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How Long Did Mike Tyson Have A Tiger? – Celebrity

Author

Daniel Moore

Updated on January 17, 2026

Tyson, who now runs a cannabis farm, had his tiger for 16 years before he was forced to give up the big cat. And in an interview with GQ Sports, the 53-year-old has revealed why. He explained: “I did have a pet tiger, her name was Kenya and she was around 550 pounds.

Tyson, who now runs a cannabis farm, had decided to buy one of said tigers while he was in prison, having been convicted of rape in 1992. Having owned a white tiger called Kenya for 16 years, he was eventually forced to give her up – and apparently there were a few reasons behind it.

Mike Tyson Sold His Pet Tiger of 16 Years and Got a Dog Instead By Mustafa Gatollari Mar. 10 2021, Published 9:26 a.m. ET When it comes to the world of combat sports, there are a few names that stand tall above the rest.

Speaking to GQ Sports a little earlier this year, 53-year-old Tyson said: “I did have a pet tiger, her name was Kenya and she was around 550 pounds. “I had a great affection for her; I kept her, I slept with her, I kept her in my room.

But something he’s arguably most notorious for is his love for exotic pets, having famously owned several tigers. Loading Tyson, who now runs a cannabis farm, had decided to buy one of said tigers while he was in prison, having been convicted of rape in 1992.

Tyson made his professional debut as an 18-year-old on March 6, 1985, in Albany, New York. He defeated Hector Mercedes via first-round TKO. He had 15 bouts in his first year as a professional. Fighting frequently, Tyson won 26 of his first 28 fights by KO or TKO; 16 of those came in the first round.

On March 26, 1992, Tyson was sentenced to six years in prison along with four years of probation. Despite being 25 years old at the time of the crime, he was assigned to the Indiana Youth Center (now the Plainfield Correctional Facility) in April 1992, and he was released in March 1995 after serving less than three years of the sentence.

How much did Tyson buy the tiger?

At the time, the tiger cost him a reported $71,000.

The 53-year-old currently owns a cannabis farm in California. Back in August, Tyson revealed in an episode of his podcast, called “Hotboxin’ with Mike Tyson” that he, along with his friend, former NFL player Eben Britton, spent around $40,000 on weed every month.

Oh and she ripped somebody’s arm off,” Mike Tyson said. Mike Tyson has revealed that he was forced to sell his pet Bengal tiger after she ripped someone’s arm off. The former heavyweight boxing world champion opened up about why he had to part with his beloved wild cat, named Kenya, after 16 years of being together.

How much did Tyson pay for a tiger?

According to TheRichest, the cat ate on average 40 pounds a day. Tyson also paid $125,000 a year to have the tigers trained by a certified coach. Tiger training makes dog training look like a walk in the park. There’s much speculation as to why Tyson had to give up the exotic pet. Some reports say it was due to money problems.

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Tyson retired from boxing in 2005. Since then, he has been featured in many projects including 2009’s The Hangover. He now has his own podcast, Hotboxin With Mike Tyson where the former boxer “pours his soul into conversations with fascinating minds, celebrities, and athletes in a studio full of smoke.”.

Mike Tyson is known for his elaborate lifestyle, so it’s no surprise the boxing champ has spent thousands of dollars on exotic animals. The former boxer allegedly spent $70,000 on his Bengal tigers and even more money to maintain the living and food expenses. The food bill alone was costing Tyson $200,000 a year.

There’s much speculation as to why Tyson had to give up the exotic pet. Some reports say it was due to money problems. In an interview with GQ Sports, however, Tyson revealed Kenya was in poor health and bit someone’s arm off. If anyone knows of Kenya’s whereabouts, we have a few questions.

Guess the branding of the podcast makes sense since Tyson runs a cannabis farm. Tyson was once one of the most ferocious boxers of all time, so it’s not surprising he was attracted to one of the most ferocious animals in the world too.

Why did Mike Tyson give away his pet tiger Kenya?

Mike Tyson has confessed to spending exorbitant amounts of money during the prime of his fighting career. One of Tyson’s passions – his love for animals, including exotic pets like tigers – lead him to buy three white Bengal tigers.

One of Tyson’s passions – his love for animals, including exotic pets like tigers – lead him to buy three white Bengal tigers.

The woman and others initially tried to sue Mike Tyson. Ultimately, they dropped the case due to her trespassing at the time. Either way, Tyson did wind up paying her $250,000.

The three tigers cost him more than $70,000 each. Additionally, the cost to maintain these pets was exceptionally high compared to other domesticated animals. This included expenditure on trainers, caretakers, the pets’ diet, nutrition, etc.

Back in 1992, when Mike Tyson was in prison in relation to the sexual assault case against him, Tyson was in discussions with a car dealer. Tyson and the dealer had a mutual friend, and the dealer was about to sell the friend’s cars away as the latter purportedly wasn’t financially capable of maintaining them at the time.

No. Mike Tyson currently does not have his famous pet tiger Kenya.

Who asked Tyson what made him think about getting a tiger?

Comedian Tom Segura, who also joined Rogan for the podcast, asked Tyson what had made him think about getting a tiger. Tyson replied: “I’m in prison at the time. So I’m in prison, I’m talking to my car dealer at the time and he has some cars that belong to a [mutual friend], and he’s discussing ‘If he doesn’t pay for these cars, …

Mike Tyson is known for many things – some good, some… not so good. But something he’s arguably most notorious for is his love for exotic pets, having famously owned several tigers.

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