MARK WAITE / PVT Karl Mitchell shows off Rashid, a 7-month-old Bengal tiger, at the Mardi Gras celebration in February with the help of assistant Anna Cadigan. Advertisement

Karl Mitchell, the former Nye County Animal Control officer out on parole, is back exhibiting wild cats, this time without a U.S. Department of Agriculture exhibitor's license.

Mitchell had a tiger cub named Rashid on display at the Pahrump Valley Chamber of Commerce Mardi Gras celebration at the Nevada Treasures RV Park in February.

An enraged Brian Turner, who has his own exotic animals, complained after seeing the photo in the Pahrump Valley Times, "This is the glorification of a guy committing seven federal offenses."

Mitchell resumed operating his business Big Cat Encounters that he ran before he was sent to prison from July 2004 to September 2006. Mitchell had been accused of various crimes involving animals, but it was the theft of a GMC Suburban that led to prison time and accusations he stole $40,000 in three checks after he ceased operating the county animal control program briefly in 2000-2001.

"Experience a once-in-a-lifetime, one-on-one personal encounter with one of the planet's most powerful, precious and dangerous species," his Web site states. "One of the most unique, tourist destinations in Pahrump is the Big Cat Encounters Ranch. Located in south Pahrump on five acres of grassland, the ranch offers the opportunity for visitors to see tigers up close and personal."

The Web site states Big Cat Encounters has five rare tigers -- both white tigers and golden tigers -- along with a "liger," a cross between a lion and a tiger.

Mitchell shrugged off the criticism, which he blamed on the volatile animal community in Pahrump.

"Bottom line is just like you have a right to walk down the street and breathe the air, so do I," Mitchell said. "What I have to have or I don't have to have is not germane. The fact is I did not have a license revoked, I did not renew a license," he said.

Requests for information on Mitchell's USDA license were forwarded all the way to a spokesman in Washington, D.C., Jessica Milteer, who said Mitchell only needs a license if he's exhibiting exotic animals. There was no record of Mitchell on the USDA's active registration list, she said.

"His license was revoked and we currently are looking at the charges of exhibiting without a license. They started doing that probably early last year," Milteer said.

The USDA has one inspector assigned to Nevada for exotic animal cases who can follow up on a complaint, she said.

"If it's just a private pet, we don't have any authority over animal collections. But if they're exhibiting them, using them in promotional material, then he would need a license," Milteer said.

Mitchell said he has countless contacts with celebrities who come to Pahrump to see his animals. Paris Hilton is using them for her television series, Best Female Friend, on MTV, he said.

"We shot it at Wayne Newton's house. Then they came out here and they shot in our yard with 14 girls, the BFF Show they call it," Mitchell said. "Bottom line is I've done a lot of things for animals, a positive thing for many years, and there's a lot of people who don't have any appreciation for that."

Big Cat Encounters lists Mitchell as president; Steve Benson of Happy Acres Sanctuary as secretary; Jordon Buky as treasurer and Platine Bachelein as a director.

Benson was a partner with the late Sandy Allman, who was a business associate of Mitchell's. In March 2005, while Mitchell was in prison, the Animal Sanctuary of the United States hauled off six tigers and two leopards to the Wild Animal Orphanage in San Antonio after Allman asked for assistance.

Nye County Animal Control Officer Tim McCarty said Mitchell doesn't have an exhibitor's license, but he said that's a matter the USDA would have to enforce.

Revisions planned to Title 6 of the Nye County Code governing animal control would require a county permit as well for exhibiting special condition animals, McCarty said. The animal advisory board expects to wrap up its recommendations on revising Nye County Code on animal control during a meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday in the Emergency Services Building, 1510 Siri Lane.

"He has recently moved into a new residence, probably the best situation location-wise, facility-wise, he's been in since he's come back into possession of special condition animals," McCarty said of Mitchell. "I suspect Karl will get a conditional use permit for that property and will be allowed to keep those animals."

McCarty said he met recently with other county officials.

"What everybody wanted to do is move ahead with Karl, get him in a condition of compliance and issue him his permits ... We're going to work with him," McCarty said.

"He's in contact with us any time there's any kind of change. If he moves, we know about it," McCarty said.

Mitchell said, "The bottom line is I have a current wildlife sanctuary, and we are actively involved in the hands-on, daily handling of animals of all shapes and sizes.

"The bigger question is whether a license is required. Who said I have to have a license? What I'm doing with my animals in my personal life is my business."