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Uncle Sam is coming after the big cats at Jeff Lowe's zoo, all because of a euthanized tiger cub ... but he says he had no choice.

Here's the deal ... the feds want to seize a bunch of big cats the 'Tiger King' star is looking after at his zoo in Oklahoma, following what they say was an unauthorized euthanasia.

According to new docs, obtained by TMZ, the feds claim Jeff put down a tiger -- which they insist is a big no-no without Uncle Sam's blessing -- so the feds are asking him to hand over all his big cats that are a year old or younger, plus their mothers.

But, Jeff says it's not his fault, telling TMZ ... he noticed a young cub, almost 6 months old, limping around its enclosure. He says the cub was pulled from its mother and taken to a veterinarian for x-rays.

Jeff tells us the vet diagnosed the cub with metabolic bone disease, and said the animal needed to be euthanized ... so they did.

Remember ... the USDA last year claimed the animals at Jeff's zoo were in "serious danger" because they were allegedly getting substandard care.

The coronavirus pandemic is still going strong in 2021 -- in fact, there's a worse strain going around now -- but wild party scenes in several cities show many people just don't care.

The RedBar Brickell club in Miami stayed open and allowed patrons to party maskless much later than the mandatory closing time of midnight in South Beach over the New Year's weekend.

As you can see ... the hot spot was packed with celebrating revelers in tight quarters. Fact is Florida has few restrictions right now, but blowing off the few there are -- such as closing time -- shows many are ignoring the nearly daily record-breaking COVID numbers in the U.S.

FL ain't special, though ... irresponsible celebrations ringing in 2021 also went down in Puerto Vallarta with massive dance parties and fireworks over Las Vegas created large gatherings on the Strip.

And, as we reported, residents living on the Isle of Man gathered as per usual on New Year's Day to take a dip in freezing cold water ... with no COVID precautions in place.

Nicki Minaj's being sued for more than $200 million over her song "Rich Sex" ... which a Queens rapper claims she ripped off after he played it for her.

Jawara Headley -- a Queens rapper who goes by Brinx Billions -- is suing Nicki, claiming he let her hear his version of "Rich Sex" sometime before 2016. In docs, obtained by TMZ, Brinx claims Nicki told him it would be extremely marketable and become a global hit.

But, Brinx -- who calls himself a songwriter, artist, music producer, composer and rapper -- claims Nicki jacked his song and put it on her "Queen" album. Although, he's not credited as such ... Brinx insists he's the sole author/creator/composer/writer/producer of "Rich Sex."

Brinx says he's known Nicki since 2007, when they met on MySpace, but he's still pissed his pal allegedly ripped specific lyrics, such as ... "It ain't such a thing as broke and handsome." Beyond lyrics, he says her song also has similar music, musical notes, musical arrangement, musical beats and musical rhythm.

Brinx is suing Minaj, along with Universal Music Group, Young Money, and Cash Money, for more than $200 million in damages. We've reached out for comment, so far no word back.

Gamer Jarod Nandin -- known by fans as "South Park Guy" for re-creating the show's infamous World of Warcraft character -- has died after contracting the coronavirus.

Nandin died Sunday ... according to the WoW outlet, Wowhead. Jarod revealed his condition in mid-December, and on Dec. 22 he shared a photo of himself from the hospital saying he tested positive, but didn't seem overly concerned.

He wrote ... "I’m really sorry to worry you guys. I’m in the hospital getting treatment. Things look good. Im just looking at Covid with a sh*t eating grin on my face and saying: "How do you Kill that which...has no Life?"

Nandin, who famously went by NWBZPWNR in the role-playing game's community, used this sense of humor to make a big splash at BlizzCon 2013.

Jarod arrived at the event cosplaying as the slobby 'Warcraft' gamer on the Season 10 episode of "South Park" titled, "Make Love, Not Warcraft."

He even shaved his head to re-create the guy's baldness and clearly ... he nailed the entire look.

After that ... Jarod affectionately became known as "South Park Guy" in the gaming community, and today many are tweeting their condolences and tributes to him.

Jarod was 40.

UFC fighter Mike Perry is on the mend after slicing himself open during a bizarre incident late Sunday night -- posting footage showing doctors stitching up his wound.

The 29-year-old initially posted video showing him lying in a pool of blood Sunday next to a shattered glass door. It appears as if Perry opened a massive gash while trying to smash through the glass.

While on the ground, Perry says to himself, "F*ck am I supposed to do about this?"

Fans on social media expressed concern for the fighter who seems to be in a downward spiral -- following allegations of domestic abuse and a separate violent incident at a steak restaurant back in July.

But, early Monday morning, Perry posted video from what appears to be a hospital room -- showing a doctor treating the wound on his lower right leg.

A few hours later, Perry posted more footage showing himself walking his dog -- so, all better?

Perry has fought in the UFC since 2016 and has flashed real potential -- earning multiple fight of the night and performance of the night bonuses along the way.

But, losses to guys like Cowboy Cerrone, Geoff Neal and most recently Tim Means (in Nov.) have kept him from reaching that next level.

Tanya Roberts -- a one-time Bond girl and cult classic '80s star -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Tanya's rep tells TMZ, she was on a walk with her dogs on Christmas Eve and when she returned home she collapsed. She was taken to the hospital and put on a ventilator but never got better. We're told it was NOT COVID-related. Tanya died Sunday.

In the days leading up to her collapse, we're told Tanya appeared perfectly healthy ... even doing video chats for her fans.

Tanya was a go-to model and actress in her heyday -- so much so, she even appeared as one of the Bond girls, Stacey Sutton, in "A View to a Kill," opposite Roger Moore.

She also starred in campy adventure fantasy flicks like "Sheena" and "The Beastmaster," plus a bunch of raunchy comedies, slashers movies and action/erotica B-films like "Sins of Desire," "Legal Tender," "Deep Down," "Inner Sanctum," "Night Eyes," "Almost Pregnant," "Favorite Deadly Sins" and "Tourist Trap," plus several others. All-in-all, she has 41 acting credits to her name dating back to '70s.

Speaking of that era, she might best remembered as Donna Pinciotti's mom, Midge, on "That '70s Show" -- who was always getting ogled by the boys in the neighborhood. Tanya was portrayed as a dumb blonde, who eventually left her TV family and the show entirely to deal with her hubby's real-life illness.

Tanya also had a year-long stint on the old "Charlie's Angels" show, in which she played Julie Rogers ... a side character who helped the Angels solve crimes. She also helped launch the TV series 'Mike Hammer' after starring as a secretary in the made-for-TV movie, but declined a part in the show that followed.

Of course, Tanya was also a successful model. She'd posed for Playboy, as well as for a ton of TV commercials. She did ads for Excedrin, Ultra Brite, Clairol and Cool Ray sunglasses.

She was married to Barry Roberts for several years before his death in 2006. They didn't have any children. Tanya is survived by her current husband, Lance, and her sister Barbara Chase.

She was 65.

RIP

Blake Shelton's attempt to romanticize earning a minimum wage is pissing off a lot of folks struggling to stay afloat through the pandemic.

The country star's facing backlash since debuting the song "Minimum Wage" during NBC New Year's Eve TV special. It's supposed to be a ballad for his fiancee, Gwen Stefani, but considering they're both multi-millionaires ... the lyrics are under fire.

Lines like, "Girl, your love can make a man feel rich on minimum wage" just are, at best, poorly timed for a lot of Blake's own fans.

One of 'em reacted on social media ... "I love his music but the timing for Minimum Wage isn't great. With so many people out of work and struggling the song feels a little tone deaf. I'd like to hear songs that are more personal. Wish he wrote more of his own stuff because he's an incredible song writer."

Another, who is clearly not a fan, wrote ... "The irony of listening to a millionaire Blake Shelton singing about ‘love on minimum wage’ at the end of 2020 might be lost on its target audience."

Miya Ponsetto is doing a really bad job at laying low in her hometown, because she's been out and about ... and not without controversy.

The 22-year-old -- who falsely accused Keyon Harrold's teenage son of stealing her phone -- has surfaced in her SoCal neighborhood, where on Sunday ... her mother called the cops on a few paps who were looking to snap some shots and get interviews with the latest 'Karen.'

Check out these photos ... it's Nicole Ponsetto pulling over on the side of the road and speaking with officers, whom we're told then came over and talked to the paps to figure out what was going on. The cops apparently determined things were on the up and up, so they left.

That's where things get interesting ... one of the paps who spoke to cops said an officer told him Nicole had said they were wasting their time because Miya had left town. Nicole drove off ... alone. Thing is ... around a half-hour later, Miya and her mom pulled up into their driveway. You can see Nicole facing off with paps, who filmed from a distance.

As we reported, the NYPD and the paparazzi, are looking to talk to Miya about her SoHo altercation.

Since leaving NYC, Miya's been spotted in and around Ventura County ... she even had a quick walk-and-a-talk with a photographer a couple days ago on her way outta Mickey D's.

The cameraman asks her point-blank ... does she regret what she did to 14-year-old Keyon Jr. -- namely alleging he'd stolen her phone only to have returned to her from someone else later. Watch ... her answer (or non-answer) is telling -- doesn't sound like she's remorseful.

In fact, Miya even goes so far as to say that she doesn't "know what the problem is here" and adds that she's 22 herself, almost as if that justifies anything. She also points out that she's of Puerto Rican descent without being asked ... again, almost like a cop-out.

She finally ends the interview and slams her car door -- the photog asked all the right questions (including whether she's aware that the NYPD would like a word) but Miya doesn't offer much on that front. She drives off in the same Range Rover as the one Sunday.

In any case ... Miya and her mom are far from out of the woods when it comes to legal woes. As we told you, she and her mother were arrested last year for an incident at the Peninsula in Bev Hills ... one in which her mom allegedly attacked a cop. Both were charged for being drunk in public, while Miya's mother was also charged with battery on an officer.

It's hard to keep track of how many times Joe Biden's been confirmed as the next U.S. President, but there are still some formalities left to make it official ... and D.C. officials are concerned the next one could lead to more civil unrest.

Congress is set to convene January 6 to officially count the electoral votes and certify the winner of the election ... which ended with 306 votes for Biden and 232 for Trump.

TMZ's learned the nation's capital is preparing for the large scheduled protest by Trump supporters -- starting January 5 -- and ending on the 7th.

Obviously, officials are worried the protests could get out of hand and lead to violent clashes with counter-protesters ... so police are being asked to step up in advance.

Trump has tweeted several times, promoting the main protest -- scheduled for January 6 -- and even teasing an appearance at the event.

Our law enforcement sources tell us ... D.C. cops will not be allowed to take days off from Jan. 5-7, and they're implementing a plan to have a heavy police presence in the area -- both uniformed and in street clothes.

On the political side ... Senator Ted Cruz is among 12 Republican Senators who have announced they'll challenge Biden's win on January 6.

MMA star Anthony Pettis says that he's 100 percent down to fight Jake Paul ... and he's willing to do it in the boxing ring -- a place where he has no experience.

But, Jake does -- he's 2-0 as a professional boxer.

TMZ Sports talked to the 33-year-old fighter before his unanimous decision UFC Fight Night win over Alex Morono in Vegas ... and Pettis was crystal clear -- he wants to box before he retires, and Jake Paul would make for a helluva opponent.

"Bro, I would love to box. I haven't boxed yet, so I'm 0-0. Boxing is something I grew up watching my whole life. That's why I got into fighting, honestly. Watching Chavez, De La Hoya, Mayweather, all these guys up and coming."

Of course, Paul knocked former NBA star Nate Robinson out cold over a month ago. There's been debate about how good JP actually is in the squared circle ... but Pettis believes Jake has skills.

"I think he's definitely getting better. He prepared for a boxing match. You could tell he was in boxing shape, he was in a stance at least. It's going to be interesting to see how far he can go with it."

Even if it's not against Jake Paul, Pettis -- a former UFC champ with wins over guys like "Cowboy" Cerrone and "Wonderboy" Thompson -- says he's gonna give boxing a shot before he retires from fighting.

"Man, I'm only 33, and I've been doing this MMA thing for so long. 12 years with Zuffa. So as a pro, I think I've been like 14 years. It's a crazy life I live. I'd love to go in there and try something new," Pettis tells us.

Bottom line ... "I definitely think before I retire boxing will be something I do."

Hidden within their hair-raising snap is an actor who became a teen heartthrob, after his role in a Disney Channel Original Movie!

He has bounced between television shows, movies and musicals throughout his career, and has had his hand in a number of projects. Aside from his Disney days, this star is best known for his performances in "The Greatest Showman", "Baywatch", "Hairspray" and so much more!

This musical man has since gone to travel the world in his new Netflix series.

The Black teenager who was falsely accused of stealing a woman's phone is now in need of therapy because the incident has seriously scarred him ... this according to his parents.

Keyon Harrold tells TMZ ... he and his ex-wife, Kat, are currently vetting therapists and looking to get their son -- 14-year-old Keyon Jr. -- into trauma therapy soon. Keyon (the dad) tells us his son is seriously traumatized ... and a lot has to do with Miya Ponsetto immediately zeroing in on him.

Keyon Jr. asked his dad a simple question that unearths lots of serious issues, including self-doubt ... "Why Me?"

Keyon says he's raised his son to become a proud, Black man, saying, "I have tried to instill dignity in my son. I'm trying to build his ego, because for so long egos of Black men have been shattered."

Keyon feels without professional help, his mission may be torpedoed by Ponsetto's vicious attack on his son. His dad tells us, "He wonders if he's good enough to own an iPhone, or whether he's out of place at a nice hotel." That, Keyon says, must immediately be nipped in the bud.

There's also a practical problem. Both parents are musicians and travel a lot, which means they stay at hotels quite a bit. Keyon says his son is now showing fear about going to hotels. Keyon Jr. has told his dad he's afraid someone will come from behind and tackle him. He's also afraid of being accused of a crime. In fact, he told his dad the day of the incident he felt like a criminal.

Keyon's handling it with broad strokes ... "You definitely belong, everywhere you go."

By the way ... long before the incident, Keyon and his son have talked about social justice issues, and the tragedies of Emmett Till, Michael Brown, George Floyd, and on and on.

The Jenner girls have hit the slopes to ring in the new year -- and they're shacking up in the Colorado Rockies inside what might as well be a castle ... which costs an absolute fortune.

Kylie, Kendall, Kris, Corey and some other pals -- plus young Stormi Webster -- are all on a winter retreat right now in Aspen ... where they're doing some snowboarding and taking in the fresh mountain air, while also kicking their feet up in a fortress of a rental home.

The 20,000-plus square foot, 4-story mansion comes equipped with 7 bedrooms, 9 baths, a massive deck, a patio, a fireplace, an in-home theater, a pool and spa, a bowling alley and a 4-car garage. It's also brand spanking new ... the place was just built in 2020.

If you're wondering what it might be costing the Jenners to stay here ... try something like tens of thousands. According to Realtor.com, the house goes for $450k/month for renters, and the crew's been there at least 3 days now. BTW, it's also for sale for a whopping $75 mil.

Kylie and Kendall have been posting shots from inside their sweet digs, and it's about as nice as its price tag indicates. Looks like the house is pretty secluded too ... exterior footage shows that it's on a mountain edge, and even a stone's throw from a resort there too.

Of course, the whole area is buried in snow at the moment, which the Jenners and co. are taking full advantage of (for recreation and fashion). That includes little Stormi, who's proving to be quite the snowboarder herself. Kylie posted a video of her kid going down what appears to be the bunny hill ... and, lo and behold, she's holding her own pretty well!!!

As if Nashville hasn't had enough chaos descend upon it lately, here's two doofuses causing even more of a panic by jumping off a hotel rooftop bar to ring in the new year.

This wild incident went down Friday at the Grand Hyatt in downtown -- not too far from where Anthony Warner blew himself to smithereens just a few days prior. Two men were spotted standing on a ledge with parachute backpacks on ... then, took a leap of faith.

Check out the video ... you can see worried guests tell them they're not allowed to do that, but these clowns continue on anyway. When it becomes clear they're jumping -- and then actually do it -- people freak out and start screaming, including the camerawoman.

Miraculously, their chutes open ... and the two BASE jumpers glide down above the Nashville streets. They eventually landed safely in a nearby parking lot, where they got into a waiting car and drove off without a trace. Cops are looking to talk to them now.

Now, as for who they might be, it's still a mystery. The hotel has come out and said they were, in fact, guests staying there ... and they've now been banned. Apparently, there's surveillance footage the hotel has turned over to MNPD.

The Nashville bomber, Anthony Warner, was just as out there as people might've suspected -- because authorities now say he sent letters full of kooky ideas days before detonating.

Warner sent a number of letters and videos to friends and acquaintances all over the country on Dec. 23 -- two days before his RV exploded in downtown -- with bizarre writings about everything from aliens to lizard people, 9/11 and the moon landing and everything in between ... this according to CBS News, citing law enforcement officials.

Apparently, Warner sent several packages without return addresses -- which contained upwards of nine pages of typed-out text, plus a couple of thumb drives with videos.

One such letter begins, "Hey Dude, You will never believe what I found in the park." Warner continues, "The knowledge I have gained is immeasurable. I now understand everything, and I mean everything from who/what we really are, to what the known universe really is."

He goes on to say there are too many anomalies to count as it relates to 9/11 and the moon landing, adding a theory about the Earth being under active attack by aliens since at least 2011 ... something he claims the government is covering up.

And, then ... there's the lizard people, whom Warner supposedly thinks walk among us -- and control things. He reportedly writes, "They put a switch into the human brain so they could walk among us and appear human." Warner also signed some of these letters as "Julio."

Friends of his have said that's a name he'd gone by, but neighbors also pointed out that his dog was named Julio. His dog may have died in the explosion, because animal remains were also recovered at the bomb site ... in addition to tissues connected to Warner.

Donald Trump has no shame when it comes to grousing that he's not getting the credit and praise others are getting in the COVID fight, and it seems the person who pisses him off most is one Dr. Anthony Fauci.

Trump unloaded Sunday on Twitter, saying ... "Something how Dr. Fauci is revered by the LameStream Media as such a great professional, having done, they say, such an incredible job, yet he works for me and the Trump Administration, and I am in no way given any credit for my work. Gee, could this just be more Fake News?"

Ok ... a few points to consider

1.  Tony Fauci is a DOCTOR who has been the leader in infectious diseases for decades.  Trump never spent a day diagnosing anything, because he has no medical training.

2.  Dr. Fauci has been a leader in urging mask-wearing and social distancing. Trump has undermined the effort, inspired millions of others to flaunt precautionary measures and is responsible for an untold number of COVID infections as a result.

3.  Fauci has walked the walk, celebrating holidays and other occasions at home without much of his family. Trump has held super-spreader events for friends, family and strangers.

4.  Fauci has carefully advised the nation about therapies and vaccines. Trump has mused about drinking bleach to combat the virus.

5.  Fauci's actions have made him COVID-free. Trump got the virus, along with his wife, child and God knows how many other White House staffers.

In short ... that's why Trump hasn't gotten the credit Fauci has.

Fauci has been the leading voice on infectious viruses for decades, far beyond Trump's presidency.

He's been beloved for sharing the cold-hard facts in an easy to understand manner.