After complaints by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the author revealed the site to be a hoax.

BuyTigers.com was designed by Aldo Tripiciano, an Italian webmaster and search engine optimization (SEO) professional.

Promoted by Tripiciano, the site grew in popularity and attracted controversy from concerned animal rights activists.

[5] BuyTigers.com consisted of a single-page website with pictures of young tigers, presented as if real examples of animals offered for sale.

The site claimed that the tigers, despite being strong and dangerous predators, were trained to be loving, loyal and "totally harmless" pets.