengal tiger cub'. You MIGHT be able to own a Bengal TIGER though (and they don't always remain 'cute')

The 'cute' bit lasts for about 5 months.


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## abadi (Jul 25, 2010)

bothrops said:


> As far as I know, you don't even need a DWAL in RoI as they don't have an equivalent.
> 
> Your problem isn't the cost of the tiger (they are avialable now and again as they are relatively easy to breed in captivity but almost impossible to release into the wild so tiger cubs do come up from time to time).
> 
> ...


I think they are also cute when they are old :Na_Na_Na_Na:, doesn't an adult get used to the man who raised him? or does it ends up eating him?


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

abadi said:


> I think they are also cute when they are old :Na_Na_Na_Na:, doesn't an adult get used to the man who raised him? or does it ends up eating him?


Ask the two keepers that have been eaten at Craig Busch's place (The Lion Man)


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## Yorkshire Gator (Oct 16, 2009)

abadi said:


> I think they are also cute when they are old :Na_Na_Na_Na:, doesn't an adult get used to the man who raised him? or does it ends up eating him?


Try watching Fatal Attractions on Discovery then you'll know the answer to that, cos yes they do.

That said I also think they are wonderfull animals


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## abadi (Jul 25, 2010)

Ok, i'll just see tigers at the zoo then :lol2:


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## RhianB87 (Oct 25, 2009)

Why not volunteer in a zoo which keeps tigers? It means you still get to interact with them but not at a huge cost to yourself.


Also you can buy anything in America! A lot cheaper than I expected

TIGER


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## JustJack (Apr 19, 2010)

FallenAngel said:


> Why not volunteer in a zoo which keeps tigers? It means you still get to interact with them but not at a huge cost to yourself.
> 
> 
> Also you can buy anything in America! A lot cheaper than I expected
> ...


Thats a website i always come across.. It is amazing to see what animals are kept across the pond.,. Some of them i feel sorry for.. Like the monkeys in babys clothes.. They should be in the wild not being traeted like a dolly...


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## agreendream (Dec 8, 2009)

I have dealings with a supplier of big cats and as was mentioned above the price of the animal is not restrictive. Keeping that animal alive is how ever out of the financial reach of most.

The thread appears to either be a joke or this guy is young and does not yet have a sense of responsibility/proportion.


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## Ssthisto (Aug 31, 2006)

abadi said:


> I think they are also cute when they are old :Na_Na_Na_Na:, doesn't an adult get used to the man who raised him? or does it ends up eating him?


Yes. They get so used to the people that raise them that they forget they're not also tigers and cannot play like tigers. 

A playful swat from a pet cat is a few scratches.
A playful swat from a tiger isn't.

And, of course, they're not afraid of you either.


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## DanielF (Oct 31, 2010)

Your better off buying a male liger sure they get bigger but they never mature = 100% playful


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## Oderus (Nov 24, 2009)

Liger's are ace bred for their skills in magic they are :2thumb:


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## abadi (Jul 25, 2010)

isn't a liger aggressive? or can be?


gorgeous creatures ligers:flrt:


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## chrisgard (Mar 25, 2008)

I have a Bulgarian friend in the dog breeding industry who I sometimes drive for who knows someone who breeds Tigers in Moldova on a massive farm in the middle of nowhere but they are Siberians not Bengals and they are £25,000 a cub I believe, he sends alot of them to the United Arab Emirates for pets to the Ultra Rich and that is what you would have to be to care for such gracious beasts and highly skilled hunters and dangerous apex predators


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## crazy about reptiles (Jul 5, 2008)

Pm sent chris.


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## volly (Mar 6, 2009)

I'm sure I saw a thread on here last year saying that there were tigers for sale for around £1200-£1500.

The relatively low price was due to the fact they were hard to sell, hard to keep and expensive to feed and look after.

Personally, I don't think they should be kept as pets but I'm sure people would tell me the same about my snakes.

With regards to Ligers, isn't there something in thier gene pool that means they never stop growing?
I'm sure I saw it on a programme where they bred one but he never stopped growing because one gene cancelled out the other.

Don't think it means you'll end up with a gargantuan monster but still, with a reach of around 12ft as standard, I wouldn't want to be "playing" with one whatever age it was.


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## adamntitch (Jun 17, 2007)

thing is there are a lot of cross bred species of tiger that cant be used for breeding and are ether put down or kept as single sex groups 

werd on here people going on about keeping a pair most zoos are wrong to keep a pair as they naturaly live singley and not in pairs or groups like lions 

they should realy be kept apart and only brought near each other for breeding but not kept together all the time


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## axlandslash44x (Jan 3, 2008)

it really bugs me to see such stupid replies.

There are Bengals in the UK.

You do NOT require a zoo, simply a DWA.


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

axlandslash44x said:


> it really bugs me to see such stupid replies.
> 
> There are Bengals in the UK.
> 
> You do NOT require a zoo, simply a DWA.


You did read that the OP is in the Republis of Ireland didn't you?...

..and therefore would NOT require a DWA*L*?

If you're going to get annoyed at replies, its always wise to fully read them all!:whistling2:


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## MP reptiles (Dec 30, 2010)

bothrops said:


> You did read that the OP is in the Republis of Ireland didn't you?...
> 
> ..and therefore would NOT require a DWA*L*?
> 
> If you're going to get annoyed at replies, its always wise to fully read them all!:whistling2:


well said


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## Kovu07 (May 14, 2011)

You don't really seem to be taking other people's suggestions or advice on board, and you haven't answered any of the questions about enclosures or whether or not you can provide for a bengal tiger. I don't think you've thought about this enough, and you're being silly if you won't even consider keeping a bengal cat or smaller wild cat like a serval before moving onto something like a tiger. You don't just decide to keep a bengal tiger, you have to take into account many of the things mentioned on this thread and the fact that you can't be bothered to answer some very important questions shows just have immature you're being.


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## Caz (May 24, 2007)

Kovu07 said:


> You don't really seem to be taking other people's suggestions or advice on board, and you haven't answered any of the questions about enclosures or whether or not you can provide for a bengal tiger. I don't think you've thought about this enough, and you're being silly if you won't even consider keeping a bengal cat or smaller wild cat like a serval before moving onto something like a tiger. You don't just decide to keep a bengal tiger, you have to take into account many of the things mentioned on this thread and the fact that you can't be bothered to answer some very important questions shows just have immature you're being.


 
TBH The OP asked about price/availability.

Why do you feel the OP should answer questions about enclosures or their financial arrangements to a bunch of forumites that know bugger all about keeping tigers?


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## Kovu07 (May 14, 2011)

I think some very important questions have been put forward and some great alternative suggestions have been give to the Op, which have been ignored. No he doesn't need to answer them, or reasure us that he can afford to build a decent enclosure or provide enough for them to eat, but people on here have a right to ask him these questions. Also the Op knows no more about keeping bengal tigers than other people who have commented, so they are entitled to ask.


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

Kovu07 said:


> I think some very important questions have been put forward and some great alternative suggestions have been give to the Op, which have been ignored. No he doesn't need to answer them, or reasure us that he can afford to build a decent enclosure or provide enough for them to eat, but people on here have a right to ask him these questions. Also the Op knows no more about keeping bengal tigers than other people who have commented, so they are entitled to ask.


Unfortunately, regardless of what any of us think, people will always go with what they want to do. I am yet to see a forumite genuinely change their mind after a 'should I get a retic' or 'anyone know where I can buy a pet monkey from' threads.

At the end of the day anyone can own any animal they choose in the RoI and the OP didn't come looking for advice, he came hunting animals. He has found someone and the only reply he has actually made to this thread is to acknowledge a possible source of tigers rather than enter into any discussions. This suggests that he has no interest at all in all the 'no don't, you can't' etc posts, and is only bothered about a purchase.

Not a problem. He'll either be incredibly knowledgable, rich and a massive land owner or he'll be a 10 year old in a flat in Dublin without a clue. Either way, I doubt we'll ever actually find out.


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## TheProfessor (Apr 19, 2011)

I have family in ireland, and tbh its quite possible that this man is a farmer who simply wants a pet tiger, its not hard to get all the research possible as farms, casinos and rich people in USA have kept them all the time, Mike Tyson being the most famous.. 
The average income for just a fulltime farm worker in ireland is between 42k-50k euro, so let alone what the owner must earn as they hire 2-5 people depending on farm size. 
So tbh, its quite plausible that he has room, enclosure, and money to actually fund this animal, its just most common that richer more famous people have them. Let alone if he wasnt deciding to feeding it some of the livestock which he actually keeps. 
All of those i think are quite easily covered, the only thing we should worry about is more does he know the care of the animal?


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## agreendream (Dec 8, 2009)

Not actually true that all posters dont know about tigers. I am part of a team responsible for the build of a new multi million pound enclosure for a very popular zoo. So though I dont have any as pets I do have a working knowledge of the beasts.


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## Kovu07 (May 14, 2011)

agreendream said:


> Not actually true that all posters dont know about tigers. I am part of a team responsible for the build of a new multi million pound enclosure for a very popular zoo. So though I dont have any as pets I do have a working knowledge of the beasts.


Ah but would you even want any as pets?


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## mikeyb (May 8, 2011)

personally i would rather keep a lion or a tiger at the end of the day there no more dangerous than keeping a mamba or large croc and being a mammal at least there predictable. To the op personally i would go for a lion rather than a tiger lions are alot more placid and also u can turn ur back on one by accident and get away with it where as tigers will always attack if u turn your back. If i remember rightly lion man has 2 females that have never unsheather there claws and lick like crazy but dont bite when playing. Saying this there are some monks that keep tigers like members of the family and there uber docile (dont think theres any venemous snake you could say is docile and interact with in any way without getting bit )


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

mikeyb said:


> personally i would rather keep a lion or a tiger at the end of the day there no more dangerous than keeping a mamba or large croc and being a mammal at least there predictable. To the op personally i would go for a lion rather than a tiger lions are alot more placid and also u can turn ur back on one by accident and get away with it where as tigers will always attack if u turn your back. If i remember rightly* lion man has 2 females that have never unsheather there claws* and lick like crazy but dont bite when playing. Saying this there are some monks that keep tigers like members of the family and there uber docile (dont think theres any venemous snake you could say is docile and interact with in any way without getting bit )


That'll be because they don't have any....:whistling2::bash:


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## Ssthisto (Aug 31, 2006)

mikeyb said:


> (dont think theres any venemous snake you could say is docile and interact with in any way without getting bit )


People frequently free-handle and routinely recommend western hognoses as ideal pets... and they're venomous (albeit not generally considered dangerous) snakes. 

But I know I wouldn't casually play with a big cat any more than I'd casually play with a caiman, or casually and without awareness play with a dolphin... all three have a lot of potential to do a lot of damage, and might manage it without actually MEANING to.


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## mikeyb (May 8, 2011)

bothrops said:


> That'll be because they don't have any....:whistling2::bash:


i think youl find he does there 2 females and there a rare strain of lions also juvenilles and in one of the episodes he thought they escaped but then were found in another enclosure. Think there called barbary lions same type that the romans used


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## mikeyb (May 8, 2011)

Ssthisto said:


> People frequently free-handle and routinely recommend western hognoses as ideal pets... and they're venomous (albeit not generally considered dangerous) snakes.
> 
> But I know I wouldn't casually play with a big cat any more than I'd casually play with a caiman, or casually and without awareness play with a dolphin... all three have a lot of potential to do a lot of damage, and might manage it without actually MEANING to.


my point is a reptile shows no emotion towards there keeper where as a big cat to some extent does show some and i use the words broadly "love " for there keeper there also predictable where as a mamba, rhino viper etc are not. Also u get a pissed off swipe from a tiger and end up with a few stitches etc (not all attacks result in death some are just overzelous play) where as one tag off a snake and its permanent long term organ damage if u survive i know i would rather get bitten by


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## EquineArcher (Feb 13, 2010)

mikeyb said:


> my point is a reptile shows no emotion towards there keeper where as a big cat to some extent does show some and i use the words broadly "love " for there keeper there also predictable where as a mamba, rhino viper etc are not. *Also u get a pissed off swipe from a tiger and end up with a few stitches etc *(not all attacks result in death some are just overzelous play) where as one tag off a snake and its permanent long term organ damage if u survive i know i would rather get bitten by


Or you get a severed femoral artery/jugular. Cats claws can also carry bacteria and other organisms that can cause horrific infection, leading to tissue loss and necrosis. 

Tbh, one of Craigs keepers got killed by one of his "loving" big cats (a tiger in fact :whistling2 so trying to use him and his friendly cats as an example isn't all that convincing.

And no, big cats are anything but predictable.


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## Ssthisto (Aug 31, 2006)

mikeyb said:


> i think youl find he does there 2 females and there a rare strain of lions also juvenilles and in one of the episodes he thought they escaped but then were found in another enclosure. Think there called barbary lions same type that the romans used


I think Bothrops' point was that the lions did not have CLAWS (i.e. that they have been surgically declawed) and that's why they have never used them.... not a claim I can verify for myself; Bothrops, do you have a reference for this? 



mikeyb said:


> my point is a reptile shows no emotion towards there keeper


I'd argue that one... I have reptiles that, given a choice between being held by an unfamiliar person or being held by me, will come back to me. I don't have any illusion that they "love" me - but I do believe they have learned that my scent isn't something to fear.



> Also u get a pissed off swipe from a tiger and end up with a few stitches etc (not all attacks result in death some are just overzelous play)


Wasn't it Roy Horn that was nearly killed by one of his tigers during a show? An animal that was thoroughly habituated to them? A tiger that's playing with you can kill you just as surely as a tiger that means it.



> where as one tag off a snake and its permanent long term organ damage if u survive i know i would rather get bitten by


Not always... my organs are fine and unless it's possible that I'm a zombie and didn't know it I'm pretty sure I survived too. 

Granted you really, really don't want to be bitten by a venomous snake, but I think I might prefer a venomous snake bite to the foot over, say, a playful chomp on the head from a tiger that wants to drag me around like a toy.


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

mikeyb said:


> i think youl find he does there 2 females and there a rare strain of lions also juvenilles and in one of the episodes he thought they escaped but then were found in another enclosure. Think there called barbary lions same type that the romans used


In many of the episodes you also see him stealing new born babies from their mothers. He claims that this is because they are rejected/unable to raise them. This is simply because it is easier to tame them.

He is a circus act, nothing more. Breeding ligers and white tigers as absolutely ZERO conservation purposes and is purely to line his pockets as a circus act. I wouldn't mind so much if he was honest about it instead of pretending he is saving species.



Ssthisto said:


> I think Bothrops' point was that the lions did not have CLAWS (i.e. that they have been surgically declawed) and that's why they have never used them.... not a claim I can verify for myself; Bothrops, do you have a reference for this?


 
Not explicit ones, but it is well disccussed on the internet. Most claims are approximately 30 of his big cats have been surgically declawed.


This pretty much sums it up. The programmes are worth watching too.

They are clearly quite bias, but so many just blindly follow this man with no thought at all to question his practises.

Craig Busch and Zion Wildlife Gardens

I even watched an episode of The Lion Man when he showed him touring with a few cats. He proudly showed off his Lion and tiger pair with their liger offspring and, whilst riding the tiger like a horse, proudly explained that this was the only such trio in the world that are also tame enough for him to be there with him - yes mate, there's a reason for that - no serious cat keepers would even entertain the idea.

The same tour also had him showing off his trio of white lion cubs that were around four weeks old - touring half way around the world. Problem? Their mother was left in New Zealand!

EDIT - here is a link to a first person account of recieving a MAF report that states between 2000 and 2008, 21 lions and 9 tigers were surgically declawed at Busch Gardens. Indded, it is even confirmed later by an employee. I do not agree with any of the reasons for declawing the animals.
I need to find out how I can get a copy of the report as, despite my strong feelings on the matter, I have to admit I do not have actual proof of this.
http://madbushfarm.blogspot.com/2009/05/editorial-if-you-tell-truth-then-you.html


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## MagicSqueak (Apr 9, 2010)

Forget all this about danger and things and lion man, he's a big enough and ugly enough to take the risks he takes and know what he's doing....

My question is how much do you actually know about tigers in captivity? Behaviourally, nutritionally, anatomically, physiologically etc? Have you done any research into the enclosure requirements beyond size? What about the complexity of the enclosure and the fact that a good enclosure means you probably won't see much of your precious ickle tigger....Then what about feeding? Feeding a tiger or any big cat every day gives you an animal that is overweight (usually) and with a less than effective digestive system....gorge-starve is the best way to feed a big cat but its messy ALSO feeding just meat with no bones is generally seen to be poor husbandry these days as they use the bones for not only calcium but gingival stimulation (gums) which helps stop them getting infections of the mouth....oh and talking of infections what about a vet that'll actually deal with a tiger? It'd probably have to be a zoo vet and that won't be cheap and must be considered especially when there is a link between captivity and increased life spans and illness in old age. Tigers in the wild and tigers in captivity are very different....just read up on the effects of captivity on big cats and you may be surprised what you find...

If you want any scientific papers on the subject ask and i'll put some links up....you may actually realise that keeping tigers 100% healthy without any stereotypical or abnormal behaviour is very difficult, expensive and nearly impossible...even for zoos let alone a private keeper...even lion man's lions show stereotypical behaviour and some people think he's some kind of god to keeping big cats....:whistling2:

Just saying : victory:


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## Yorkshire Gator (Oct 16, 2009)

also please remember that the enclosre will need a largish area of water as tigers love to swim


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## Dee_Williams (Aug 15, 2010)

:gasp: what shocking reading that craig busch article makes. sigh.

i for one would not advocate getting a tiger cub. unless you are going to accept thel ikely hood of it attacking you, whether playful or not, in the future. they are large animals with aggressive tendencys, ever watched 2 cats play fighting? they tend ot get carried away and nip. a nip from a tiger is... well... ow. 

a zoo i did work experience in many years ago had a black jaguar you could stroke if on the staff. she was gorgeous. but still dangerous, and they are relatively small.

i guess we all just wait and see if there are any reported maulings in ireland............


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## snakemum (May 7, 2011)

I want a hippo !:no1:


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## Nix (Jan 23, 2008)

If you are interested in big cats why not look up something like a serval or a lynx. Interesting to keep and a lot smaller, more manageable to keep. 

All big cats need a lot of enrichment in their enclosures.


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## mooshu (Mar 24, 2010)

I want great white, I have a 6ft aquarium and a bucket of salt, Its ok because they only grow to the size of the tank.......


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## Yorkshire Gator (Oct 16, 2009)

mooshu said:


> I want great white, I have a 6ft aquarium and a bucket of salt, Its ok because they only grow to the size of the tank.......


:lol2:


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## Kovu07 (May 14, 2011)

mooshu said:


> I want great white, I have a 6ft aquarium and a bucket of salt, Its ok because they only grow to the size of the tank.......


:lol2: This sums up the thread


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## mooshu (Mar 24, 2010)

Was only trying to lighten the mood! 

To the OP if you can take proper care of the tiger, The go for it (and can I have some money because you must have too much) 

If your not 100% sure then forget about it and get a dog because 

dogs rule and cats drool


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## Kovu07 (May 14, 2011)

mooshu said:


> Was only trying to lighten the mood!
> l


Sorry? Did you think I was having a go at you, because I honestly wasn't :blush:


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## mooshu (Mar 24, 2010)

Kovu07 said:


> Sorry? Did you think I was having a go at you, because I honestly wasn't :blush:


No not at all :2thumb: 
Just covering my bottom in case I get in trouble for taking the thread off topic!


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## Kovu07 (May 14, 2011)

Ah okies, not really off topic though it's a valid point about being able to meet the size requirements of an animal


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## Reaper941 (Mar 21, 2008)

I have a tiger you can have.

It doesn't really do anything, just sits there all day staring at me.


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## kell_boy (May 30, 2010)

mooshu said:


> I want great white, I have a 6ft aquarium and a bucket of salt, Its ok because they only grow to the size of the tank.......


table salt of course right :2thumb:


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## mooshu (Mar 24, 2010)

kell_boy said:


> table salt of course right :2thumb:


REALLY!? :gasp:
I have used rock salt!? :Na_Na_Na_Na:


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