Wild Companions: 11 Celebrities and Their Exotic Pets

Justin Bieber, sitting on a throne made of gold, sipping on coconut water, and cradling his pet Capuchin monkey like a precious baby. Meanwhile, Mike Tyson is lounging on a couch, surrounded by his beloved Bengal tigers, giving them all the love and attention, they need. And then there's Leonardo DiCaprio, who may not have as many exotic pets as some of the other celebrities, but he still cares for his pet tortoise like it's his own child. These celebrities and their exotic pets have been making headlines for years, and we just can't get enough of them. So, let's dive into the lives of famous faces and their unusual companions in this blog post, all about celebrities with exotic pets.

Mike Tyson

When it comes to celebrities with exotic pets, Mike Tyson's name is sure to come up. The former heavyweight champion was known for his love of Bengal tigers and even owned three of them at one point! Did you know he paid $50,000 to buy each of them & had to donate two as they got too big to keep at home. He kept the third one for 16 years till it ripped a neighbour's arm & cost him $250,000 in compensation. And who can forget the iconic scene in "The Hangover" where he appears with his pet tiger, Ken?

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George Clooney

When it comes to unlikely celebrity pets, George Clooney takes the cake with his beloved pet pig named Max. That's right; the Hollywood heartthrob had a soft spot for this cute and cuddly animal. In fact, he has been known to refer to Max as "the love of his life". And here is a video of Clooney talking with Oprah about his pig.
While pigs may not be as exotic as some other celebrity pets, it's still pretty cool to see someone like Clooney showing love to a less conventional four legged friend.

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Reese Witherspoon

We all know Reese Witherspoon as a talented actress and producer, but did you know she's also a proud owner of some adorable donkeys? That's right; the "Legally Blonde" star has been known to share some sweet moments with her pet donkeys, Honky and Tonky.

Witherspoon has always been an animal lover, and in an interview on the Ellen she said 'I have two pigs, and I have three goats and I have 20 chickens and of course I have three dogs. 'And I have one horse. It's hanging out with the donkey, it's sweet.”

Who knows, maybe her next movie will be about a spunky lawyer who represents donkeys in court? 

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Leonardo DiCaprio

Leonardo DiCaprio may be one of Hollywood's biggest stars, but did you know he's also a doting pet parent to a tortoise? The "Titanic" heartthrob has been spotted around town with his pet tortoise on a leash and even brings him along to movie sets. In fact, his tortoise reportedly played a role in the film "The Wolf of Wall Street"! While we might not think of a tortoise as an exotic pet, it's still pretty cool to see a celebrity like DiCaprio showing love for such a unique animal. Who wouldn't want to spend their days lounging in the sun with a cute little tortoise?

Trivia: Leonardo paid $400 for the 7 year old African spurred tortoise which can live up to 200 years.

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Nicolas Cage

Nicolas Cage is known for his eccentric personality and love for the unconventional, so it's no surprise that he is a proud owner of some exotic pets. In fact, he has been known to own several snakes over the years! He's even been spotted wearing a jacket with a large python draped around his shoulders. While some might find the idea of owning snakes a bit intimidating, Cage clearly feels comfortable with them. However, owning exotic pets like snakes can come with its own set of challenges and responsibilities. But we wouldn't expect anything less when it comes to Cage and his love for the unusual!

Trivia: Cage is reported to have paid $80,000 to buy a 2-headed snake which he later had to donate because of the complicated feeding process. The actor has admitted that outside the dark roles he plays on screen, he is a “goth” at heart, with the actor so steeped in the subculture that he actually owns a pet crow. 

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Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber is no stranger to controversy, and his ownership of an exotic pet monkey only added to the list. In 2013, Bieber adopted a Capuchin monkey named Mally and brought him on a tour of Europe. However, things didn't go as planned, and the monkey was seized by German authorities due to improper documentation. While Bieber was able to avoid legal charges, he faced criticism for his lack of responsibility when it came to caring for his pet. Since then, he has stated that he will not own any more exotic pets. It's important to remember that owning an exotic pet comes with a lot of responsibility, and ensuring that they are cared for properly is essential.

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Paris Hilton

Paris Hilton is known for her love of small dogs, and she's owned quite a few over the years. However, one of her most memorable pets was a kinkajou named Baby Luv. For those who don't know, a kinkajou is a rainforest mammal that resembles a mix between a monkey and a raccoon. Hilton was often seen carrying Baby Luv around with her to events and appearances and even appeared on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" with her furry friend. While owning a kinkajou might seem unusual to some, it's clear that Hilton has a soft spot for these unique animals. And who knows, maybe we'll see more kinkajous becoming popular pets in the future, thanks to Hilton's influence!

Trivia: Paris is so devoted to her pets that she even immortalized her beloved Chihuahua, Tinkerbell,, with an NFT collection. She posted on Twitter “I know she’s so excited to be in the metaverse! Art is forever & the piece that I got to create with @BlakeKathryn carries Tinkerbell’s #ICONIC legacy perfectly”

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Megan Fox

Megan Fox is known for her stunning looks and acting skills, but did you know she's also an animal lover? At one point the actress had a small animal kingdom with 11 pets, five dogs, two cats, two birds, a squirrel and a pot bellied pig, named Piggie Smalls!
She even posted adorable photos of her and her pet pig cuddling up together on Instagram. It's always refreshing to see celebrities showing love for animals, no matter how unconventional they may be. Who knows, maybe we'll start seeing more pet pigs popping up in Hollywood thanks to Fox's influence!

Trivia: The Transformers star had to give away Piggie Smalls because he began to display sexually aggressive behavior.

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Vanilla Ice

Vanilla Ice, the rapper-turned-reality-TV-star, has always had a reputation for being a bit of an oddball. However, his love for exotic pets takes it to a whole new level. One of his most unusual pets was a kangaroo named Bucky. Vanilla Ice even posted photos of him and Bucky hanging out together on social media! While owning a kangaroo might not be practical or legal for most people, it's clear that Vanilla Ice has a soft spot for these unique animals. Who knows, maybe we'll start seeing more celebrities adopting kangaroos as pets now that Vanilla Ice has paved the way!

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Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley was known for his love of animals and had a number of pets at his home, Graceland. In addition to dogs, Elvis also had horses, peacocks, chickens, and even a few monkeys. Australian fans sent Elvis a wallaby - twice. Once while he was filming "Jailhouse Rock" in 1957, and the second time was in 1962. He donated both the wallabies to the zoo.
He was known to be very caring towards his animals and would sometimes even bring them on tour with him.

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Trivia:
Elvis once had a mynah bird that would repeat the excuses it heard about why Elvis couldn't come to the phone: "Elvis is asleep," "Elvis isn't available," "Elvis isn't here." One day the bird began repeating all of the phrases, over and over, which Elvis thought was hilarious.

Ice-T

We all know Ice-T as the rapper and actor with a tough exterior, but did you know he's also a proud owner of an exotic pet shark? The "Law & Order: SVU" star has a 150-gallon saltwater aquarium in his home, housing various sea creatures, including a blacktip reef shark. He even has a custom-designed tank with a built-in shark cave! It's always fascinating to see celebrities with unique pets, and Ice-T and his pet shark are no exception.

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We hope you enjoyed reading about the celebrities and their exotic pets. If you would like to purchase some unique & fun gifts for the pet lover in your life please do check out our custom pet gifts.