Ming of Harlem

History

Yates purchased Ming at eight weeks of age from the BEARCAT Hollow Animal Park wildlife sanctuary in Racine, Minnesota. The owners of BEARCAT Hollow were sentenced to prison in 2005 for falsifying records to conceal illegal animal trafficking, following several complaints in 2001 where a tiger on-site had escaped its enclosure and mauled a child and a bear had escaped before being spotted at a neighboring house's porch. Records indicate that BEARCAT Hollow had previously sold a lion cub to Yates, but Yates found another home for the lion, prior to his mauling by Ming.

After Ming was discovered in the apartment, subsequent questioning of the neighbors determined the existence of the tiger was widely known for at least three years. One fact that turned up was that Yates regularly bought large quantities of raw chicken at the local supermarket, and it was a standing joke in the building that he could eat so much chicken every day.

In addition, Yates had taken roommates, unaware at first of the animals in the home. According to the New York Daily News,

A woman who shared a Harlem apartment with a 425-pound tiger said yesterday she was terrified at first- but soon got used to living with the man-eater down the hall. Caroline Domingo told the Daily News she couldn't believe her eyes when she spotted the big cat roaming free in the apartment where she and her husband rented a room from tiger-owner Antoine Yates. [...] But eventually, she said, "We all became family."

Discovery

Ming's existence became known and reported in the media when Yates went to the Harlem Hospital Center emergency room on September 30, 2003, after being bitten on the arm and leg. According to Yates, he was bitten while trying to keep Ming away from Shadow, a cat he had recently adopted. At the time of treatment, Yates claimed that his pet pit bull had bitten him; however, the medical personnel were suspicious, because the width of the bite marks suggested an animal with a very large jaw.

Yates checked out of the hospital on October 3, and the same day, following up on a tip, a New York City policeman was sent to his home address to investigate. Loud growling noises could be heard through the door of the apartment, causing the officer to avoid entering. Another police officer was sent to the roof, from which he lowered himself on a rope sling to peer in through the apartment’s windows. Ming attempted to attack him, nearly breaking through the window, frightening the officer. An animal control team was then sent into the apartment; they anesthetized the tiger and also discovered the alligator. Yates was later located at a Philadelphia hospital and placed under guard.

Legal actions

Yates was arrested in October 2003 on charges of reckless endangerment and the possession of a wild animal. Later, his mother was charged with endangering the welfare of a child, since she had been baby-sitting in the apartment. As part of a plea agreement to reduce charges against his mother, Yates pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment, and eventually served a five-month prison term with five years probation. He was released after serving three months, and subsequently he sued New York City for the loss of his pets (including a bunny) and for $7000 cash which he claimed had also been in the apartment. A judge dismissed the case, calling him full of "chutzpah".

Current location

Authorities decided to move the animals to more appropriate quarters: Ming was sent to an animal sanctuary in Ohio, while Al was given a new home in Indiana.

As of 2010, Yates lives in Las Vegas with 22 big cats, including four tigers, having redubbed himself Antoine Tigermann Yates. He established the Reach Out And Respond (ROAR) Foundation in 2011.

In media

In October 2010, the story of Yates and Ming was dramatized on the Animal Planet show Fatal Attractions. The episode was titled "A Tiger Loose in Harlem". A mix of re-creation and documented footage was used, complete with commentary by Yates, his family and police.

Ming is mentioned in the documentary film, The Tiger Next Door.

Ming of Harlem: Twenty-One Storeys in the Air was screened at the New York Film Festival on October 3, 2014.