SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) - The owner of the local animal sanctuary Lions, Tigers and Bears did not hold back Friday after taking in the illegal pet tiger of a famous rapper.
Bobbi Brink of Lions, Tigers and Bears said the Grammy nominated-rapper Tyga has not done anything to help them since his big cat was rescued.
Tyga's Instagram posts are filled with the big cats, and because of a federal investigation Lions, Tigers and Bears could not disclose where or from whom they had rescued Maverick the tiger.
Now the animal sanctuary is saying the rapper used the tiger as a prop and has done nothing to help the young cat's new home.
Maverick is now three-years-old, but he made his big debut when he was seven-months-old. Maverick was connected to the investigation involving the rapper Michael Stevenson, better known as Tyga.
Tyga's Instagram posts from two years ago show the rapper and Maverick on a red and black leash, in a music studio, on a Rolls Royce. It's the same colored leash Lions, Tigers Bears founder Bobbi Brink said was on Maverick when they rescued him.
"Maverick is a perfect example - they take on these animals for nothing more than to do video shoots or take pictures or selfies. We honestly did not know if Tyga even knew that Maverick was here so I am assuming he knows, but we have not heard and we have not reached out," said Brink.
In California a person needs to have a permit to own a tiger in captivity. Now, that the case against Tyga is over and no chargers were filed against him, Brink revealed that Tyga neglected the big cat and it was confiscated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife.
Shortly after investigators took Maverick, Tyga posted another picture of a tiger saying "Who gon stop me now?"
"We are here to rescue the animals and do what is right for the animals," said Brink.