Put a Tiger in Your Yard to Stop Thefts, Lure Tourists
A young pet tiger is scaring thieves away from a tiny Bulgarian village and pulling in the tourists.
Locals say no robberies have been reported in Selishten Dol, 40 miles west of Sofia, since a retired general bought the 9-month-old Siberian female tiger, Raja, in June.
“Not a single house has been burgled since the tiger has been in the village. The fame of our Raja seems to be proving a better deterrent than the police,” said Iskra Simeonova, 75.
Burglary was previously common in the village, where many holiday villas are unoccupied for much of the year.
Raja also makes Selishten Dol an attractive tourist spot, with parents bringing children for a free glimpse of the tiger rather than paying to visit the cash-strapped Sofia zoo.
Raja shares her home with two cats, four dogs, sheep, hens, a pig and a cow.
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