Moneybox

New York Sends Tiger Selfies Toward Extinction

This is now illegal in New York.

Photo by Visnu Pitiyanuvath via Flickr.

Tinder Guys With Tigers might be on its way to extinction and some men might never get another date again after a crushing blow from Albany. New York state legislators have passed a bill that makes it illegal to pose for photos while “hugging, patting or otherwise touching tigers in New York state,” the New York Post reports. It’s no joke: People found in violation of the new legislation would face fines of up to $500.

While no animal may ever match the popularity of cats on the Internet (except maybe goats?), tigers have stalked their way into online dating profiles lately. Nowhere have they roamed more widely than on dating site Tinder. “Everyone in the 20-something age bracket has a picture of themselves posing with a doped-up tiger during their ‘epic’ backpacking trip around Southeast Asia,” Tinder user Karleigh Kassen, 26, told the Wall Street Journal in May.

Tinder users confessed to the Journal that they believed a photo taken with a tiger would set them apart from “boring guys who stay at home and play video games” and make them appear “fun” to potential dates browsing their profiles. Because nothing says “hot date” or stirs basic animal impulses like a guy puckering up as he strokes the white chin fur of a big cat. Or fake-bites its tail. We can only hope that Tinder doesn’t take too big a hit from losing this sexy and devoted portion of its users.