Other private zoo owners who appeared in Tiger King have faced charges as well: Jeff Lowe lost his license to exhibit animals to the public, and Tim Stark was convicted of animal cruelty and violating the Endangered Species Act (and arrested yesterday for allegedly trying to conceal animals from federal authorities after weeks on the run). Tiger King star “Joe Exotic,” meanwhile, is serving 22 years in prison for conspiracy to murder and killing tigers. Antle, Myrtle Beach Safari, and Wilson did not respond to requests for comment. Two of Antle’s daughters also have been indicted on misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals and violating the Endangered Species Act. It’s illegal to sell lions-protected species under the Endangered Species Act-across state lines. (Wilson already was facing 46 counts of animal cruelty in relation to a November 2019 raid that resulted in authorities confiscating 119 of his animals.)

Wilson has been indicted on identical charges to Antle, plus four additional counts of conspiracy. The charges stem from a months-long investigation into illegal selling and transport of lions between Antle and Keith Wilson, owner of Wilson’s Wild Animal Park in Winchester, Virginia. On October 8, the Virginia Attorney General’s office charged Antle with one felony count of wildlife trafficking, one felony count of conspiracy to traffic wildlife, four misdemeanor counts of conspiracy to violate the Endangered Species Act, and nine misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty. He and his children have millions of followers on TikTok and Instagram. Antle’s 37-year-old facility, which he runs with three girlfriends and his children, has long been popular with celebrities seeking to cuddle tiger cubs. The owner of a popular private zoo in South Carolina who was featured in the television series Tiger King has been indicted in Virginia on 15 charges that include wildlife trafficking and animal cruelty related to his activity with lions.īhagavan “Doc” Antle, who owns Myrtle Beach Safari, was the prominent face of an attraction that touted cub-petting of tigers long before Joseph Maldonado-Passage, or “Joe Exotic,” gained notoriety earlier this year for his starring role in the Netflix docu-tainment series Tiger King.

The tiger hunter october 6th