Calling All Tiger Kings – Lake Livingston Tiger A Hoax

If you have been keeping up with social media in Livingston, Texas you might have seen a viral post about a tiger being on the loose in the lake. The story goes that the animal escaped from a local sanctuary.

More than one internet trixter joined in on the hoax all posting the same photos of a tiger in the lake in some grass. The post that garnered the most attention locally was made by Mikey Howell Jr on Facebook.

Get our free mobile app

The original post was just a warning to be careful. The "update" went further to tell us there was a 10K reward for catching the tiger or giving information on where it was located.

The Same Photos Have Been Used In Multiple Communities

The real story of where those photos came from is a mystery. They have been used in posts on social media to "warn" people about a tiger in a nearby lake since at least 2019 when the same photos surfaced describing the tiger in Cross Lake in Shreveport.

Read More: Diboll Police Arrest Drug Dealer With A Wide Selection

The story had the same wording and even included the same update about the reward down to the amount. According to Chron.com the same photos were used to say there was a tiger in Espada Park in San Antonio this week.

Another viral hoax in December stated people had seen a black panther in Huntsville. Texas Parks and Wildlife stepped up to clear the air and let everyone know there is no such thing as a black mountain lion.

Read More: Major Drug Bust In Nacogdoches Yields Over 2lbs Of Meth

People want to believe wild animals are on the loose in Texas

If you really want an exotic pet in Texas, here are a few that are legal to own. Tigers aren't on the list.