Given my blog nom-de-plume it's not a far stretch to imagine I might like Tigers. So I smuggled three Siberian cubs in across the border and raised them from small cat size to, well, tiger size.
Now, my back yard is a full traditional quarter acre. Even so, it's hardly 400 square miles of jungle territory. These guys are going to roam. Furthermore, my fence is only 1.8M high, and it isn't going to keep Hobbes, Tigger and Panteris contained.
Now, I have trained them and they are very good. Very docile (unless aroused) and give them a scratch under the chin and they are putty.
The neighbours on one side of my house are pretty relaxed about the whole thing. In fact, I think they feed Panteris on the side. I'm sure they had more goats last week. Anyway, the neighbours two door down on the other side are pretty uptight about the whole deal. They keep claiming their 2 year old 'babies' are at risk. Two Staffordshire bull terriers called Saint and Sinner. I've been scoffing at the notion - Hobbes wouldn't hurt a fly.
But recently, their two terriers turned up dead on the roof of number 34. I'm sure it wasn't any thing to do with Hobbes and Panteris. But Tigger is pretty good at bouncing.
So the question is, dear readers, should I keep my little cubs or release them into the Tararua Ranges before the Council comes down on me? Surely I should be allowed my pets if I'm careful? Besides, number 45 have two Cobras called Mork and Mindy.