Narco's Pet Tiger Shot During Attack at Private Residence, Michoacán

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Cartel members shot a narco to death at his residence in Morelia, Michoacán. When authorities arrived at the residence to investigate the homicide, they discovered the narco victim had kept a Bengal tiger as a pet on the property and the tiger was shot during the attack. 

El Tigre

On August 01, 2022, the state Attorney General’s Office (FGE) announced that while they were investigating a reported homicide at a residence in Morelia municipality. They were also told that another man had been injured in the attack. 

When they arrived on scene, the dead man was located and confirmed to no longer have vital signs. Meanwhile, the injured man was stabilized and sent to receive medical treatment. 

The residence is located near Highway 14, in the Emiliano Zapata neighborhood of the town of Morelos, which is a suburb located to the southwest of the city of Morelia, in the state of Michoacán. This area is reported by some to be mainly controlled by Carteles Unidos forces. The cartel affiliation and name of the man who died has not been reported as of the writing of this story. 

After tending to what they believed were all of the victims, the officers split up and began to search the property. During their search one officer discovered an additional, unexpected victim: a Bengal tiger.

The tiger appeared to have suffered at least one gunshot wound, which affected both its chest and its mouth area. 

It is believed the tiger received these injuries during the same attack that killed its owner. Officers requested personnel from the Animal Abuse department of the FGE be sent to the scene. Once they arrived, the personnel quickly determined that further medical complications would arise if the tiger’s wound, which had damaged the tiger’s mouth, hitting it in the right scapula, was left untreated. 

Staff from the federal Environmental Protection unit arrived on scene and they worked with staff from the closest zoo, named “Morealia Benito Juárez Zoo”, to tranquilize the tiger.

The director of the zoo, Julio César Medina Ávila, noted that "The bullet perforated his face and ended up lodged in his paw. X-ray studies will be done to see where it is lodged … It seems that it only hit it’s muscles [and not organs].”

Once fully tranquilized, the tiger was lifted up from its concrete enclosure, and moved into a transport cage which was then taken to a wildlife enclosure. 

There, the tiger had the first bullet fragment removed by veterinary surgeons. It was then x-rayed and an additional three bullet fragments were found to have hit the tiger and embedded within its skin. All three bullets were subsequently removed by surgeons. 

Martín Eduardo Cruz López, a veterinarian of the Mammal Care Operative Unit, stated that the tiger has received anesthetic for the pain as well as antibiotic treatment to prevent infections.

"We need the blood sample [results] to know his real state of health, since he is apparently healthy, but he is also obese due to a bad diet and the small enclosure where he was kept," he added.

Dr. Cruz López indicated that the tiger’s recovery process will take some time, with more than a month needed for the damaged muscles to heal, but that its expected to fully recover since it is a young tiger. 

For his part, the director of the zoo, Julio César Medina Ávila, said that the medical team is prepared to give this type of attention to big cats and that the Morelia Zoo is committed to animal welfare, which is why it will continue to respond to calls for support from various agencies to continue with the work of preservation and conservation of species.

Sources: Morelia Zoo’s Official Post, Milenio, El Financiero, El Heraldo, El Sol de Zamora, 24-Horas, El Clarin Diario, Primera Plana, 1 Plana, Noticieros Televisa, Uno TV, Sopitas, Publimetro