Tiger Cubs’ Owner Denies Sales Attempt : Animal welfare: He claims he has permits to bring the cats into the state from his ranch in Nevada for photo shoots.

Eric Jarvies, who has twice been arrested in Orange County for allegedly trying to sell lions and tigers without a permit, says he is not a criminal: He just loves big cats.

Raised with exotic birds on a ranch in New Mexico, the 23-year-old Jarvies now divides his time between Balboa and his Lion’s Eye Exotic Animal Ranch in Nevada, where he says he keeps “dozens” of fancy felines, including African lions, Bengal tigers, cougars and leopards.

Jarvies insists that he has never sold or given away any of the cats; rather, he is busy putting together a 1993 calendar of the exotic animals playing with bikini-clad models. He said he also rents out the animals for use in advertisements.

“It’s a hobby,” he said of the cat collection that landed him in jail Tuesday night after Newport Beach police found two tiger cubs in the front seat of his car at Newport Center Fashion Island. “If I can be around them and make a living off them, I’m a happy person.”

In an interview in Costa Mesa on Thursday afternoon, Jarvies said that he has permits to bring the cats into California for photo shoots and that he hopes to soon regain possession of his pets, which are being kept at the Dover Shores Pet Care Center.

Attorney Alan Pezzuto of Fountain Valley sent copies of these permits to Newport Beach police Thursday, Sgt. Andy Gonis said. “We are examining the documents to determine their authenticity,” Gonis said, adding that the investigation is continuing and that the department has no plans to release the cubs into Jarvies’ care.

California law prohibits possession of tigers without permission of the Department of Fish and Game, which typically authorizes only zoos and other exhibitors, researchers or movie producers to keep the cats.

Gonis said that even if Jarvies’ permits are valid, Newport Beach may file charges against him for trying to sell the tiger cubs. He also could face federal charges for violating the endangered species act, officials said.

Jarvies is already scheduled to appear in court for illegal possession and attempted sale of seven lions that were seized after he placed a newspaper ad offering to sell them for $5,000 each. Jarvies had kept the de-clawed African lion cubs in the San Clemente health food store he used to own with Balboa resident Bruce Miller.

Local Fish and Game agents escorted Jarvies and the lions to the California state line May 14. They are now back at the Lion’s Eye ranch, Jarvies said.

He said he never intended to sell the lions. “I just wanted to see what kind of people are out there interested in cats,” he said, adding that more than 200 people responded to his ad.

Jarvies defended his business of hiring out the cats--for as much as $2,000 an hour--for advertisements or posters. “Zoos make money off their cats; they charge for people to go and see them,” he said. “Is my way of making money any worse than the zoo’s way?”

Although Jarvies maintains that he is not a salesman, animal rights activist Lisa Lange said in an interview that he tried to sell her tiger cubs and offered to bring them to California.

Jarvies did now know that Lange is a reporter for the Animal’s Voice magazine. She videotaped Jarvies and the cats during her visit to his Nevada ranch in June. She has passed the one-hour video on to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as well as several local television stations.

In the video, Lange said, Jarvies displays the frozen corpse of a baby tiger that died when it was three days old. Jarvies explained Thursday that he saves cats that die naturally to stuff or use their fur for cowboy boots.

Meanwhile, the tiger cubs--which Jarvies says are named Drakkar and Talassia--were settling into their foster home, said Scott Hamill, manager of the Dover Shores animal hospital. At least 50 people called Thursday offering to help the cubs, Hamill said.

He said he has had to say no to everyone who wants to feed or play with the animals.

“I’ve had people begging to see them,” he said. “They just need to be left alone.”