Mike Tyson Owned a Bengal Tiger, No Lyin

In a recent interview, Mike Tyson told the story of how he came to be the proud owner of a Bengal Tiger. Like all great stories, the story of how he got his beloved Bengal Tiger begins in prison.

A friend who Mike was in contact with told him that he was going to sell some of his cars and get horses; this sounded insane to Mike, who'd never thought of keeping his money in that sort of property. When he pressed his friend for more information, Mike discovered you could buy tigers. The rest is history.

Classic Tale of a Boy and His Tiger

Mike's favorite tiger, Kenya, was his constant companion for the span of her sixteen-year life. Kenya reportedly cuddled with Iron Mike and even climbed into his bed on a regular basis. It's so cute that you could almost forget that she's a vicious animal.

Of course, Mike Tyson's friends have called him a vicious animal once or twice after seeing him in the ring. That's not where his similarity to Kenya ends, though; They've both used their teeth to tear off part of a human being's body!

A 21st Century Old Yeller

It's fitting that Mike Tyson learned about investing in tigers and luxury animals in a conversation about cars because they're both bad investments. After sixteen years or so, Kenya's eyes started to go and she grew steadily weaker. For her own sake, it became necessary to put her down.

Mike paid as much as $70,000 just to get his Bengal Tigers. Apparently, he spent it again several times over on their living expenses. But can you really put a price on companionship?