Half-Blind Man Lives With 14 Big Cats, Bears and reptiles

Carl Bovard, who is blind in one eye, believes living with 14 big cats including two lions, six tigers and a desert lynx, is a risk worth taking

Big cats lover Carl Bovard, who is blind in one eye, is living with two lions, six tigers and a desert lynx in Florida, USA.

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By such extraordinary lifestile Carl is trying to raise awareness about endangered species. Despite having an outside enclosure all 14 cats could spend time together in their owner’s home. All of them are so much in lover Carl that you can see them clambering over the pool table and cuddling up in his bed.

Every Sunday, Mr Bovard treks to the local Walmart, where he picks up about 700 kg of meat for the week

His passion started when 13 years ago car accident left him blind. Since then he realised the main thing he missed was seeing animals – so when he regained sight in one eye he adopted his first two tiger cubs. Later he set up educational, non-profit company for tours to his house and garden where he with his animals live.

He enjoys playing and wrestling with his huge tiger Sampson in his back yard

He currently has two lions, two bobcats, three cougars, two Bengal tigers, two Siberian tigers, an Asian black leopard, two black bear cubs and two alligators in his backyard.

Carl with Sita a six-year old Asian Black Leopard, one of the animals he believes his organisation is helping

Speaking about his clawed pets, Mr Bovard says, “Having these cats in captivity and being able to show them off gives people a chance to get a passion for them. It is essential that we keep them in captivity to create that passion in people and make them want to help these beautiful animals.

Playing 14-month-old lion Leo and 13-month-old Siberian tigress Summer in his backyard in Florida

People say to me – they belong in the wild but my question to them is – what wild? There are seven billion people on this planet and we are destroying the habitat of these animals.

“Pretty soon the only tigers left are going to be those in captivity and they may need to be used to repopulate the wild.”

Pretty soon the only tigers left are going to be those in captivity and they may need to be used to repopulate the wild. I do what I can to give these guys the best lives possible and I want to work to ensure more tigers and lions in captivity are better treated.”

Carl currently has two lions, two bobcats, three cougars, two Bengal tigers, two Siberian tigers, an Asian black leopard, two black bear cubs and two alligators in his backyard