‘Tiger King’ Star Doc Antle Charged with Animal Cruelty and Wildlife Trafficking

Bhagavan “Doc” Antle of the popular Netflix docuseries, Tiger King, has been indicted on 15 charges revolving around his privately owned zoo, Myrtle Beach Safari. This zoo contained a large amount of tigers and lions, accompanied by other wild animals.

The Tiger King docuseries drew attention to the cruel world of big cat captivity and trading in America. Published at the start of quarantine, viewers were taken into the depths of different privately owned zoos and the lack of regulations they face.

The main star of the documentary, Joe Exotic, owned a private zoo in Oklahoma and was arrested shortly after the Netflix release. He is serving time for conspiring to commit murder and killing animals. Viewers have since been hoping to see more of the documentary’s stars held accountable for their actions.

Flash forward to October 8th, when the Virginia Attorney General’s office charged Doc Antle with multiple felony and misdemeanor charges. The misdemeanor charges include four counts of conspiracy to violate the Endangered Species Act and nine counts of animal cruelty. The felony charges include one felony of wildlife trafficking and one felony count of conspiracy to traffic wildlife. Antle’s daughters are also facing misdemeanor charges including animal cruelty and violating the Endangered Species Act. 

Many of these charges stem from the illegal selling and trading of lions between privately owned zoos and owners. According to statements and the documentary, Antle frequently participated in the selling of lions over state lines. 

People have been waiting for Antle to face charges since the Netflix series first premiered. 

doc antle has finally been indicted on animal cruelty charges but i hope to god this doesn’t restart the glamorisation of joe exotic

— alexandria 🌉 (@gIoomygoth) October 12, 2020

Well, Hallelujah to this. Although the Endangered Species Act has big holes in it (and this guy has deftly squirmed through them), hopefully this will finally spell the end for Doc Antle and his roadside big cat charade. https://t.co/NyBVvR6Mqi

— Jackson Galaxy (@JacksonGalaxy) October 11, 2020

Although viewers are happy to see this, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done to ensure the safety of large cats and animals in privately owned zoos. 

Have you been following this story? If so, do you hope to see more of the series stars charged? We’re hoping this sparks change for the safety of these animals.