Animals

Authorities in Colorado say Derek Wolfe followed all the steps necessary in his hunt of a mountain lion this week ... confirming to TMZ Sports the former NFL player's killing of the animal was legal.

A spokesperson for Colorado Parks and Wildlife tells us ... Wolfe did all that was required of him in order to lawfully take down the big cat in Grant earlier this week.

According to the CPW, Wolfe obtained his mountain lion hunting license and is "in good standing" with the org. It also said Wolfe checked all the boxes necessary -- such as properly reporting the kill -- to make it all above board.

Wolfe himself insisted on his "The Drive" podcast that he did nothing wrong ... explaining, as he did in his initial post about the kill, that the male mountain lion was a menace to neighboring communities prior to its death.

"He was hiding under this lady's porch down the road," Wolfe said of what initially made him set out to kill the beast. "She told us, 'Please get rid of him. He killed my dog last year.'"

Wolfe added, "I love hunting deer and elk, and mountain lions kill deer and elk, and mature male mountain lions kill the cubs of female mountain lions to get them to go back into heat."

"I feel like I am doing my part by taking care of some of these Toms. It is not easy."

Wolfe said after an hours-long hunt for the animal, he eventually shot and killed it with a bow and arrow. He said the big cat was massive -- weighing around 200 pounds ... and spanning the entirety of his 6-foot-6 frame.

"That thing can kill anybody," Wolfe said.

Ex-Broncos defensive lineman Derek Wolfe hunted a massive mountain lion in Colorado this week ... and at the end of the day, a wild photo shows the Wolfe got the better of the big cat.

The former NFL player detailed his insane journey to nab the mountain lion in Grant on his social media page Thursday ... saying it all started after he got a call on Tuesday that the animal was terrorizing a rural neighborhood in the city.

Wolfe said he was told the mountain lion had killed two of a woman's dogs ... and was "nervous what he might do next."

The 32-year-old avid hunter and fisherman said he then set out to kill it.

He explained on his IG that after discovering a ravaged mule deer that he assumed the big cat killed, he hiked up thousands of feet of rough terrain ... and eventually encountered the mountain lion.

"Exhausted, dehydrated, cramping," Wolfe said, "I drew back my [bow] and sent an [arrow] through him."

Wolfe said he then had to drag the beast's carcass back to his truck ... falling off a 10-foot rock face in the process.

Wolfe, who played in the NFL from 2012 through 2020, wrote in the comment section of his social media post that he estimated it weighed about 195 pounds. As for its height, Derek stands at 6-foot-5 ... and the cat seemed to be bigger than him.

Navy veteran Richard Osthoff choked up while claiming Rep. George Santos scammed him out of money intended to keep his dying service pooch alive ... he says the dog saved his life.

Osthoff recalled his alleged history with the freshman legislator from NY -- who's already fessed up to lying about his work experience and education -- in an interview with CNN, getting emotional as he told his story ... with his late dog's ashes in a box next to him.

The Navy vet says his pooch, Sapphire, saved his life when he was in a dark place after first getting out of the service ... and he's convinced he wouldn't be alive today without the dog.

Osthoff says Santos offered to help get the dog a life-saving medical procedure several years ago ... when Santos was going by his alias, Anthony Devolder ... but says he never saw a dime of the $3,000 Santos raised online.

Instead, Osthoff claims he actually lost money in his dealings with Santos ... another blow to the homeless Navy vet who says he watched his dog die instead of being saved.

For his part, Santos is denying the allegations ... claiming he has dozens of folks who would go on the record saying Santos saved their dogs and cats.

But Osthoff says he won't believe Santos without proof.

The feds finding Carole Baskin's first husband alive is all the buzz on the internet -- but that would be news to local authorities, who tell TMZ they haven't heard from the feds, and still consider Don Lewis missing.

Here's the deal ... Twitter users started chirping Wednesday when a lot of them discovered -- for the first time, apparently -- a 2021 interview with Carole about an alleged report the Dept. of Homeland Security found Lewis living in Costa Rica. The purported DHS report came to light during the second season of "Tiger King."

Like we said, Carole already spoke about it, and we reported on it too ... but for some reason, everyone seems to think the mystery was solved 2 years ago. It really wasn't.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office -- which is in charge of Don's missing person's case -- tells TMZ its had no communication with federal officials to suggest they've located Don Lewis. Obviously, the FBI would've shared that info, so as far as the Sheriff's Office is concerned, nothing's changed -- Lewis is still a missing person, and the case remains a priority for HCSO.

It's also worth noting .... as a legal matter, Don's been presumed dead since 2002. And of course, Joe Exotic sees it that way too.

Joe's attorney, John Phillips says the 'TK2' doc and Carole's ITV interview don't make a difference in their minds about her alleged involvement in DL's disappearance ... adding the doc was floated as having veracity, when it doesn't at all. He also insists Joe will be vindicated in due time.

As for Carole, she reiterates what she told us back in 2021 ... which is that she does not know if the alleged DHS doc 'TK2' producers showed her is real. She's always maintained she had nothing to do with his disappearance, or possible death.

Rep. George Santos is now firmly in the doghouse ... the embattled U.S. Congressman allegedly scammed a disabled homeless military veteran out of thousands in donations intended to keep his dying service pooch alive.

The freshman legislator from NY -- who's already copped to lying about his education and work experience -- crossed paths with Navy veteran Richard Osthoff in May 2016 and identified himself by one of his aliases, Anthony Devolder ... according to local news site, Patch.

Osthoff told Patch he and his beloved service dog, Sapphire, were living out of a tent on the side of a highway in Howell, NJ. That would be trying enough, but Sapphire also had a stomach tumor that was getting larger day by day.

Osthoff needed to come up with $3,000 for his dog's surgery, so a veterinary tech put him in touch with Santos through a charity named "Friends of Pets United" ... which was operated by "Anthony Devolder," Santos' alias. Ya, see where this is going, right?

Santos/Devolder allegedly started a GoFundMe to harness funds for Sapphire's surgery, and Osthoff says one month later, Santos posted on Facebook, "We made the goal, and then some."

This is where it gets really shady -- according to Osthoff, he and Santos discussed taking Sapphire to a different vet after a bleak prognosis from Santos' animal doctor.

Osthoff texted Santos, "My dog is going to die because of god knows what" -- and Santos allegedly replied, "Sapphire is not a candidate for this surgery the funds are moved to the next animal in need and we will make sure we use of resources [sic] to keep her comfortable!"

Osthoff says Sapphire never got the surgery, died in January 2017 ... and they never saw a dime of the donation money. Osthoff was so distraught, he contemplated suicide, pointing out he "loved that dog so much, I inhaled her last breaths when I had her euthanized.”

Now, Santos is denying the whole ordeal ... saying he has no clue who Osthoff is or what he's talking about. He told the Semafor news site, "Fake. No clue who this is."

As we've reported, Santos' track record already sucks ... he was accused of fabricating much of his resume to help him win the congressional seat repping parts of Long Island and Queens.

There are growing calls, even from Republicans, for him to resign after he admitted lying about earning degrees from Baruch College and New York University, and making misleading claims about working for Citigroup and Goldman Sachs.

Tusk V, the University of Arkansas' legendary live mascot, has died, the school announced Tuesday. He was 4 years old.

The University released a statement on Tusk V's passing ... saying he died of natural causes at his home outside of Dardanelle, Arkansas.

Tusk, born on April 19, 2018, served as the school's official live mascot for three years (2019-2022) and witnessed the football team win two bowl games during his tenure.

Tusk V was a staple on the sidelines at Razorbacks games ... and would routinely interact with fans throughout the season.

Tusk V's last regular season appearance was on Nov. 19 at the team's home finale ... when Arkansas defeated Ole Miss 42-27 at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

The Russian boar was most recently on hand for the Hogs' 55-53 win in triple overtime over Kansas in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.

Tusk V became the official live mascot after his father, Tusk IV, retired in 2019. He will be succeeded by his brother, Tusk VI, who will continue the live mascot tradition.

Tusk V -- who would have turned 5 in April -- was laid to rest on the Stokes family farm, the caretakers for the university's mascots.

The so-called "Puppy Bus" is already a viral sensation, and we got its founders to break down all the tricks and treats behind their suddenly booming dog walking/training service.

Mo and Lee Thompson joined "TMZ Live" to talk all about their biz, "Mo Mountain Mutts" ... after their dog bus unexpectedly became a social media phenomenon.

The husband/wife duo told us the bus is just one part of a day filled with dog training and dog walking around Skagway, Alaska -- and after those incredibly calm bus rides, the pups get out for an adventure, full of exercise and socializing.

They say the outings are planned to be physically and mentally engaging for their 4-legged clients ... like challenging hikes or a beach run.

The Thompsons admit their popular bus videos are the product of carefully choosing which pups have enough obedience training to go to their assigned seats without causing a ruckus. They added that the dogs' personalities, ages and manners are also factors.

As for how it all started ... Mo says at first she was just walking friends' dogs during work breaks, and then she started doing biking and hiking trips with 'em.

A family's dog tragically lost its life while out in the woods with its owner ... because we're told a hunter accidentally mistook it for a coyote and shot it.

Jennifer Heller, owner of 8-year-old malamute Hunter, shared the loss of her pup on Facebook ... saying her husband Chris put reflective collars and harnesses on their dogs and took them to a "very commonly used walking path by our house" in Berks County, PA.

While there, she says Chris unleashed Hunter but kept him close -- eventually coming across a group of hunters. After finding out there was an extension on hunting season, she says Chris went to go leash up their dog ... but claims it was shot before he could get to him.

Jennifer says her husband yelled for help and they loaded Hunter in a truck and drove like crazy to get him to a vet, but he died before they could even get to a highway. She's now asking authorities to revoke the shooter's hunting privileges.

Northern Berks Regional Police Chief James Keiser tells TMZ ... the dog wasn't under the control of the owner and was shot by hunters who thought it was a coyote -- adding it should've been on a leash. He says there were no arrests and no charges were filed.

A rep for the Game Commission tells us the hunters were in full compliance with PA hunting laws -- saying it seems the dog was simply shot by mistake.

There's a scary situation unfolding at The Dallas Zoo, as a clouded leopard has gone missing, and authorities desperately track it down before nightfall.

The zoo's official Twitter account made the announcement Friday afternoon, saying, "The zoo is closed today due to a serious situation." They continued to explain the leopard was, "Not in its habitat when the team arrived this morning and is unaccounted for at this time."

The account noted that the 25 lb leopard, who reportedly is named Nova, was a "non-dangerous animal" but still advised folks who may come across the animal not to approach it if they see it outside of the zoo's walls.

The zoo says these clouded leopards are designed to live in treetops, inside dense forests, and don't pose a great risk to family pets ... but still say anyone who may feel uneasy should still bring their family pets inside.

Zookeepers say their main focus right now is bringing Nova home ... and ask anyone who spots a similar animal to DM a picture.

WWE Superstar Alexa Bliss is overjoyed that Logan Paul's former pig, Pearl, has found a new home ... telling TMZ Sports all that matters now is that the animal is getting proper care.

As we previously reported, Logan took Pearl to a horse ranch in California before he moved to Puerto Rico a few years ago ... but sadly, after being rehomed again, the pig was found abandoned and in grave condition.

While many were quick to blame Logan for Pearl's state, the YouTuber made it clear he had no idea his beloved pet ever left the ranch ... nor did he know she was in terrible shape until the Gentle Barn animal sanctuary posted about her on TikTok.

The former women's champ -- who had a pet pig of her own for years -- spoke with us at LAX about the whole situation ... and she's not focused on who's at fault, but rather the fact Pearl is on the mend.

"Unfortunate as it is, I'm happy his pig was rescued and is in a better situation," Bliss says.

"As long as the animal is taken care of, that's all that matters."

Bliss goes on to give a bit of advice to anyone looking to get an oinker as a pet -- "mini" pigs don't exist ... and she'd know, considering her pet, Larry-Steve, a Vietnamese pot-bellied breed, weighed about 150-200 pounds!!

BTW -- Alexa's pig was a social media star, racking up nearly 90,000 followers on Instagram. Unfortunately, Larry-Steve died in 2021 after battling a severe illness.

Filmmaker Michael Bay is now charged with killing a pigeon while directing a film in Italy ... but he's firing back, denying it ever happened under his watch.

The blockbuster director was hit with charges relating to the bird's death, which allegedly happened back in 2018 on the set of the Netflix flick “6 Underground."

However, sources connected to the production tell TMZ ... all the homing pigeons used in the film landed safely during filming.

One source told us, "Everyone knows Michael is an animal activist. This would never happen on his set. There are dozens of witnesses who said that this didn’t happen."

Italian officials say otherwise -- prosecutors claim the pigeon was killed by a dolly while Michael was filming in Rome ... where it is illegal to harm or kill wild birds.

Authorities say someone from the set saw the whole thing, and took a photo before reporting it to law enforcement.

The allegation isn't that Michael himself harmed the bird, but because he was the director ... he's being held responsible for the incident. Michael reportedly tried to get the case thrown out several times, but prosecutors persisted.

Fresh off Georgia's blowout national championship win, the Bulldogs already have a new enemy -- PETA -- 'cause the animal rights org. is calling for the victors to officially retire their live mascot, Uga.

TMZ Sports has learned, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals fired off a letter to University of Georgia president, Jere Morehead this week ... asking the school to replace its iconic English bulldog, Uga X, with a human at sporting events.

The org. claims Uga's presence at games increases demand for breathing-impaired breeds like pugs, bulldogs and boxers ... and they want Georgia to lead by example.

PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman released a statement on the matter ... saying, "As the back-to-back national champion, can’t UGA find it in its heart to honestly examine the impact of its promotion of deformed dogs and call time on its outdated, live-animal mascot program?"

"PETA is calling on Jere Morehead to be a peach and replace poor Uga with a human mascot who can support the team in a winning way."

Of course, Georgia has used live mascots since the 1950s ... starting with Uga I. The current mascot, Uga X, did not make the trip to Los Angeles for Monday's game due to the five plus hour flight.

Dakota Johnson has a new ad campaign with Gucci -- where she's rocking a ton of their gear, including animal skin handbags -- and PETA isn't happy about it ... not at all.

The actress just came out as an official ambassador for the luxury fashion brand, and appeared in a new commercial where she's showing off a ton of their products -- and, of course, there's photoshoots galore where DJ is in all Gucci. So, she's all in.

The problem, according to PETA, is that a couple of these Gucci handbags Dakota's advertising here are made with authentic reptile skins ... specifically, python and crocodile. Gucci isn't hiding it either, as its website touts the fact the hides are the real deal.

That doesn't sit right with the animal rights org -- and it let Dakota know all about it in an informative, yet somewhat scathing, letter to her team.

In the correspondence, obtained by TMZ, PETA takes issue with Gucci's python and crocodile handbags -- ranging from $3,100 to $31k -- being so unabashedly flaunted by Dakota ... which they say is odd, since she's outspoken on a lot of social issues.

They're right, her IG is full of advocacy posts for everything from BLM to women's rights and a lot more.

So, PETA's asking if she cares about the animals that were slaughtered for the bags -- and reminds her poachers and hunters go to extreme lengths to obtain the skins ... including torturing and ripping them to pieces while still alive.

PETA also mentions this tidbit ... "The killing of these snakes is so cruel that in California, it would be illegal to buy the very goods you’re promoting, because their sale is banned."

Gucci even acknowledges that fact on its web pages for a couple of these handbags.

Bottom line ... PETA is asking Dakota to strongly reconsider her association with Gucci and to denounce its use of exotic animal skins, especially with vegan alternatives available.

We tried looking to see if Dakota has spoken out on animal rights issues, specifically, and it sounds like she considers it a righteous cause -- seeing how her famous grandmother, Tippi Hedren, was a huge advocate of animal protection ... and DJ has spoken fondly of her work.

Logan Paul says he did nothing wrong with his former pet pig, who is now being cared for by an animal sanctuary ... Logan says he gave the pig a good home before it was rescued.

The YouTube star joined us Tuesday on "TMZ Live" and talked about his former pet pig, Pearl, who is now being looked after by the Gentle Barn rescue.

Logan says he owned Pearl for a couple years and gave her a good life at his home in Encino, CA ... saying he would even cuddle and sleep with the animal and made sure she had "the best life."

But, when Logan moved to Puerto Rico during the pandemic, he says he sent Pearl to live at a horse ranch in Santa Clarita, CA because he wasn't permitted to bring her with him. Logan says Pearl received amazing care at the ranch.

Logan says Pearl lived at the horse ranch for 10 months but had to be rehomed again when the ranch owner moved out of state -- he says he was unaware of the rehoming.

Gentle Barn posted a TikTok Monday about Pearl's rescue, claiming she was "irresponsibly rehomed" and was found alone in a field next to a dead pig.

Logan says he only found out about Pearl's situation when the video came out, and he says he checked his records and is certain he didn't rehome the pig irresponsibly.

Logan's also claiming innocence on the second pig that was allegedly found dead next to Pearl ... he says the farmer denies knowing about a second pig and says Pearl was transferred to the farm alone.

TMZ broke the story ... Logan reached out to Gentle Barn after the video surfaced, explaining Pearl's history with him and pledging to help with her care.

Logan says the Pearl saga was unpredictable and unforeseen ... and if he could, he would go back in time and tell himself not to buy a baby pig.

Logan Paul's former pig is now being cared for by the famous, Gentle Barn ... and he's thanking the rescue org. for saving the animal.

Here's the deal ... the famous animal sanctuary in Santa Clarita, CA posted a TikTok Monday about rescuing a pig with tattered ears and a potentially-life threatening infection who was found alone in a field next to a dead pig ... and it turns out the pig has a connection to Logan.

The pig, Pearl, was owned by Logan a few years ago ... and says he thought it was a "mini pig" when he bought her. The pig is now huge.

Anyway ... Logan sent an email, obtained by TMZ, to Gentle Barn ... thanking them for caring for Pearl and explaining how the pig's been rehomed a few times.

Logan says Pearl lived at his home in Encino until April 2020 when he moved to Puerto Rico. He says Pearl was rehomed to a horse ranch in Santa Clarita, where he thinks she lived for 10 months until being rehomed to the farm across the street "with the purpose of care."

But, when Gentle Barn found the pig, they say she had clearly been through more trauma than they could imagine.

A source close to Logan tells TMZ ... he was very upset to learn of Pearl's condition and is truly grateful to Gentle Barn.

Joe Exotic is officially single again in the eyes of the law, because his divorce is on the record and in the books ... signed, sealed and delivered.

The "Tiger King" star had his dissolution of marriage from now ex-husband Dillon Passage finalized Tuesday in Santa Rosa County, FL ... with a judge signing off on each dude going off into the world as unattached and unhitched, according to court docs obtained by TMZ.

It's been a long time coming -- Joe and Dillon have been separated for years now, but their divorce wasn't filed until last March, and there've been a few hiccups along the way ... not to mention new romances for both.

As you know ... JE has been on and off with at least a couple other guys while behind bars, and was even set to marry one of his fellow inmates -- that is, before things fell apart in June.

Now that the divorce with Dillon is done, we imagine Joe might pull the trigger in the future. He seems to get smitten pretty easily, and who doesn't love 'em some Exotic in their life? Anyhoo, the only other thing that's noteworthy is that Joe's getting his old name back.

He was previously known as Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage, but the Passage is gone ... and he's back to this three-name moniker once more. Of course, he'll always be known as one thing for many. What that is ... well, we suppose that depends on who you ask.

Joe and Dillon had no children, and everything else was hashed out in an agreed-upon settlement. Joe was repped by attorney Autumn Beck Blackledge throughout the proceedings.