Abdullah Sholeh, 'Tiger Nanny,' Lives, Plays And Sleeps With Huge Bengal Tiger Mulan (VIDEO)

'Tiger Nanny' Lives, Sleeps And Plays With Huge Bengal Tiger

Abdullah Sholeh has a very unconventional best friend.

The 31-year-old, known as the "Tiger Nanny," feeds, play fights and even sleeps with a very large, 4-year-old Bengal tiger named Mulan, The Sun reports.

“I never feel scared," Sholeh told the Sun. "I consider her my everyday friend."

Sholeh, who lives in Malang, Indonesia, has raised Mulan since she was a baby, acting as caretaker nearly 24 hours a day.

Living with tigers is a decision that's not to be made lightly. While some may look furry and somewhat cuddly, roughhousing with the big cats is a dangerous game.

Michael Jamison and his girlfriend Jackie Smit live with a tiger named Enzo in their home in Brakpan, South Africa, the Daily Mail noted earlier this year.

"Playing with a tiger can be really dangerous," Jamison said. "If he gets you at the wrong place, even if he doesn't bite down, he can just scratch you with his teeth, you will bleed. That's one thing I've made peace with: every time I play with him I'm prepared to bleed a little bit."

Indeed, in pictures taken for The Sun, Sholeh seems to be sporting many scratches and a black eye. At times during a video shot for the outlet, the tiger appears to get carried away while "play fighting."

"I was lucky, Mulan's claws nearly took my eye out," Sholeh said.

According to the Christian Science Monitor, tigers are often absolved of blame in mauling cases, with survivors acknowledging the animals were merely exhibiting normal tiger behavior.

In September, a 400-pound tiger attacked a man who jumped into the Bronx Zoo Wild Asia exhibit. Zoo officials said the tiger "did nothing wrong" and would not be euthanized.

Similarly, when entertainer Roy Horn was bitten in the neck by his tiger Montecore in 2003, Horn told assistants, “Montecore is a great cat. Make sure no harm comes to Montecore," CNN reports.

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