5. Mike Tyson’s tiger

Mike Tyson, known for his fearlessness in the boxing ring didn’t hold back when it came to choosing his pets either. He caused a stir when he was spotted with pet tigers at his home, making a bold statement that matched his fearless persona. The heavyweight champion found himself surrounded by these majestic creatures during a stage of his life when his financial prosperity knew no bounds.

Tyson’s venture into exotic pet ownership started rather unexpectedly. While indulging in his love for luxury cars, Tyson struck up an intriguing conversation with his car dealer. The dealer mentioned how unpaid car dues might lead him to procure some horses as compensation. Intrigued, Tyson, who had an extensive collection of high-end vehicles at the time, decided he’d fancy some horses too. However, the conversation took a fascinating twist when the dealer suggested that Tyson could also opt for cougars, lions, or tigers. Upon hearing this, Tyson’s interest was piqued, and he decided to get himself some tigers.

At one point, Tyson became the proud owner of three Bengal tigers. However, as these magnificent creatures grew, managing them became a formidable task. The once-baby tigers had grown into 400lb beasts, leading Tyson to donate two of them to a local sanctuary. He held on to one of his tigers, Kenya, for 16 years. However, an unfortunate incident where Kenya damaged a trespasser’s arm, resulted in Tyson having to part ways with her. The individual attempted to sue Tyson, but the case was thrown out when it came to light that they had trespassed on Tyson’s property. However, Tyson still offered them significant monetary compensation. Interestingly, Kenya also had a brush with fame, featuring alongside Tyson in the popular movie, “The Hangover,” which added to her celebrity status.